SCANDAL.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4622, 27 October 1883, Page 2

SCANDAL.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

" Who steals my purse, steals trash; but he who filches from me my good name, robs me of that which not, enriches him, but leaves me poor indeed."

Sib,—l suppose in every community (great or small) there majr be found persons capable of inventing slanderous reports of their neighbors,—sometimes with aimless purpose and through lore of idle talk, but more frequently, I fear, with a desire to injure in one way, or another the reputation of some particular person or persons with whom the slanderer is at variance. It is to be regretted that the Thames community is not free from the curse of slanderous tongues. Some false and dishonest people can be found here who, aware that their open hostility would fail to attain the ends they have in view, do not hesitate to attack secretly 5 the object of their spite *^)y spreading vile stories of alleged immoral conduct; indeed, so daring are these pests of society that they fear not to include the names of innocent men arid women and in their Hell devised plots seem to desire the gratification of seeing what effeetsuch slander has" on the innocent persons they attack. The or* dinary individual is only too ready to listen to tales of alleged wrong-doing, and no matter who may be the person referred to, very feeble attempts, if any, are made, even by the friends of the maligned, to discover whether or not there is any truth in the story told them, and so the pestilential breath of scandal spreads over the whole country side, until at last it reaches the unfortunate victim; but alas! too late to give hope of discovering the author, and bringing him or her to punishment. It is a matter for deep regret that, when a slanderous report is circulated, no one is found courageous enough to go direct to the person involved and tell them of it, and thus afford an opportunity of denial if untrre, and of dealing promptly with the slanderer ; how. much paid such a course would be saved'to the innocent, and perhaps many families relieved at once of the blasting influence of the miasmatic vapour which, unknown to them, has surrounded their social life. The slan« derer has ever existed, and in the old time it was declared that "Who slandereth his neighbour him will God destroy," in so much abhorrence was the character held, and indeed I am not sure that the wicked circulator of lying reports in thece days deserves a milderpunishment.—lam, &c. t

C. J. E.