That Pedler Again by G. B. Thompson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Aug 29, 1912

That Pedler Again

By G. B. Thompson

G. B. THOMPSON

SOME time ago we wrote a warning against a dangerous pedler that has no doubt appeared in your neighborhood or home from time to time. The pedler to which we refer is the gossip pedler. As he has probably appeared since that warning was written, and seeing that his name is legion, we venture to mention the matter again.

Tattling, or spreading rumors of gossip, is a deadly evil. The wise man says: "The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly." Prov. 26:22. The tongue is "an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." A writer describes it thus:—

"Naturalists tell us that the snail has its teeth on its tongue, and that upon the tongues of some snails as many as thirty thousand teeth have been found. The snail rolls its tongue up like a ribbon, and, of course, its teeth are very small, but they saw through the toughest leaves with ease. There are some men and women who have teeth on their tongues, and are ever ready to use them. There are pillows wet with tears, and eyes red with weeping, and hearts broken, and homes ruined, and lives blasted, all because of the unbridled human tongue. And the devil has no more remorseless instrument of torture at his hand than the tongue of the gossip, the backbiter, or the slanderer. Shame to say, some who profess Christianity become the ready tools of Satan, and bring disgrace upon their Master's name, and keep many a soul out of the kingdom."

The same writer relates the following incident, which illustrates, we fear, the picture of many who profess to be Christians:—

"On a railroad train, we fell into conversation with an intelligent gentleman of large business interests in certain Western cities. Presently our conversation turned to more serious matters; and when asked whether he were a Christian, he said, 'No, I can not say that I am; yet I do not know but that I am as good as most church-members. Now, for instance, yesterday I got on board the train to ride into Chicago, and there came into the coach and sat beside me a woman whom I knew very well, and who is prominent in church work. She claims to be a Christian, and knows that I am not a Christian, but in all that three hours' ride she did not do another blessed thing but gossip and tell tales about her friends and neighbors, until, when the train reached the city, I was heartily glad to get away from her. Now, why did that woman who professes to be a follower of Christ spend all the time in gossip, and have nothing to say about her Master?'"

Is it not time this unmitigated evil was stopped in the church? Nothing can be more unchristian than the practise of backbiting and defaming the character of any one, especially brethren and sisters of the same church. But you ask, How can I stop one of the scandal-mongers who comes into my home from assassinating my friends and neighbors? I suggest this: Say to this defamer of other people's character, "Come, we will go and ask the person if what you are telling is the truth." This will usually hush the slanderer, and stop the back-biting tongue, quite effectually, for those who make a practise of robbing people of their reputation, usually have no inclination to face the person whom they are plundering of his fair name, and ascertain the truth of the matter. "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth." Prov. 26:20.

Takoma Park, D. C.