A Cure for Slander

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Mar 13, 1879

A Cure for Slander.

The following very homely but singular instructive lesson is by St. Phillip Neri:--

A lady presented herself to him one day accusing herself of being given to slander. "Do you frequently fall into this fault?" inquired the Saint. "Yes, father, very often," replied the penitent. "My dear child," said the Saint, "your fault is great, but the mercy of God is still greater; for your penance do as follows: Go to the nearest market, purchase a chicken just killed and still covered with feathers; you will then walk to a certain distance, plucking the bird as you go along; your walk finished, you will return to me."

Great was the astonishment of the lady in receiving so strange a penance; but silencing all human reasoning, she replied, "I will obey you, Father, I will obey." Accordingly she repaired to the market, bought the fowl and set out on her journey, plucking it as she went along, as she had been ordered.

In a short time she returned, anxious to tell of her exactness in accomplishing her penance, and desirous to receive some explanation of one so singular.

"Ah!" said the Saint, "you have been very faithful to the first part of my orders; now do the second part, and you will be cured. Retrace your steps; pass through all the places you have already traversed, and gather up one by one all the feathers you have scattered."

"But, Father," exclaimed the poor woman, "that is impossible. I cast the feathers carelessly on every side; the wind carried them in different directions; how can I recover them?"

"Well, my child," replied the Saint, "so it is with your words of slander, like the feathers which the wind has scattered, they have been wafted in many directions; call them back if you can. Go and sin no more."

History does not tell if the lady was converted; but it is probable. It required a Saint to give the lesson; one should be a fool not to profit by it.