Chapter VIII.
Gossipping and Evil-Speaking.
These are faults into which the young and thoughtless are very apt to be betrayed, and to indulge in to a most unjustifiable and sometimes pernicious extent, whereby the most trivial failing of a companion is magnified into a very serious offence against propriety, or an unguarded word made to do an injury never intended by the one who uttered it.
A young lady should be very guarded, indeed, about speaking evil of any one, and equally so how she repeats the disparaging remarks of another. Much of this evil speaking arises from thoughtless misjudgments of those who happen not to be very much liked. Whatever they do or say is seen through a false medium, that gives to it an unnatural distortion, or an improper coloring. Of the injustice of this nothing need be said, for all can see and acknowledge it. The difficulty is, to make each one, who indulges this evil practice, conscious that she is really guilty of doing so, and therefore a wrong-doer to others.
