What Is Gossip?

"We are ofien asked, "Wliat Is gossip?" Wc answer in a general "way, iliat it is tíilkinjí of persona rather than of things. Sfothlng shows the paucity of ideas moro than this talking about the affairs of your noigbors. It is not only malïcious people wliooriginate scandal ; it is nan-ow-ininded ])oo)le, ignorant people, stupid peoplo. Pei-soas of culture and intclligencc are not so hard run for topics of conversation. Tlicy can usually ftlld somcthing to say about art, fashion, literature or society. The moment people begin totalk about their neighbors - of persons, rather than of things, they are apt to descuérate into scandal ; for wlicro onc speaks of the vinues of an acquaintance, a dozen expatiate on hls or lier shortconiings. And thls brings us to epeak of real culture, orwhat wecönsider tobe snch at least. A cultivated person in the highest sense of the term, is not nierelyone who can talk of books, pictures, n ml other elevatod eubjects ot human interest. To bo thoroughly cultivated, the heart, as. wcll as the intellect, sliDiik'L be reflned and enlarged. Sometiincs we sec women who, without ducation, yet having been Dom amiable, are nover guilty of gossip. Again we seo woineii pot naturally ainiable, whom eduoatioB has taugbt to fcilk of thingg, not of persons. Theperfect woman in this respect, is 011e who is botli amiable and ednoated. But edueatiou does not always elévate people abovo the rogioiis of gossip. A real 1 y bad heart is always malicious. The best advice we eau give is the hoinely old adage, "Mind your owu business." Very few of us ever know tho whole truth about anything concerninga neiglibor, and to speak of his or her conduct, is usually to run the risk ot beinif unjust, mach less should we talk of the motivos of others. Very few of us know our own motivos, and M venture on discusinpa neighbor's motives, isjaAwsys impertinence,aud often a real crime. - Wucerly. A singular case of a lost hcir canio lately befofe the court of cliancci -y, England. Jn 1838, [gaac, eldest eon of .John Atkiuson, a Cumberland gontleman of property, disappeared. Thero was no suspieion of his death, but no news reaclied lus family about him. - ■ It now appears that about the sanio timo ona Jumes Anderson started in business in Rome, Italy. He had a Cumberland accent, and, liko Isaac, v;is a line wre.stler. This man v;i the lost hcir. JLiy the death of his fatker, in WS9, Isaao becaiue heir, but, it is státed uevei' kniiw this uutil Iö7ü. - 1 1 is (■luim was then uearly barred, noi did lic take steps to assert it. lle died in 177, and si satisfled are his family of his iilenüty that they hare agreed ou a compromiso with liis cliildrcu.