No one has a right to believe that any man or woman deserves to be exiled from respectable society, unless the proofs of guilt are too strong to be denied; therefore, the propagators of unproved charges, ought to be deemed as infamous in one way, as those whom they accuse can be in another; and they are particularly unbecoming the soft voice of woman.

"What's female beauty but an air divine,

Through which the mind's all gentle graces shine?"

says Dr. Young in his "Universal Passion," and if this be true, the woman, be she ever so beautiful, who readily listens to a tale of scandal, and smiles on the propagators, forfeits that air divine" of which the poet speaks, and loses her claim to those "gentle graces" which bestow a beauty that time can never destroy, the beauty of the candid mind and benevolent heart, illuminating the countenance and giving charm to the conversation. The following extract from an American writer, from whose little work, "The Brief Examiner," I have derived amusement and, I hope, profit, is well suited to this subject. "It would be passing no deception on a young girl at school, to tell her along with more solemn exhortations, that the feelings and dispositions from which spring calumny and back-biting would deform her face; for what is that beauty in the female face, which pleases all beholders? It consists chiefly in the aspect that indicates good affections. Every indication of candour,

gentleness, and benignity, is a beauty; on the contrary, every feature or aspect of countenance that indicates pride, envy, or malignity, is a deformity. Nor does it need proof, that in frequent instances the face becomes at length the index of the passions which one habitually harbours, whether they be of the benevolent or the malignant kind. One remark more, and no trifling one. There scarcely can be a more attractive feature in the character of a woman, than her veiling, or treating with sisterly candour, those petty blemishes from which she is happily exempt herself."

When I began this work I had convinced myself that though detraction was a common vice, defamation was not; but the experience even of the last year has convinced me that wherever the spirit of the world exists, not only that of detraction but of defamation exists also, and that though I may not be as much exposed to hear its breathings as I once was, they are to be heard, and that where the detractor is, the defamer is not far behind. Even when, which is rarely the case, reports are not false, still it is our duty to suspend our belief of them, till to doubt is no longer possible. And if true, why should I undertake the unbecoming task of spreading the disgrace? If I have no personal ill-will towards the offender, what motive but a love of evil-speaking can induce me to do so? and if I have, it is the more necessary that I should be silent, lest I

ld be indulging a feeling of revenge. The

of the Government of the Tongue gives

the epithet of lying to defamation; and justly, because those who are eager to tell a tale of scandal are ready to heighten its effects by the aid of invention, especially if the tale be against any one who has wounded their self-love; moreover, a charge, after being bruited about by se.veral tongues, increases in guilt and importance so much, that the first utterer of it would scarcely know it again. How unsatisfactory often is the evidence for the truth of a calumnious report. "Who told thee this? and how dost thou know it is true?" "Oh! because such a one told me, and he had it from lady so and so, and she knows the parties intimately." Admirable authority! for if lady so and so knows the parties intimately, was she likely to gossip away their character? and if she was treacherous enough to malign her intimate associates, I must have better evidence than that of so unprincipled a person, before I could believe the scandal uttered. Yet it is on such evidence as the foregoing, that one finds nine calumnies out of ten are founded and propagated.

I have given a specimen of the dialogue of talkers-over, and shown the progress of detraction, and though I shrink from the task, I shall venture to display in another dialogue the progress of defamation.*

Though ignorant of the Greek language, I have ventured to give the persons in my dialogues the names of the Greek alphabet, because I feared that if I put Mrs. or Mr. L— or D—, some persons might choose to fancy I meant some particular individuals.

S

We will suppose the parties first assembled. to be the master and mistress of the house, their two daughters, a boy of thirteen-their son, and myself, luncheon being almost concluded, and the elder girl is showing me some fine prints in the next room, but as the door is open I hear all that passes. "Hark! there is a knock, my dear! Ring the bell to have the luncheon taken away." "Make haste, sister!" cries one of the girls, lowering her voice, "for it is Mrs. Kappa, and we must have more luncheon for her if she sees it, for she has such an appetite!" "Dear me, mamma," cries the other girl, "she always contrives to come at our luncheon time, for she is so stingy, she does not allow herself any at home." deed!" says the papa. "Yes, I believe it is true," cries the mamma. By this time, the bell has rung, the luncheon is removed, and the visiter enters just as the mother has expressed her joy that the table is cleared. "How are you, my dear Mrs. Kappa," says the mistress of the house, "glad to see you.' "Pray sit down, my good friend," says her husband, our luncheon is only just gone." "I am sorry you did not come sooner," says the wife. "You are very good," replies Mrs. Kappa, "but I rarely eat luncheon," "But, perhaps, you will take something, a piece of cake, and a glass of wine." "Oh! no, thank you, she

"In

replies faintly, meaning to be pressed, but her no is suffered to pass for what it was not meant to be, a negative; and the parties sit down, all but the master of the house, who leans against

the chimney-piece, with one hand in his waistcoat pocket, swinging himself backwards and forwards, and the elder daughter and myself who are now turning over a portfolio on the table. "Well, Mrs. Kappa," says the master of the house, "is there any news stirring?" "Yes, a good deal, but then it may not be true." "No matter, what is it?" "They say young Zeta is gone off in debt, and has robbed his father to a considerable amount!" "That

was to be expected from his bringing up." "Yes, certainly." In this opinion all join, and there is a chorus of "parents that spoil their children must take the consequences. At this moment a Major Mu is announced, and after the usual compliments, the Major says, "Well, have you heard the news?" "Yes," says the elder girl, "if you mean that young Zeta is gone off." "Oh! he is gone quite off, is he, and not taken?" replies the Major, "What do you mean?" "Why, they say he has committed a forgery." "Very likely, but are you sure of it?' "Oh! no, not sure; nay, I believe it was only said that some one had supposed it most likely he had committed forgery. "Oh, that is all; well, but what other news have you?" "The lovely Helen Omicron is going to be married to a man some years older than her father!" "Very likely!" observes Mrs. Kappa, "she had out. staid her market, and I dare say the gentleman is very rich." "Besides," says the father,"

"she has made herself so talked of, for our friend Sir William Rho, that she may think