A CURE FOR SLANDER.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8334, 10 April 1889, Page 3

A CURE FOR SLANDER.

The following very homely but singularly instructive lesson is by St. Philip Ncri :— A lady presented herself to him one day, accusing herself of being Riven 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 nTircy is greater. For your penance do as follows : — Go to the nearest market, purchase a chicken just killed and well covered with feathers ; yon will then walk to a certain distance, plucking the bird as you go along ; ' your walk finished you will return to inc." Great was the astonishment of the lady in receiving so strange a penance, but silencing all human reasoning she replied :— " I will obey, father. I will obey." Accordiugly 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 Bhe returned, anxious to tell of her exactness in accomplishing her penance and desirous of receiving some explanation of one so singular. " Ah," said the saint, "you have been very faithful to the first part of my order ; now do the second part and you will be cured. Retrace your steps, pass through all the places you have 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 eyery 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 scattered, they have been wafced in many directions ; call them back if you nin. fin. find sin no more."