August 17

Guard the tongue

“Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips”(Psa. 141:3).
“The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment” (Psa. 37:30).

Give not thy tongue too great liberty, lest it take thee prisoner. A word unspoken is like the sword in the scabbard, thine; if vented, thy sword is in another’s hand. If thou desire to be held wise, be so wise as to hold thy tongue.

RECIPE FOR GOSSIP
Take a grain of falsehood, a handful of runabout, a sprig of herb of backbite, a teaspoonful of don’t you tell it, six drachms of malice, and a few drops of envy. Stir well, and let simmer for an hour. Add a little discontent and jealousy, then strain through a bag of misconstruction. Cork it in a bottle of malevolence and hang it on a skein of street yarn. Shake it occasionally for a few days and it will be ready for use. Take a few drops before going out a walk, and you will succeed.

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