Urbana Union

How False Reports May Originate.

A curious illustration of this is found in an anecdote told in a lecture by Mr. Spurgeon. A minister lived opposite one of the deacons of his church. A report got abroad that the minister had been seen to beat his wife, and the matter was brought before a deacons' meeting. There the minister said he had traced the spreading report to the deacon's daughter. The good man, the deacon, said he would not have spoken, but his daughter's name having been mentioned, he must then state that when he was going to bed on a certain night, he did see (through the window blind of the lighted room) the minister hitting his wife, and heard her scream. The minister was nonplussed; but he requested that his wife might be sent for and questioned. When she arrived she explained the whole matter. She said: Don't you recollect there was a rat in the room one night, that it got upon my dress, that you got frightened, and took up the poker; that I could not stand still and ran around the room, you running after me with the poker. This is the explanation of the whole affair.' Well then, the lecturer went on to remark to his hearers, the next time they heard a story against a good man, let them say at once, 'There is a rat at the bottom of it, I know,' and that some simple explanation may account for the whole thing.