Illustration: Gossip, Words

Harry hosted a dinner party. One of his guests was a surgeon.

While deftly carving the roast, Harry kept up a running commentary: "How am I doing, Doc? How do you like that technique? I'd make a pretty good surgeon, don't you think?"

When Harry had finished and the slices of meat lay neatly on the serving platter, the surgeon spoke up:

"Anybody can take them apart, Harry. Now let's see you put them back together again."

Our words can take people apart much more easily than we can put them back together.