The Autobiography of a Slander by Edna Lyall is a satirical allegory narrated by Slander itself. Born from a single careless, spiteful remark dropped by a fashionable woman, the Slander describes how it feeds on idle gossip, growing stronger with every retelling. Travelling from drawing rooms to country villages, it ruins reputations, breaks hearts, and destroys the happiness of innocent people, including a blameless young man and those who love him. Ultimately, the Slander returns to wound its own creator, proving that malicious words inevitably recoil upon those who first utter them. This moral tale powerfully warns against the destructive, self-perpetuating nature of gossip.
