questionable amusements and worthy substitutes-第17节
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〃A true friend is an atmosphere
Warm with all inspirations dear;
Wherein we breathe the large free breath
Of life that hath no taint of death。
A true friend's an unconscious part
Of every true beat of our heart;
A strength; a growth; whence we derive
Soul…rest; that keeps the world alive。〃
Then; friendship sheds light in the mind。 〃He who has made the
acquisition of a judicious and sympathetic friend;〃 says Robert Hall;
〃may be said to have doubled his mental resources。〃 No man is wise
enough to be his own counselor; for he inclineth too much to leniency
toward himself。 〃It is a well…known rule that flattery is food for the
fool。〃 Therefore no man should be his own counselor since no one is
so apt to flatter another as he is himself。 A wise man never flatters
himself; neither does a friend flatter。 As a wise man sees his own
faults and seeks to correct them; so a true friend sees the faults of his
friend and labors faithfully to banish them。 The one who flatters you
despises you; and degrades both you and himself。 An enemy will tell
you the whole truth about yourself; especially your faults; and at times
that both weaken and hurt you。 A friend will tell you the whole truth
about yourself; especially your neglected virtues; but at a time to both
strengthen and help you。 The highest service a friend can render is
that of giving counsel。 The highest honor one can bestow upon his
friend is to make him his counselor。 It is no mark of weakness to rely
upon counsel。 God; Himself; needed a counselor; so he chose His Son。
〃His name shall be called Wonderful; Counselor; the Mighty God; the
Everlasting Father; the Prince of Peace。〃 Isa。 ix; 6。 Counsel; says
Solomon; is the key to stability。 〃Every purpose is established by
Counsel。〃 Prov。 Xx; 18。 Who despiseth counsel shall reap the reward
of folly。 A friend is safe in counsel; according to his wisdom; for he
never seeks his own good; but the good of his friend。 It is a saying; 〃If
some one asks you for advice; if you would be followed; first find out
what kind of advice is wanted; then give that。〃 But this is not the way
of a friend。 He has in mind the welfare of the friend and the cause his
friend serves。 Honor does not require that one shall follow the advise
of his friend; rather liberty in this is a mark of freedom and trust
between friends。
A friend aids one in the carrying out of his life purposes。 Who is it
that helps one to places of honor and usefulness? It is his friend。 Who
is it that recognizes one's true worth; extols his virtues; and gives tone
and quality to the diligent services of months and years? It is his
friend。 Who is it; when one ends his life in the midst of an unfinished
book; or with loose ends of continued research in philosophy or science
all about him; who is it that gathers up these loose ends and puts in order
the unfinished work? It is his friend。 Who is it that stands by the open
tomb of that fallen saint or hero and relates to the world his deeds of
sacrifice and courage which spurn others on to nobler living and thereby
perpetuates his goodness and valor? Who does this; if it is done? It is
his friend。 A friend thus becomes not only a completion of one's soul
as he is by virtue of being a friend; but also he becomes a completion
of one's life。 Then; one's relation to his fellowmen is a limited
relationship。 He may speak; but upon certain subjects; on certain
occasions; and to certain persons。 As Francis Bacon says; 〃A man can
not speak to his son but as a father; to his wife but as a husband; to his
enemy but upon terms; whereas a friend may speak as the case requires;
and not as it sorteth with the person。。。。I have given the rule;〃 says he;
〃where a man can not fitly play his own part; if he have not a friend; he
may quit the stage。〃
HOW TO GET AND KEEP A FRIEND。
A real friend is discovered; or made。 First; discovered。 Two persons
notice an attraction for one another。 They see that their desires are
similar; they have the same sentiments; they agree in tastes。 A feeling
of attachment becomes conscious with each of them; slight association
fosters this feeling; it increases。 New associations but reveal a broader
agreement; a closer union; a perfecter harmony。 The signs of friendship
appear。 Heart and mind of each respond to the other; they are friends。
This is the noblest friendship。 It has its origin in nature。 It is; as H。 Clay
Trumbull says: 〃Love without compact or condition; it never pivots on
an equivalent return of service or of affection。 Its whole sweep is away
from self and toward the loved one。 Its desire is for the friend's welfare;
its joy is in the friend's prosperity; its sorrows and trials are in the
friend's misfortunes and griefs; its pride is in the friend's attainments
and successes; its constant purpose is in doing and enduring for the
friend。〃
Then; friends are made。 Two persons do not especially attract one
another。 But; through growth of character; modification of nature; or
change in desires; sentiments; and tastes; they become attracted to each
other。 Or in spite of natural disagreements or differences; through the
force of circumstances they become welded together in friendship。
Montaigne describes such an attachment; in which the souls mix and
work themselves into one piece with so perfect a mixture that there is
no more sign of a seam by which they were first conjoined。 Says
Euripedes:
〃A friend
Wedded into our life is more to us
Than twice five thousand kinsman one in blood。〃
Such was the friendship of Ruth and Naomi。 Orpha loved Naomi; kissed
her; and returned satisfied to her early home; but Ruth cleaved unto her;
saying:
〃Entreat me not to leave thee;
And to return from following after thee:
For whither thou goest; I will go;
Where thou lodgest; I will lodge:
Thy people shall be my people;
And thy God my God:
Where thou diest; will I die;
And there will I be buried:
The Lord do so to me; and more also;
If aught but death part thee and me。〃
The keeping of a friend like the keeping of a fortune; lies in the getting;
although in friendship much depends upon circumstances of association。
However subtle may be the circumstances which bring friends together;
or whatever natural agreement may exist between their natures; still
there is always a conscious choosing of friends。 In this choosing lies the
secret of abiding friendship。 Young says:
〃First on thy friend deliberate with thyself;
Pause; ponder; sift: not eager in the choice;
Nor jealous of the chosen; fixing fix;
Judge before friendship; then confide till death。〃
Steadfastness and constancy such as this seldom loses a friend。
Last of all; abiding friendship is grounded in virtue。 Says a famed
writer on Friendship: 〃There is a pernicious error in those who think
that a free indulgence in all lusts and sins is extended in friendship。
Friendship was given us by nature as the handmaid of virtues and not
as the companion of our vices。 It is virtue; virtue I say 。 。 。 that both
wins friendship and preserves it。〃 And closing his remarks on this
immortal subject; Cicero causes Laelius to say: 〃I exhort you to lay
the foundations of virtue; without which friendship can not exist; in
such a manner; that with this one exception; you may consider that
nothing in the world is more excellent than friendship。〃
IX。
TRAVEL。
A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE。
We have set in order some facts; incidents; and lessons gathered from
a hasty trip to the old country during the summer of 1899。 The journey
was made in company with Rev。 C。F。 Juvinall; for four years my room…
mate and fellow…student; and my estimable friend。 On Wednesday;
June 21st; we sailed from Boston Harbor; reached Liverpool; England;
Saturday morning the 1st of July; visited this second town in the British
kingdom; stopped over at the old town of Chester; took a run out to
Hawarden Estate; the home of Gladstone; changed cars at Stratford…on…
Avon and visited the tomb of Shakespeare; staid a half day and a night
in the old university town of Oxford; and reached London on the evening
of July 4th。 Having spent a week in London; we crossed the English
Channel to Paris; remained there two days; then made brief visits to the
battlefield of Waterloo; to Brussels; Amsterdam; Hull; Sheffield; Dublin;
and back to Liverpool。 We sailed to Boston and returned to Chicago by
way of Montreal and Detroit; having spent forty…nine daysthe
intensest and delightfullest of our lives。 At first; we hesitated to treat
this subject from a point of view of personal experience; but since it
is our purpose to incite in others the love for and the right us of all
helpful resources of