Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1829-12-25
COMMUNICATION.
SELECTED FOR THE ADVOCATE.

SELECTED, FOR THE ADVOCATE
MEssIs EDIroRs
You will obligc friend, by publishing the
following selection. send it because it is the
first, and only instance in which, have seen the
picture 80 faithfully drawn. YORICK
FRIEND HUNTERS.
The world has often heard of fortune hunters.
legacy hunters, popularity hunters, and hunters
OF various descriptions One diversity however
ct this very extensive species has hitherto elud-
cd public animadverson. allude TO the class
oil friend hunters,- men who make it the bust
ness of their lives To acquire friends in the hone
through their influence, to arrive at some desir-
able poiat of eminence. OF all the mortfca.
tons and anxieties to which mankind yoluntari.
ly subject themselves from the expectation of
future benefit, there arc. perhaps, none more
calling, none more insupportable, than those at.
tendant on friend making. Show q man that
you coart his society, and il is a signal Tor him
to teat you with neglect and contumelv hui
mour his passions, and he dcspises you as syc.
ophant; pay implicit Difference TO his opinions
and he laughs a, You for your folly. In all he
views you with contempt as the creature of his
will and the SLAVE of his caprice. | remember
| once solicited the acquaintance, and coveted
the friendship of one man, and thank God can
yet say, (and hope on my death bed l shall be-
able to say tho same j of only one man
Germanicus was character of considerable
emincnce in the literary world. He had tho
reputation not only of an enlightened under
standing aid refined taste, but of oneness of
heart. and goodness of. disposition. His name
always carried that weight and authority with
IL winch are due to learning and genius in eve-
ny situation. His manners were polished, and
MS conversation elegant. In short, he possess
ed every qualification which could render him
an enyiable addition TO the circle of anv mans
friends. With such a'character, as was then
very young, could no. fail to feel an ambition
OF becoming acquainted, when the opportunity
offered, and in short time, we were rpon terms
OF familiarity. To ripeu this familiarity into
friendship, far as the most awkward diff
dencc would permit, was my strenuous endeav-
our. 1t his opinions contradicted mine, with
out reasoning on the subject conceded the
point to hun, as matter of course, that he must
DO right, and of consequence that | must be
wrong. Did he utter witicism, was sure to
laugh and if no looked grave, though nobody
could tell why, 1t was mine to groan. BY thus
conforming myself to his hunour | fatterod my.
sell | was making some progress in his. GOOD
graccs, but was soon undecoyed A man sell
dom cares much for that which costs him no
pains to procure. Whether Gcrmancus found
mo Troublesome visitor, whether, he was
really displeascd with something | had unwit-
tlnsly said or done, certain il is that achcn Inet
nm one day an company cith persons of appar-
cnt figure, he had lost all recollection of my fea.
lures. called upon him, but Germanicus was
not at home. Again, and again gave a hest
tatiDg knock at the groat mans door. All was
to no purpose he wac still not at homo. The
sly meaning, however, which was couchod in
the sheer Of tho servant tho last time that (half
ashamed of my errant( made my enquiries at
his house convinced mo Of what ought 10 oayo
known before, thut Gormauic ns was at home To
all tho world save me- l believe wtIfcaIl IN y
seeming humility | am cofnfoundodly proud
ieiiowat bottom, my rage at this discovery may
be better conceived than described Ten thou
sandcurses did imprecato on the foolish vanity
that bid me to solicit the friendship Of my SUI.
periors, and again and again did invoke etcr.
nal vengeance on my head, if ever more con-
descended thus to court tho acquaintance Off
To this resolution believe shall ever adhere.
1T am destined to make any progress in the
world, it will be by my own individual e1crtons.
AS elbow my way through the crowded scene
OF life will never, in any emergency call OH
my selfish neighbour for assistance. If nv
strength give way beneath the pressure of ca.
iamity, l shall sink without his whine Of bypo.
critical coincidence and if do sink, let him
kick me into ditch, and GO about his business.
! ask not his assistance whilo living--it viii be
Of no service to me when dead
> Believe mo, reader, whoever thou rnaycs, ho
there are fow among nortals, whose friendship
when acquired, will repay thea for tho iucan.
ness of soiiSitatioc. tn man Voluntarily hold
out his hand to tSss, sake IL With caatiou; Ie
thou find him honest, be DC. bzak ysr5 "a recoiys
his pioffered assistance, and bazp4ious when
occasion shall require to yield him th1nS Own
real friend ip tho most valuable bessipp a r,nu
can possess--apd mark me it is by FAR the most
rare-It il Black swan. But Whatever thou
| roayest do, solicit not friendship. II ,hou art
young and would make Thy wy IN the world,