Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1836-11-19
Far the Esch.lend Palladium
FRIENDSHIPS.

FRIENDSHIPS.
Perhaps there is no feeling implanted IN
he human breast which yields more varied
sensations. than that of an a.tectionate at
tachnen, to those to whom the endeafins
enithet of FRIEND may be applied. II Is a'to-
rether immaterIai whether they are OF 'he
S,me class. the same society. or the same sex
The sensations are continually changing.
and the name, as if touching some magic
chords. brings before the view OF the imagi-
nation = thousand different scenes, many oil
which. perchance, are Intimately blended
with the remembrance of the sunny hours
OF our childhood.
Have we wandered far from the paternal
hall. Have we become sojourners IN dis
tan, land, where the voice OF the stranger
alone salu,es our ear! There Is, when we
feel that we are indeed strangers In strange
land. no word which is calculated to thrill
the soul with more deep, more holy feelings.
than ..friend.'' 1t strikes the heart with the
most sacred sensibilities, and frequently the
anguish of the moment seems superior 10 the
power of nature. We sink under the pres
sure and melt into tears.
INV friendr'-Have we not felt the
strength of youthful attachments! How in
1.-The thoughtlessness of youth we have felt the
heart to cling with affecting fondness on
tsome one Of our playmates, and with the IN
lnocence of youth applied to them the name
of MY FRIEND! Many are they who have felt
the strength of those attachments which we
formed when life had been but little while
with them. They were broken by the strong
larm of death. and we felt rs though we
wished. were It not calling in question the
righteousness of the DEGREES of the Eternal,
that we had not been permitted to be the OBJ
Iiect of the visit of the pale messenger. Our
hearts were oppressed with the gloom of the
tomb. lived longer, and formed another
attachment. Al! the leisure moments which
came were spen, with him. Converse made
the hours to pass away with extraordinary
lswIftness, but when separated from HIM how
itardiIv the hours rolled onward. The sun
ts:ood still, for its motion was too slow for
the anxiety which felt to be with my friend.
We grew to manhood, and fair one stole
his heart from me. l was again alone-sol-
li:ary were my evenings, and my days seemed
ito me as more lonely than those OF the der
wise. BY degrees l became contented, and
my loss was forgotten. sought again. and
another chain was entwined around my
heart. Twas 4 lovely cha.n-a chain OF
love. How bright were its links! With
what e.iulgence did the !ocket shine! Years
and months rolled forward, and | was far
from my friends. Mountains reared their
llsnow-capped SUBMITS between us-rlvers in
'terposed, and by valleys we were divided.
had formed new acquaintanccs-I had danced
in the giddy circles. The darts OF love were
thrown, and not in vain. Ny heart was full
of the delicious feelings which are the con-
Icomitants of the presence of the gods: but
not by the object of my affections were they
felt. No flame warmed her breast, and the
fire within my own wanting the fuel which
mutual feelings would have furnished, became
extinct. was rejected man. But hope
still! accompanied me. and by the light with
which it chcered the Son of Man when the
Others of his guardian angels forsook him, l
walked forward in the path of life.
l was again in love, not without success.
The angel Of affection kindlcd the fires, and
with rec;p.oca:ed ardor was the flame famed.
l married, and the vision was blessed but
ere the days of the warmness of my love had
passed, | knelt at the death-bed of her whom
my soul loved. closed her eyes and heard
the funeral hymn-the grave had covered
her. My babe was left. looked at it again
and again. thought of its mother, and the
tears flowed fast He grew, was happy,
smiled in the beauty of innocence. He was
the joy of my life. Just entered upon TIE
stage of action, in few hours he was the
inha b'tant of the tomb. ! am again alone,
and my hopes are no longer resting on earth.
The sun will perform few more revolutions
and / shall be no more. r.