Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1839-03-07
THE TELEGRAPH.
B AT H NE:
THURSDAY MORNING, MAECH 4
FOR THE TELEGRAPH.
f RI Z n D S Ii ] p

+ X | f. n ID > IL L
How vague the word Friendship, if we
suffer its meaning to rest upon the sense
given by the mingled voices of fashion and
sel6sbness. All classes talk of this beau
tful boon to man with an affected under
standing of its nature.-But few-to be
reqreted-have, or care to have a perfect
acquaintance with the soul of true friend
chip. yet it is by all courted and extalled-
wooed and pfaised-deslred and measure
bly, appreciated; else society would prove
zone Of dense and friged atmosphere to
traverse. The very few, who, in truth,
possess the elementary principles OF phllan-
thropy ,-compared with the many .-alone,
possess the power of melting away the
Gosts ofinnexible hearts, and of warming
up the regions of human sympathy. IL
friendship were not of invaluable worth, SO
manv would not make show oft, mere
Nv for convenience; TO compass thelr de-
signs, without cultvating it for It's o'cn sake.
Highly as it recommends its privileges TO
our embrace. if we we're to infer from the
conduct of multitudes at the present day,
we should suppose that we had no title to
its blessings only through interest or de-
pendance.
However a good writer has affirmed its
perpetuity or existence to depend on cir
cumstances, i, is too plain TO be confnted,
that those who have sought out its germ,
and reared this tender and delicate plant,
have enjoyed, exclusive of wealth or de-
penderce, rich reward; and found, with
what, comparatively small, inc onVenlence,
attendant ON this, and every other good,
land which, aas!-is made the obstruc-
ton to the pursuit thereof by the indolant)
that the pleasure of cuItivating the social
and finer feelings of our natures, was a
remuneration sufficient in itself.
As the bitterness Of our worldly sorrows
is proportioned to our losses, so, with those
vino hold friendship in sacred respect, is
the pain increased IN degree, when its
bonds are losed, or unkndness is witness
ecd in the friend who was wont to fill those
endearing Offices that smooth LIES rugged
tourney. Not so with that person who
looks upon mans destiny here as trcm-
bling OIL one great lever of fortune; upon
the higher side of which, if he happen to
be, all is well, but if the reverse, Is in add
versity's vale, can gather nothing as a sub
stitute of support. lie is stranger to the
exchange of sympathies, which alleviate
the burden of misery,-to the cheering
and consolatory tone of that friendly
voice that would fain drive grief from its
own abode; and with one lance light uT
the melancholy countenance of his sor-
rowing companion. True friendship is
not always to be found in the possession Of
those persons who make the loudest pro-
fessions; that wear the most smiling faces
or even in them who spend the most time
las Kirk White says in ''friend hunting. d
Lamentable is it that so many have perver-
ted it's uses to their own selfish purposes
worn its colors-borrowed its appendages,
and hung out its inducements with no bet
ter motive than to entangle the feet of the
unwary; who have ope ned their eyes toe
often, 10 the deception when too late. 1t is
not by such specious pretensions, that we
are to acquaint ourselves with this noble
virtue. The surest test is, knowledge O
those acts which are not submitted to the
herald fpopularity-not proclaimed up