Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-09-10

genial associates are-thP men IN whose So
eiety he feels the most at home--in whose
presence he lays aside restraint, acts out
himself can tell exactly what he is. |
have known great men loaded with the
worlds honors, whose life aud decency and
polite intercourse was life of unnatural
restraint, aud whose boon companions, in
free and careless hours, were those who
could minister 10 their vanity their coarse
tastes, aud their low instincts. This fact
furnishes the true index TO their character.
There is comparatively little society that is
not masked society. In brilliant assem-
bly,, we meet men and women all app rent
! ly Gowiug to The same laws of intercourse,
all apparently at home with each other,
all apparently congennl-but this proves
nothing We must follow each individual
10 his home or his haunt, and see who gather
around him in the hours of careless free
dom The personal tastes, the habits of
| life, and the moral character of those with
Whum he laughs, on whose shoulder he fa-
mliarly lays his hand in whose presence
he feels no restraint, will tell us exactly
what be is.
look aronnd me, and see large numbers
Of those who are selfdeceived ia this mat
ter--men and women who deem themselves
respectable because they can behave well
when it is necessary for them to do so-who
are low aud vulgar, without heing aware of
It, They rise into high grade on occa-
,Ious, 10y an effort but they are not happy
N it, 1t is not easy or them to he decent.
On the whole, they think deccncy "A bore,
and are glad to fud themselves, at last, in
>ocety that permits them to lay aside their
mask, and act ont themselves This tells
The story for them. The test is iufaI-
lihle, for it rests in the operation of nat
ural law. A mans nffiniies reside in hi
yertable self-the essential thing which he
iS-and the thing which he is is inevitably
indicated hy them.
The leading proverbs that have placed
al he head of this article are very familiar,
tut their broad meaning aud exact truth
fulne>S are hni feehly cnmprehended They
are regarded aS moral saws, got up by pious
people for The purpose of producing re-
suit upon The young-a part cf the machin
cry 10y which proper people are made
They are not regarded as having their ba
sis in universal fact aud profound phoSo-
ply. My purpose in bringing them for
ward is, 10 show that they give us an in.
falliblc test of character, in fact and by ne
ccssity There is no appeal from their de-
ci>ion A man is known by the company
he keeps, or by the company in which he
is personality the most ut home. Tell me
with whom mnll gors, aud can tell what
he does If he he at home with icentiOus
man, and fnd in him congenial companion
ship, he is a liceniOus man, at heart
or in fact. If he go with those who
tarry long at the wine, he loves wine. If
he keep company with the foul-mouthed &
the vulgar he is foul.monthed and vulgar.
If lie love TO be with children, he has
rhildlike spirit The affinities of artificial
life are weak, occasional, adventitious.-
Wealth, position, community Of interest,
may draw men together for time, aud lend
a fiilul enjoyment to intercourse. The af
fniiies of real character and genuine person
al tastes are strong and enduring, and on
their lines, as they go out in manifestation,
we can trace our way back directly to the
heart and life.
Affnities of heart, character and life fur
mi>h the basis of the friendships existing
between men. Perhaps there is no sight
more strange, and apparently nnaccounta-
hIe than that presented by the intimate as
sociation of men very unlike each other
unlike so far Ms the world sees. A man of
proud intellect will take into Intimate
friendly association man with no intellect
at all, or with very inferior intellect. A
man who leads blameeSS outward life will
be found to have afinitieS for one who is
notoriou>ly impure. Apparent contrasts,
the mos; remarkable, will he found in every
congcnia circle. On the other hand, men
with like intellectual gifts and tdstes-men
engaged in identical or similar intellectual
pursuits, and possessing many amiahle traits
of character in common-Sill find them
selves subject to mutual epnlSionS-entire
ly unable to enjoy each others intimate So
city. There is popular theory that there
are afhnilieS Of contrast and cOnirariety,-
that men are attracted to each other by
The differences that exist between them. |
believe in nothing of this kind. believe
that like goes to like, aud has afinitIes for
like only. There are no such things as af-
finities for like only. There are no such
things as afinities of unlkeness Wherever
there are friendships, there exist likenesses
of hear and inner life Intelects may diff
fer widely, in strength and characteristic,
hut hearts, lives, personal tastes, are in
communion they are drawn together by
the atinilies of kind. The great satsfae,
tions of the soul art found in communion
with the inner life of those we love. HnS-
bands aud wives may present the most strik-
ing contrasts TO each other, but the secret
of their love for, and happiness in, each
other, will be found at the point of their
communicable point of perfect harmony
between their natures and characters.-
That point may never be discovered to the
popular eye, but it exists, and is essential.
look out into the world, and fnd in my
own nation, and in all Christian nations,
two classes of men and women--oue pro-
Tossing the possession Of personal ChriStiani-
ty, and one making no Christian profession.
Sometimes find these protesting Chris
tians choosing their most intimate friends
from what is commonly called the world,
having very few personal friendships among
themselves. They go TO church on the
Sabbath, they lead respectable outward
lives bul they do not find their most de.