The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-03-23
The SOall.Friend.

MR.. STOWE thus diseourses in the 1T
lantic of the power and ifluence of an
earnest discriminating frendslip:-
In refined and exhalted nature, it is
very seldom that the feeling Of love, when
once thoroughly aroused, bears any sort
of relation tc the reality Of the object. 1t
is commonly an enkindling Of the whole
power of the souls love for whatever she
considers highest and fairest; it is, in fact
the love ofsornetbing divine and unearth-
ly, which by sort of Illusion, connects it.
self with personality. Properly speak
ing there is but One true, eternal Object
of all that the mind conceives, in this
trance of its exultation. Discnchantment
must come, of course; and in love which
terminates in happy marriage. there is a
tender and gracious process, by which
without shock or violence, the ideal is
gradually sunk in the real, which, though
found faulty and earthly. is still ever
tenderly remembered rs it seemed under
the morning light of that enchantment.
What Mary loved so passionately, that
which came between her and God in
every prayer, was not the gay, young
dashing sailor,-sutlden in anger, mpru-
dent of speech, and, though generous in
heart, yet worldly in plans and schem-
ings--but her own ideal Of a grand and
noble man,-such man as she thouvht
he might becomc. He stood glorfied be-
fore her, an image of the strength that
ovcrcomes things physical, Of the power
of command which controls men and cir
cumstances, of the courage which disdains
fear of the honor which cannot lie, of
constancy which knows no shadow of
turning, Of tenderness which protects the
weak, and, lastly Of religious loyalty
which should lay the golden crown of its
perfected manhood at the feet Of u Sow
ereign Lord and Redeemer. This was
the man she loved, and with this regal
mantle Of glories she invested the person
called James Marvyn; and all that sh,'
saw and felt to be wanting she prayed
for with the faith of a believing woman.
Nor was she wrong;-tor, as to every
leaf and every flower there is an ideal %
which the growth of the p.aut is constant
ly urging, so is there an ideal to every
human being,--a perfect o,m in Which
it might appear were every defect re-
moved and every characteristic excel
lence stimulated to the highest point.
Once in an age, God sends to some of us
friend who loves in us not a false imag-
lining, and unreal character. but looking
through all the rubbish of our imperfect
ions. loves in us the divine ideal of our
nature-loves, not the man that we are
but the angel that we my be. Such
friends seem inspired by a divine gift of
prophecy,-like the mother Of St. Angus
tine. who, in the midst of the wayward
reckless youth of her son, beheld HIM IN
4 vision. standing, clothed in white, a
ministering priest at the right hand of
God,-as he has stool for long ages
since. Cor'd mysterious foresight I'M
va;I to ms this resurrection form of our |
friends with whom we daily walk, COM |
passed about with mortal infrmity, we |
sbould follow them with faith and rever
ence through all the DISCUSSES Of human
faults and weaknesses, awaiting for tb
manifestation Of the soasof God. ,