Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-12-10
Friendship.

r How many true friends, think Won.
r reader, can be counted in your cata-
logue? You have probably-you would
not be human if you hadn't-some
bright enthusiastic ideas in regard to
friendship. Perhaps your ideas are sim
ply theoretical, for, doubtless, you have
never thought very seriously of the mat
ter; yet there are numerous so-called
friends of yours, that, in your estima-
ton, would remain as true to you,
through the dark lowering night of ad-
versity, as would they were your life one
continued day of prosperity.
i l would be sorry, indeed dear reader.
to dispel what is without doubt ole of
the pleasant delusions of the human
mind, but, had you ever taken the trou-
bic TO follow some one who, once court
ed member of society, has fallen lower
and lower in the social scale, from pow
city, not from any crime, you would
have noticed how friend after friend
dropped off, passing from a cool bow to a
decided cut, as if his very sight were
contamination.
| Have you ever thought seriously of
this. ever argued in your own'mind the
pros and cons of the subject, and at
tempted to analyze the conduct of these
] " friends?" If so, the. conclusions ar
rived at would be apt to produce some
rather melancholy thoughts in your
mind.
Friendship like that which existed be-
tween Damon and Pythias, is seldom to
be met with now-a-days-sO seldom that
we sometimes won1er iftheir story were
anything else than pleasant fable.
Yet, does it not seem anamolous, too,
that a human being with around reason
ing powers, can throw ruthlessly aside
all the bright, endearing ties that are so
closely allied to friendship, and, in case
of adverse circumstances happening to a
| friend, pass him coldly by without rec
Ognition, or at best a cool bow, at the
very time when a warm, honest shake
of the hand would not only make him
comparatively happy, but would add, in
all probability, to his own scant list OF
| true friends for life. il1
! think any one, even of limited ex-
perience, will not deny that society is
| heartless in this respect. And why is it
so? Simply because the conventional
rules of social life plainly intimate that
without money, or dress, or some SINH
lar recommendation, has no right to
claim the friendship OF one of their
charmed circle. They forget that this
world is not all. They forget that our
Saviour put no value on riches, or dress.
or fashion; they forget that the right
hand of fellowship which they in their
heartlessness refuse to extend to friend
in adversely, may at no distant time,
under like circumstances, be justly re-
fused TO themselves.
We find fewer cases of true friendship
among the upper circles of society than
in the lower. The reasons are obvious.
The unnatural ideas implanted in the
mind of one brought upin fashionable
society would necessarily prevent him
from arriving at Il sound, sensible and
Christian-like view of friendship.
1t is an incontrovertible fact that an
humble, hard-working man, with whom
the words work and bread are entirely
synonomous, will, as a rule, thousnd
times more quickly share the small pro-
ceeds of his daily toll with poor friend,
than the rich man will one particle of
his idle thousands with the most desery-
ing friend or relative, even in case of
real necessity. 1t would be idle for me
to say that this is invariably the case
but there is no denying that 'tis the rule,
not the exception; and, until friendship
is guided more by natural impulse, and
less by the heartless DEGREES of Fashion,
there will always be far more unhappi-
ness than the world dreams of; and
Shough the conclusions here deduced
may be incorrect, it will always be my
most earnest wish that neither you nor
|, dear reader, will ever have the least
occasion TO test the sincerity of our nu-
merous friends. ABTHCR CLARK.