Smyrna times., 1877-04-04
My Dear Friend"

There is no phrase so lightly used-no
pledge so easily exchanged. A couple OF
young feather-hcads, whose religion is
fashion and the high priests thereof the
tailor and milliner, call each other "dear
iriend" on the slightest acquaintance, with
ettuslon and without reflection; and what
the words mean trouble them no more
than the scratches on a Chinese tea chest
or the mystic figures on the cnshroudment
OF a mummy. The smallest superficiality
OF sympathy is quite enough incitement
ior them to exchange n pledge of the
deepest vital meaning, without thought
that 1t says more THANH like your looks 4;
you are pretty; you are well.bred: vour
Dohhet IS becoming; you have a new-pat-
termed skirt, and | admire it; you are really
very nice, SO far; come, let us call each
other friends" SO the shibboleth is nsod
without the hesitation of a second, and the
gift OF the gods is flung as sport to the
fools. '''0
Very few seem to think that friendshin
has any vitality beyond its mere pleasure.
IL Is one OF the rootless sentiments in the
garden OF most souls, which, so soon as if
mas ceased to bear fragrant blooms and
orlhg social and personal pleasantness,
may be plucked up and strCwn on the
refuse heap. They do not understand that
IL includes obligation and imposes duty:
that 1t Is the enunciati0n of creed and the
promise of life.
" My dear friend" is bond that comes
gllbly from both lip and pen; but when
one Is called on to pay the score his words
implied, and to discharge the obligations of
the bond, he swears he meant nothing. and
That friendship was simply acquaintance
ship In fair weather. The sun must shine
II my dear friend is to be held bv his
s!lken bonds; and to stand bare headed in
the pillory for loves sake. to brave the
Scorn OF men or the wrath of circumstance
Tor anything save that which will nav.
would seem even to the most enthusiastic
professor OF this kind of friendship. an act
OF QulXotlsm by no means commenablc.
Nhen friendship becomes burdensoma.
cast 1t OFT If the smile of fortune is
changed to the frown of fate, if weakness
winch demands help takes the place of the
etrehSth winch gave assistance, execute
the backward movement, and retire
gracefully if one can-by Slow degroo,
without haste, without a too evident run. !
ture of old ties, but inevitably. so soon as
thlngs turn all that once were well. and
the friendship which had given endowment
now asks in its turn the support of svmno.
thy. Of course, il one has a conscience il
Will trouble him for time: but foil, do
not dle OF such troubles as these: they live
dowh moral pangs as the they live down |
yesterday catarrh or today's sick head. |
ache. And by-and-by they conrratulatc
themselve on their wisdom when they see
thelr poor friends household gods shatter |
ed IN dust, and ruin and desolation deyas
tatlng the life where formerly peace and
prosperity reigned. They do not want 10 |
be OF those whom the dust of the falIinc |
household gods besmirched. They hoye |
a horror of being mixed up in disagreeablo |
things. They think the annovances of |
Their own life quite as much as they are |
called to endure, and have no idea Of tho |
Vlcanous folly which lifts up crooked sticks.
not OF their own cutting, and carries the
heavy end, or even the light, to help the
poor waytarer at present bearing the whole
load' when their friends come to grief
they conclude that the unfortunates have
no farther need OF them; at all events they
know that they have no farther desire for
tne ~ uhlortunates; so they gently drop
Iheln, ana quietly put their foot on them.
As the loness did with the mouse, then
ask, In all the majesty of a benignant
fortune, GLOW could anv one eynnot
people of such UNEQUAL condition 10 bn.
= M iH'lclS no poSSlOlllty Oituend-
snip when one stands in the sun and the
other IN the shade-where one is lion
md the other only miserable mousol,
True friendship is as grave matter rs
marriage, 1t not so indissoluble: and its
)oh cations are as sacred and as intense. II
ought, then, to be a thing not lightly
entered into; and "my dear friend" should
De phrase given only where it is likely to
prove reality-the symbol of a liyino
hing, not the echo of an empty sound.