The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-05-31

Must the words and deeds of each of M
The lives of others fill.
MILWAUKEE. Wis. Chicago Tribune.
FRIENDSHIP AMONG MEN.
EXTRACT from Recent Sermon by Prof Swing,
of Chicago.
Behold the mana friend of publicans and
sinneTs.-.Ndtt. ri, 10.
This text opens to view a proof OF
Christ's divineness and TIE way Of His
success. To world which had been
overrun with cruelty, He came, offering a
wide sympathy. To such an extreme did
lie carry this sympathy that He was
looked upon as a most reckless dispenser
OF regards" He was friend of publ.
cans and sinners"
Latterly the world has discoursed much
about love. The platform and the garnet
have agitated this theme. Indeed, ever
since the days of Sappho, and Cleopatra,
and King David, and even Rebecca AMI
Ruth, there has been no scarcityof discourse
about that more romantic form of senti.
ment. Of that other affection which should
bind man to man, and which should mod.
lfy and soften society into civilization,
little is said from year toyear, and almost
less. in that quality of personal esteem
called friendship, there can he found as
much proof of civilization as in anv other
quality of the soul. A low form of hu.
manity can betray powerful passion. but
1t is only high form of human nature
that can reach and maintain strong and
consistent friendship. 1t must spring
from intellectual as we'll as emotional
companionship; it must come with most
delicate perception of the right of others.
and must always be attended by a mod.
crate estimate of self; and hence the
grace called by this sacred name awaits
the dawn Of high civilization. Some of
those early instincts which pertain
to savage life, and which NAV
be grouped under the general head of self
lshness, must lie stamped out like fire. or
beaten to death like serpents, before this
higher virtue can be grown. Weeds come
first in the field, the useful grains after the
battle with bramble and wild grass has
been fought. So in the soul the lower
,mpu come easiest, the higher after a
long battle mas been fought. The love of
which some Of the moo ern socialists have
Wi itten can be found in perfection among
the Sioux Indians. but friendship which
sticks closer than brother and which
grapples with hooks of STEEL" appears
only when the mind has thrown off its
brute shell and has spread divine wings.
II is safe to say that it will become more
conspicuous part as society itself shall
advance. Cicero says: Friendship is
possible only among the good" Evident.
ly he means that the souls that would DOS.
scss it must have risen above selfishncss.
and have become capable of calmness of
action and judgment. If this be true,
then the worlds friendship will follow the
worlds virtue, and like gorgeous and
sweetly-perfumed flower, will bloom only
in atropcal cline.
vi all the virtues, friendship has the
widest and the most lasting domain. All
mortals need it. ard death will not end it.
Charity, and liberation and sympathy will
terminate it in the tomb, but friendship
will always follow the soul, be its home
anywhere and its life ever SO long.
An apology for such q theme NAV be
found easily in the age around us, for.
while, doubtless, this virtue plays greater
part in human affairs than it played in old
centuries, yeti progress is still too feeble
and too slow. and is more the incident of
civilization than the result of any effort
or thought on the part of the present gen.
Grafton. Our friendship is more the re.
suit of accident than of any cOmprehen.
sion of the dignity of that shane of life.
Instead of being the open champions of
Its cause. many, as far as they are con.
sciOus of it, are rather ashamed of il. "a
though it were something like the tender
passion of the novels. Not only do our
times need lessons in common honesty. but
lessons in friendship; for, while honesty
may mover somewhat the heart, friend.
ship Will arouse to real heroism. Hon.
esty will help q man to pay his debts; but
a divine friendship for his fellow man
will make the payment OF the last dollar
thing infinitely glorious to be done. In
this age of suspending firms and suspend.
ing banks, each man that suspends gen
orally feels that he will pay back the
last shilling which he owes to his
fellow-men. But this VOW perishes
In thirty days. not only because
he has not the assets, but often
because the sentiment of friendship 10 80
weak that 1t cannot furnish an impulse
that can show life beyond change Of the
moon. There is a fatal term in modern
speech-a term which beneath the liverv
OF saint cOnceals the cloven foot of quite
another .character-and that phrase is ga
bussness transaction" When q widow or
an orphan or personal friend puts monev
IN bank and, after few DAYS or months.
the bank closes, this is called i" la1si.
ness transaction" There are q hundred
forms OF 1t, but in any or all of its forms
1t is simply remnant of that trait in the
Sioux Indian which makes him creep I'M
at midnight and stampede the horses and |
cattle OF the white settler. All the land |
groans under these " business transac.
lions, which by practice of thirty
years nave become at last Is cold. blOoded |
as Chlnese executioner. Friends actual.
TOO friends under the protection of the |
goddess called Business. As In the oId
Empires there were temples in which and
times when offerings to the coddees If
some vice became virtue. 20 In omr ~,
there is divinity called Busineae ~
whose altar the common conscience Ia mn.
aside, and that becomes . part of com.
merce which at some other place or time
would be called robbery.
Such condition of things will con.
tlnue while man looks upon his fellow q
person to be plundered rather than a 8
companion to be esteemed. As things
now go, it is sometimes difficult to gather
together club-meeting or . wedding.
party, or church sociable. without bring.
ing lace 10 face parties who have lust
dragged each other through this valley
and shadow Of " business Transaction. .
and are cherishing such memories of It q
no music can efface. Almost All
the great writers who have lived have
offered their tribute to this Jewel (friend-
ship OF the spirit. Blair calls friendship
the "cement Of society,"" Richter SAYS:
The elevated and pure soul cannot hear
the word spoken without attachinr Ia Il
all the grandeur of which the head e sns.
cepable." Cicero wrote . long treatise
upon II, and among his beautiful ~.