Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-07-11
Forgive Your Friends.

IL is said again aud again that it is the
duty of man TO forgive his enemies. That
is true. But there is another duty equally
AS plain and sometimes more diffcult-to
forgive your friends. Not your false friends;
but those who are your true ones, and who
have shown their friendship in many ways
Our friends tax our patience sorely some
times. They say and do things which It is
hard for us TO understand They presume
upon our friendship and tease us they cross
our pathway, and they fail when we depend
upon them. Out of pure friendship they
tell us things which annoy us, and their
thoughtessness inflicts wound as deep as
that which malice itself can make. Some
times we marvel at the strange conduct of
our friends. We are puzzled to explain it,
and all that we can do is to forgive. No
light word or strange deed of theirs shall
break the tie which through years of inter.
course was slowly formed. One day, in a
confidential mood, we wrote a private letter
to friend. IL contained defense of our
conduct which some enemy had publicly as
sailed. What does our friend do but print
the letter, and then send us copy of the
paper, with letter, which said, " ! deemed
1t true to you that your satisfactory defense
should be published. Pardon me il have
done wrong" We forgave him. but it was
an effort. for we smarted under the mischief
which he wrought. Another friend makes
you the butt of his wit. lie loves you, so
he nicknames you in the presence of stran-
gers. lie gives you good-natured thump
lie throws the rays of his wit on your
foibles, and raises laugh in the company
at your expense. He pursues that line of
conduct until you are driven to calling him
to account. Then he is hurt and grieved that
you should doubt for moment the SINGER
ity and depth of his friendship. lie would
risk his life, he says to save yours. He says
truly so you forgive him. Another friend,
almost breathless, hastens to meet you.
Mr.. A." he begins, "said in my hearing
the other day very ill-natured thing about
you" You beg him TO stop, as you do not
wish to hear what was said, but you beg in
vain. " | am your FRIEND and must tell
you" And so he quotes malicious re
mark, which ought not to have been re-
peated, and which makes you excessively
uncomfortable. Then he asks you to for
give him if in his friendly zeal he did wrong
to repeat this precious bit of personal gos-
sip, and you forgive him. But the friend
that is the hardest to forgive is he vino feels
it to be his duty to be your faithful critic,
and to tell you of all your faults. He uses
no judgment about the matter. His eyes
are always open and staring, and his tongue
is always moving. He sees something odd
about your dress, something awkward in
your manners, something ungrammatical in
your speech, and you wonder what there is
about you that he likes. lie is worse than
an accusing conscience, and in your loftiest
tone you call him to order. Pardon me
for my criticisms" he says, 81 for they are
well intentioned, and faithful are the wounds
of friend.' What can you do but pardon
him? Forgive your friends If you find
it hard to do this, O think how often they
have forgiven you l-Uehodis.