The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-02-20

MONROE. La. FEBRUARY 20, 1880.
essaR IN THE FAMILY
It would seem as II nearlv tho
materials for earnest ana steSxis.ss
friendship might be found within a |
circle already joined by bonds of in
stinctive affection and mutual i1teSa,
There Is sufficient ai1i1ii |l1fv of Taste.
~. 49,, fi )0Sltion, to win sympa-
IN, And there is sufficient variety of
age, sex, and circumstances, to pre-
vent monotony. There Is every OPP
portunity for elevating natural fond
ness into loftier affection, for develop
ing the germs of respect and love into
the rich and full growth of noble
friendship. All the more delicate rela-
tions of sex are fulfilled in their ut
most purity by the friendship of
mother and son, father and daughter,
brother and sister. Why, then, should
years spent under the same roof SO
often separate and scatter the affections
of childhood, instead Of cementing and
strengthening them into the rich and
steadf;ast friendships of maturer life?
Probably the chief cause of this Is
that people rely on the instinctiveness
of natural affection as being all.sum- |
cfent, without effort. They imagine |
that family love Is strong enough to !
take care Of itself, so they take but lit |
tie pains to preserve it from the shocks |
and jars of daily life. And they also
suppose that they are so we'll known to
each other that 1t is not worth while to
present their fairer side. In all this
they are mistaken. Natural affection
nAHo a. l~tS S4I>
erect the edifice of firm and enduring
friendship, but it will not rise up Of
Itself. We must build it, stone by
stone, If we would possess it. If we
have a valued and respected friend,
what pains we take to cherish his
friendship; how carefully we endeavor
to prune away from ourselves that
which would displease him. and cult
vate those qualities which he admires;
how we strive to crafty him by pleas
ant surprises, and to avoid all that
could wound or trouble him! Yet,
let the familiar house-door shut us in,
and how many of US take the same
pains? Here we throw off restraint,
we air our worse side, that has been
sedulously hidden, and allow our bet
ter qualities, that have been In full ex-
ercise, to fall asleep. How many of Us
of ourselves to our own family? How
many of US regard the home as the
area for givi,g, not getting, pleasure,
for spreading, not absorbing, comfort ?
1t ia the simple working of natural
and inevitable law; that which we SOW
we shall surely reap. If we cultivate
home friendships with the same assid-
uity that we give to those outside, they
will yield US even richer and fairer re-
turns. There is no friendship so pure
and beautiful In its nature, SO rich and
full in its power of blessing, or so sim
gularly rare in its occurrence, as that
between parents and their grown-up
sons and daughters. Where the pa.
rental and filial instincts are supple.
mented by that higher and more spir.
itual affection that binds together
minds in intellectual communion, and
souls in heartfelt sympathy, few deeper
or more delightful friendships can be
imagined. The guardian and depend
ent gradually lose themselves in the
dear companion and true friend OF
later life; and youth becomes wiser
and age brighter, and both nobler and
happier, in this loving and abiding
uniOn.-Pxbtic Ledger.