Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-02-23
Friendships Broken Ties.

Friendships Broken Ties.
Many of us have lost all traces Of an
old friend for years. Perhaps the es-
arrangement had its origin in some tri-
fling misunderstood ne so utterly time
dimmed now, that memory refuses
to call it back clearly. But our con
science, if we felt any twinge what
ever at the separation, is lulled into q
state of lstlcss rest or careless
neglect, with some such assurances as
these: Some day we shall again meet.
Fate will lead US to cross each others
paths sometimes, as we stray adown
fe's vast valley. Opportunity will
then be afforded us to talk over our
little misunderstanding, to explain away
all angles. and brush from our path
way the cobwebs of broken trust over
shadOwing that pleasant old time
loyalty of esteem. We shall then, hand
in hand, revert to the past, and tell
each other why we did tn $. or why We
sad that. Our old happy relations, so
long obstructed. will again be re-estab-
lished and will yet enable us to add
many rose tinted pages to the closing
chapters of our lie s great volume.
1t is not a small matter to allow
gulf OF enlargement to open between
two hearts that have long beaten with
frlcndsh p for each other. Pride, or in
difference, it may be, keeps us drifting
further and further apart. But we
place an utmost faith in time bringing
us together at last. So we wat not
impatiently, but with vague sort of
certainty, for that meeting to occur.
Shockingly abruptly some one will
announce to us: ''Indeed! have You
not been informed yet? Why, SO and
so died over a year ago" The news
may not provoke tears. Perhaps we
NAV not heed it scarcely, at first. But
in the solemn hush OF night, with the
sleeping world around us-so like
awful Mysterious death-our thoughts
reach out to that one who will never
come again
Dead! Slumber is set to flight efec-
tually by the tran or thought that word
conjures up.
Dead! Then we shall see each other
no more. The meeting we have long
anticipated wall never be. Too late for
explanations now. No reconciliation
can take place now. Forever it must
remain as it is. For
~ golden chord is severed.
Aud our hopes in ruin lie"
4 thousand vain regrets clamor.
Why did we never write? One line,
the simple worl, Forgive" might have
ccmrnted those broken ties. Why did
we not exert ourselves to bring about
meeting? Now, alas! forever too late!
Oh, cruel Neglect that has allowed
this bitter void
The years have flown most rapidly
since we drifted apart. We are so
much older! The lost friends face
rises before us rs it has not done in
years. Some distinctive action of eye
or lip that we have forgotten. or some
peculiar habit of speech, perhaps comes
back to us through the vista of mem
DRY. And now how suddenly dear our
friend has become! We start up as il
to clasp the long impressed hand.
Death has reared his icy barriers and
we may not Nevermore! We realizb
that all is over between us. Like two
sprigs of myrtle dropped on n turbid
stream-we are swept apart forever
here. Will there be reconciliation
accorded us up there?
Appreciate friendship while we may.
For friendships ties once severed, life's.
brevity, time never-pausing flight and
the harshness of circumstances, are all
antagonistic 10 q reunon.-PrOE I'D.
H. Gibson IN 81. Louis Magazine.