The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-05-20

This World There is Nothing to be
Desired Above the Esteem of Our
Fellows-Every Person Needs the
Love and Sympathy of True Friends,
And He May Have Them if He Will
plain and Simple Rules to Follow.
Amid the rush, roar, push and drive
| tor dollars and cents there is some
| thing better and higher than all these.
True friends and good neighbors are
more precious than rubies and ssmore
to be desired than gold, yea, than fine
gold; sweeter also than the honey with
the honeyc1mb," and in the getting
OF them there is great reward A
president or king without his friends
is slave to the condition of things.
A politician without his friends will
"hlt the grit sooner or later. | fear
sometimes amid the greed for gain we
have lost sight of the fact that mans
wealth consists in noble friends and
good neighbors. Money has very lit
tie in it to bring happiness: Greed in
itself is disintegrating and visits upon
men thousand sings and arrows. No
man is SO poor as he who has lived to
make all men MS enemies and robs
himself of true friends. No man is SO
rich as the man who is embalmed in
the hearts grateful community.
We get social preferment and dol
lars and cents as the result of selfish
aims and selfish ends by doing for
ourselves. We make true happiness by
doing for others. Peter the Great,
Charlemagne and Napoleon tried to
conquer the world with swords, but
each of them died a conquered wretch
himself at last. Jesus Christ lived for
others, served others, did for others,
and died for others and there are mil
lions of men to-day who would die for
Christ He conquered by service, by
sacrifice, by benevolence. Not long
ago | attended Will Williams large
Sunday school class in Atlanta. He
gave to each of us a card at the con-
Clusion of the lesson with the following
| inscription thereon: 81 expect to
pass through this world but once, any
good thing therefore that | can show
anybody, or a word that can speak
for Jesus, let me do it now; let me not
neglect or defer it, for shall not pass
this way again.
If every human life were conducted
after the lesson given her what world
of friends this would be! Some one
has SAID if We would have friends we
must show ourselves friendly. The
common COurtesies OF life, kind word
spoken, helpful word given, kind
deed that costs little in sacrifice or ef-
fort, has made undying friends for
many man. Some one has said: 81
would rather have dog for my friend
| than to have him as an enemy" Who
would not make all men his? Who,
as matter OF choice, would rather
have an enemy than friend? There
is another old adage which says: GA
friend in need is a friend indeed.'
We may reach tine point when we do
not need friend in dollars and
cents; we may reach the point where
we do not need friend to protect us
because danger is nigh; but who can say:
Il will never need the sympathy and
kindness which man can show to
man?' When the hours of grief and
bereavement, when the hours of sick
ness and death shall come, then the
priceless value Of friends is shown to
US: then dollars and cents and houses
and lands but mock us in grief and
torment US in our sorrow
We should make friends of every
body at the expense of everything ex-
cept principle. The friends we lose
by standing up for the right were not
our friends, and would be hurtful to
US if We considered them so. A friend
is one who not only wishes us we'll,
but would go out of his way tc do us
a kindness; or who would, if he stood
alone, defend our name and reputa
ton from the assaults Of others Many
men would have fallen under the blows
given but for the hand of friend up
lifted to help them. Many a heart
would have burst with grief but for the
sympathy poured out TO it by true
friend. And while we rush for riches
and pull for power and galIop in our
greed let us stop moment and get
our bearings and see how we stand re
lated to those about US. We have we'll
nigh thrown aside the social features
which foster friendship. We visit too
little at each others houses. Many
long winter nights we could pend two
hours pleasantly with nelghbor and
win him 4 closer friend. Many times
we pass idly by without the warm hand
shake or kindly word to US in some
coming emergency. We cannot afford
to sacrifice everything to political pref
udces and selfish greed. We mus,
| bay,, lr;epIc W. cannot