The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1899-10-06
FAITHFUL WOUNDS"
BY MARION HARLAND.

BY MARION HARLAND.
IMPRlMIs; they are never pleasant
to receive.
The remark is so near automatic
that I need not undertake to prove
the truth of it. The Books OF Books
which asserts that the wounds inflict-
ed by a friendly hand are ''faithful,'-
/. e. "trusty; honest, upright; sim
cere, ,"-witnesses elsewhere with our
spirits that ''no chastening for the
present" even "seemeth to be joyous,
but grievous." The Christening from
the tenderly-reuctant hand OF our
dearest friend is not an exception
to the law.
Not one of us. however meek and
lowly, likes to he told OF his faults.
He may be painfully conscious OF them
all. He must know that some OF
them are patent to those who know
him best. He may desire with heart,
soul and strength, to amend each and
every one. All the same, he would
have his friends behave and speak Us
| II he were perfect.
The oldest part OF this moral an
omaly is that so many people delude
themselves into the belief that they
are sincerely anxious to know how
their blemishes appear to others.
!. If we are not told Of them" they
G reason, "how can we correct them in.
t :a,livently? The true friend is he
who holds up TO US Il mirror in which
/ we can see ourselves as Others see us
4 One never gets far enough away from
his Ego to take in the full effect OF
0 every part of it. We cannot secure
: the proper perspective and light fol
rccurate self-knowledge without The
It help of candid friend
There is not a flaw in the argument
O. e. d. is set down without demur
y Yet the monumental fact remains
: that the risk Of wounding friendship
unto death, and Of Offense beyond tn
g hope of repair, is SO imminent tina
- the clear.eyed friend holds his peac
from the manifest good of settin
. those he loves right, Of Strengthening
. their crooked lines. OF rubbing of tn
tarnsh from the silver, the dust fron
q their precious stones.
In the whole course OF my life
=, which is longer than let myself IT
90 collect-I have known in my own e.
perience, but single instance !
Il, which the faithful wound did not dt
Il. generate into a running sore, or, a
the best, leave scar which achcd !
is foul wea tler.
a A friend-I form each letter wit
gentlest respect, in the memory
or what she was and how sadly blank
ey the place in my world she used to III
: brought me letter she had write
he to a young ward who had repaid IL
DC care and devotion Of years ny runnir
oi away to be married to a man who's
addresses the guardian had disc0u
wv tenanced. The girl had written per
o tently. asking, not for restoration
her place in the family, hut for II
giveuess and and kindly reMeI
Ok brance. My friend had replied In tl
~ ~ third person, not testify, but forl
ally:
bot "Mrs. M. would be glad to see MI
the N. whenever the latter could make
ays convenient to call. In view of +
severance OF the relations former
um existing between them, Mrs. M. cou
ex- say nothing more" ETC., etc.
the l looked up from the note to I
face Of the writer, and took the risl
vs. q spoke OF just now.
'ws Dear" pleaded, don't send tn
us 1t will put you In the wrong with
erybody who hears the story OF
nh' correspondence. 1t Is an injustice
-" your heart, to your Judgment, to "
ladyh hood. Answer the mistaken CT
:, ture, II not in kind, In kindnt
r;r, ,o Some day you will thank ne for
the vising you to put this in the fire."
lost The fate Of our friendship-t'
pered and tested by years-tremt
rude in the balance for fully tlity secou
has Then the magnanimous woman t
| To- the paper from my fingers
used dropped it quietly into the fire.
."You may be right, she said or'e
'rint kissed ne good-by and was gone
the No 'allusion was made 70 y oy e
les u of us for six months, AZ tne
! tho Ii tliat time she called 70 see me.
Iher way from svisit 70 ner quono
nm .ns ward.
a'.os 'a;os n JUST looked in to ~ that
v.,, ~ we're rleht, = and that ] thank you
49, lboldlng me hack frout making q =
leruhl6 mlstsks. \ !.