Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-09-25
Through the Other End o fths TeIe.

scope.
N aged writer penned the follow
~ ing: zone naturally thinks the
more friends the better" and
the wider spread is your good
name the better. This delusion will last
until you are fifty. Then you viii see
from the other end Of the telescope. and
q little touch Of wisdom comes TO your
relief" b..
Striving TO be popular has oftentimes
made a sour and fretrul person out OF an
otherwise pleasant disposition. You have
seen the strivers after popularity abroad
IN the land They claim friends by the
score and IL Is one chance In ten II they
ind one really true friend out OF those
they call friends when a time OF trial
comes. as Il is apt 10 come 70 all
II Is abundantly necessary 10 form
friendships among those you are obliged
70 associate with. and must travel the
same path together. but striving 10 be
uorular Is very apt to make a blasted
ear OF corn where good sound grain was
expected
Friendship means a great deal more
than LID service and IL IS a waste OF time
and raw material 10 be running around
% acquire popularity. unless you can &C
qufre friends also.
As a rule such friendships are selfish
things to start with. and when the orange
n sucked dry OF juice the peeling is cast
out as worthless.
] heard a dear old lady remark recently;
well. I thought we had as many friends
as anybody, but we happened on a streak
OF had luck. our fine cows all died Win
some strange disease our barn was burn
ed up and all the piow mules were burnt
m too al our wheat. corn. hay and I'M
,plements were burned up. set afire as my
son and myself believe. and do you know
there was not human soul who offered
70 loan US a turn OF corn 70 go 10 mill,
not one said. I'm loan you COW until
YOU can find one TO suit you" not a man
offered to loan US q mule 10 drive 70
church or 20 70 town. and we had no mon
ey 70 buy with. and finally bought on
credit at enormous time prices What's the
matter W. the people2' said she. I
thought I had lots OF friends and I did
not have a single one who was willing
10 show any generous kindness, and the
truth OF the business Is I concluded we
had lived a long time. trying 70 be neigh
borly and helpful and when my time
came 70 need help couldn't find even one
outsider that had any feeling for our pri-
walton and suffering"
I answered as I honestly believed when
/ said. You mistook the people about
you They passed as friends when they
were only acquaintance When you got
10 a place where you were in straits you
were not desirable and they let you know
t. They were summer time friends. and
the void Is fun OF such people
She poor soul. was convinced. but not
satisfied. She had great notion that the
people who were friendly when no call
was made on them or any favors expect
ed would be friends when a time OF trou-
bic reached her but she was simply mis-
taxen and she is now looking through
the other end OF the Telescope. Her ex-
perience was a common one. not uncom-
mon BY a long ways. and she IS wiser
II not a better woman by her expert
ence.
The best place to test the summertime
lriends of this world is around our po-
lltiCal head-centers. So long as a poll
ticisn is successful and can hold on he
Is a very demigOd 20 his attending satel-
Mtes.
Just as soon as he has nothing more
TO give the crowd Of iatterers and camp
followers viii cross to the other side Of
the street TO avoid speaking 10 the great
man In ruins. The king is dead. long
live the king" and away they gallop af-
ter the new man. who has some influence
to give or some patronage TO bestow. or
they hope he has. The retired politician
then has a cnance 10 look through the
other end OF the telescope and he Is
wise man II he looks long enough TO make
VI his mind that such friendships are not
worth grieving over. and tnen set his face
towards his own future, with no further
expectations on the other line.
II Is said also that some preachers get
left occasionally. an wake up TO the
: ct that their supposed popularity hadn't
the stiffness OF little cotton string. A
turning about OF the telescope will give
the brother who Is shelved a truthful and
realistic view Of the general situation
that would be wholesome.
And OF all bitterness that has ever
Teen measured IL is the feeling that people
who fiattered and caressed and claimed
you as their friend were the very bust
est people IN finding a place for a JOab
stab when you least expected TO find the
dagger. The good trusting brother in the
pulpit just made the mistake OF not turn
ing the telescope around and looking
through the other end awhile. and the
brethren In the pew made the mistake OF
expecting 10 direct him as their most ODE
dent when he chalked out a line In an
other direction. and both sides delayed TO
look through the other end Of the tele-
scope
A young woman fancies counting days
viii last forever and when hubby shows
his real object in taking 10 himself a wife
then the poor thing feels badly mistreat-
Cd. but things settle down when she looks
through the other end OF the telescope
and discovers the difference between
great expectations and stern realities.
ne ureahlnB IN Il foubns uAA y mas
a touch OF wisdom" IN the experience.
But when the pure gold is discovered.
and a real friend Is found. the satisfac-
ton is great enough TO thrill the average
soul with delight There are some such
noble people IN the world. quite enough
20 serve the good purpose OF contrast and
comparison and they viii redeem a whole
yard full OF pretenders and ingrates when
such friends are near you and have been
tried IN the furnance OF your distress and
affection and are proven 10 be the real
thing called friendship.
After you reach nifty IL is the quality.
not the quantity. that pleases your mind
IN tests OF friendship and genuine loving
kindness.
And Il Is a fortunate man or woman who
has even one sincere friend that can be
depended upon.
yUhv ebot,ld No4 Snesker Benderson