The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-15
ON DARK DAYS AND FRIENDSHIP.

cherries sky looked into the cheer
less face of the ocean. An aimless breeze
wandered among the dry reeds and danced
I over the dead grass in the hollow where
, the Boy sat- He was staring across the
| sh.vering sand dunes and the fretful
waves. staring into future that took
on all the bleak. hopeless tin;s of the
day.
- There is a rapture by the lonely
shore. : quoted the Gentleman as he and
the Girl broke softly in upon the somber
| day dream.
rs there?" said the Boy. II suppose.
then. you've found it. l believe that
there's nothing but happiness in the
world you inhabit." His eyes were still
fixed on the ocean and the irritability in
his tone told that he resented the intru-
sion.
There should De only happiness in
! the world l inhab;t; but. much as / hate
to confess II. shadows do obscure the
light from me at times. l have not
Climbed above the clouds yet
Il am surprised TO hear you admit that
1our Philosophy, ! thought. forbade ones
making such an admission. l came out
here to get away from your philosophy.
One can be ones self with the waves
and the fog. l grow tired of the masks
Oh cheerfulEeSs, sometimes, and of the
friends who are hidden from me. behind
them. The sorrow-freishted ocean will al
ways listen to me and sympathize. She
has known the griefs of ages. To her
arms millions. weary of the tortures of
living, have fed and she has whispered
comfort and carried them TO eternal
peace.
Il want to be alone. 1 know how dis
tasteful my moods are to you. Fair
weather people can never understand the
storms OF doubt and discomfort that
a fr1nS ,,aa how n-,rx- in
crease the fury by their calm content.
But what's the use of talking. Don't
let me spoil your day. Leave me alone.
please"
so You don't me yet" said the Cen
tleman quietly-there was hint Of sad
Tess in his tone-"and l have been think
ing that we were very close to one an
other l am your friend, and friendship
cannot come into our lives until all
masks are cast aside and soul knows
soul. There are no such things as fair
weather friends. The one who demands
that We wear mood that may please
his fancy when We encounter him. has no
claim to the name friend. The compact
of friendship breaks down all formal bar
riers and gives us access to each others
lives. And only insincerity can break
the compact
II am sorry for you when see you in
moods that make you miserable, for l
have run the whole ganut of moods and
know the torture of dscord they can
awaken. And l am not free from them
yet. We never are AZ long as We remain
human and worth while.
But don't fancy that friendship is so
brittle thing that moods or sorrows can
break it. 1t is on the dark days of life
that friendship oftenest bursts into
bloom. Whatever your burden may be.
never fear to ask friend TO share it.
He will always be glad TO help you over
the rough places, and the heaviest burden
is light when some one bears it with
us for friendships sake.
None OF us are strong enough to walk
the way of life alone. We are all weak
and hopeless at some stages of the jour
ney, and must reach out through the
gloom for a hand clasp. l am glad it is
so; these hand claps form chain that
reaches on to God.
After awhile you'll grow above the
storms you speak of. That will be when
you fully realize that life has fixed pur-
pose and that the tempests of passions
and doubt and discomfort have their rise
In our ignorance of that purpose. The
gold you gather. the fame you win. and
all the glory that the toll of hand and
brain can weave count for nothing in the
ultimate reckoning. It's the work you
do for works sake that brings peace
and harmony and all the everlasting
things that gold or glory cannot buy.
But you'll never, in this living-and |
hope not in the next or any living-grow
above the comfort that is in friendship.
when loneliness and doubt, any of
the ten thousand cares that crowd in
upon us, come, don't put on a laughing
mask or don't seek the solitudes; but
remember that dark days are friend
ships best days and that two can al
ways carry burden better than one"
See" cried the Girl, breaking in on
the silence that followed the Gentleman's
talk, the tickle old ocean has forgotten
her grief and is flirting with the sun.
Let us walk across the dunes. They will
be glorious in the red sunset that is
coming"
And we'll have dinner at a queer
;ttle place l discovered yesterday" said
the Gentleman, land then
You'll play some of the wonderful
things Moskowskys moods have given
rs. while we mount up on the melody
and take peep into heaven"
II wish 1 were not a fool" said the
Boy, as he started merrily toward the
lunes and the Girl and the Gentleman Z
Joined in the laugh he started.-Leaven-
y orth MacNab, in National Magazine.
AnA%har GnNd Nav