The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-20

love his brother simply because that brother can now ride while he himself Is compelled to walk. Why do l state this truth? Because, my nearer, l want you to realize the reason you dislike some of the friends of your youth. It is not because they are untrue to you, but you are untrue to them. It Is not because you have made a failure that they refuse to have anything to do with you. It is because they have made a success that you refuse to have anything to do with them. Oh, the poisonous fangs of Satanic envyl It is a fiendish enemy, which does it's deadly work in the DOT mans hut as well as in the rich mans palace.
 Remember the Absent.
 The true friend is never "out of sight, out of mind. His love can be likened to the trembling movements of the magnetic needle. No matter which way the ship turns that needle always turns towards the north pole. No matter which way the true friend goes, his hearts needle always points toward his absent brother. Ii can be likened to the echoing voice of the photograph. Some years ago when one of the arctic exploration par ties set sail from it's home arbor the captain of the ship carried in his cabin a photograph into which his wife and little children had spoken loving mes sages. Thus when the captain had reached the home of the whale and, the polar bear, had reached the Land of the Midnight Sun, Land of the Midnoon Darkness he heard there the voices of his dear ones speaking as they were accustomed to do in his own sitting room. The photograph of the heart should have a faultless memory. No matter what we do or how we should be absent from our friends. we should still be able to hear the old voices and, as in a family album, be able to see the dear loving lips just ready to speak
 But, oh. how easy 1t is to forget our absent friendsi How easy to get care less about sending the tender salutations of affection which St. John sent to his beloved Gaius when he wrote, Greet the friends by namel" How easy when sickness comes or death comes into the home to neglect the written words of sympathy When we are afar off. how easy amid pressing cares not to send the letter of encouragement and advice and warming which would help keep that young man from turning to the left into the path of sin when he should keep straight into the narrow path of virtue! My brother. are you doing your duty, your Christian duty, to that absent friend? You know you had mighty in- fiuence for good when you were by his side. Shall you drop that influence for good merely because you cannot touch his hand or appeal to him except through the influence of the written page?
 Stronger Than Death
 True friendship is proof, also. not only against absence but survives death itself The widow of your friend and his fatherless children, his brother and sis ter and all whom he loved will. if you are a true friend, have claims on you which you will recognize. When David be- came king of Israel, one of the first things he did was to send messengers through the length and breadth of his Kingdom to see if there was any of Saurs family living to whom he could show kindness. for his friend Jonathan S sake One was found, a son of his dead friend He was Q cripple, and David took him and made provision for him in his palace He did this for the sake of his dead friend. brother, is there in your life a friendship that death has sundered? Was there some Jonathan who loved you and whom you loved? Was there one who helped you when you were starting in business or who stood by you in some trouble? Perhaps that friend has left a wife who needs help, a son who is struggling with the world. a daughter who needs protection. Let your love go out to them in loving ser vice. You can do nothing for Jonathan dead but for those whom he loved bet ter than hfs life you may do much. How better can you prove yourself true friend than by helping them for his sake? He may be awaiting their arrival in the land of blessed reunion Let them