The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-24

who was sick, helpless and mis-
cradle. yet rich in the posses
sion Of a few constant friends,
through whom ne ultimately
acquired that which he most needed
and desired in life. The man who has
such friends Is more fortunate than
the merely rich; and his power to win
and hold them to himself implies no
bic qualities of character, for every
man may be judged by his friends
One Of the gifts of true friendship
here to be seens Is that which brings
a friend into relationship with still
better friends. I may not be able to
do for my friend what he needs; but
may be the link to connect him with
another man who can
Loyalty is one of the virtues which
1s more praised than practiced. The
simple art Of standing by a friend, alike
IA his hour of sore trial and in the
day when his name is made the foot
ball Of gossip Is noble and comfort
1nE out OF all proportions to the task
performed. And the faith which viii
not do this IS something else than
friendship. It was worth being a par
alytic, this Capernaum cripple would
have declared, for the sake of knowing
that he had four such friends as those
who bore him to the Healer's presence.
BY the sacred laws Of friendship,
man Is bound to do his best by his
friend. Yet some friends never help,
only hurt. They lower old standards,
lead into new and evil ways, and poi
son mind and heart so that, later, IN
MS hour Of rem orse, the victim may
say, 1.-The darkest hour Of my life was
when that man, who called himself
my friend, entered into it, When we
leave the presence Of some persons, It
is with the consciousness that virtue
has gone out Of US; and are less noble
than when we approached them. 9th
ers impart to US a sense Of strength
and cheer and inspiration.
Good Friends and the Best Friend.
The object Of this gospel narrative
IS the afflicted man who received the
timely help of friendship. but the sub
ject Of 1t Is the Friend who 'lOveth at
ali times" and who "sticketh closer
than a brother" His comprehensive
friendship had been proved by Jesus,
after the incident which the Sunday
schools studied last week, in circuit
OF GaliIee which was devoted to heal
ing and comforting and teaching peo-
pie. Even leprosy then for the first
time felt the restoring touch of a Mas
ters hand. All these deeds Of friend
Illness had made the tour a triumphal
procession, and when He returned to
Capernaum. His home. the crowds still
sought Him out.
re could not be hid. Merit m@o'
tests itself IN spite of everything. The
revival which Is stirring all Norway
IS led by a humble sailor, converted
in a Chicago mission. The world viii
go anywhere, even to the desert, to
hear a man who has a message for
Sc. AS a quaint old commentator says,
Where the King is, there is the
court; so at every point Jesus was
surrounded by the multitude.
This ubiquitous multitude born in
moment. disappearing in a twinkling,
having a composite character totally
different from the traits of its individ-
ual units, is a theme which holds the
attention. 1t furnishes the setting Of
most OF the incidents in the Lords
life. A crowd is seldom a beautiful or
a noble spectacle; yet Jesus was in
Gnitely patient and tender with it, His
heart was great enough to love the I'M
lovely rabble. No complaininEs were
heard from him as his seclusion was
broken by the noisy crowd that serged
1nsistently about the door Of his hum
bic dwelling. Then, as now. he was a
friend upon whom the plain people
could count. AS they pushed and JOS
tied into the little one-story dwelling
filling window and door, and scram-
bling for a vantage point in the un-
nannerly fashion Of crowds in all ages,
he preached to them of his best, even
though the time and place might have
been considered improper.
Help, though the Roof Breaks.
The paralytic to whom the news Of
Jesus miracles had appeared like the
only scar in a black sky, had learned by