The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-09-05

of these friends may make a grave
mistake of some sort, and the other
will soon know of it. Then comes the
test. Let us assume that this friend
ship is of the sort over which arch
angels rejoice, and no matter who
assails his new brother, he is ready to
espouse his cause and support him.
His hand is not withheld, but its own
er has the glorious manhood to grasp
the erriDg brothers hand, and say:
"By this sign, my boy, we pledge anew
the friendship of yesterday" They
talk the matter over. Some tears are
shed, for the real ego of the man is
awakened, and the sobs heard are
echoes of joy to know that his friend
is ready to forgive and forget; to wipe
out forever the remembrance of the
unfortunate slip. The forgiven had
seriously offended him who forgave;
society too had suffered by his sin; but
this great, noble hearted man had
proved to him in error, that man
who is worthy to be classed at the head
of the kingdom to which he belongs, is
great enough to practice that forgive
ness taught by the great master.
But there is grudging, relentlessly
reflective brand of forgiveness abroad
in the land A forgiveness which has
taken complete course in.Memory
Culture, even taking post graduate
courses continually. tell you a friend
ship does not last long when this sort
of friendship exists. Friends must he
forgiving or forgetting every day, else
the friend be not 'twixt human kind.
He who says to the other: "I'm
ashamed of you. Well we'll and you
call yourself a man. / shed tears for
you ana your hapless position" And
you meet him again; he throws. it up
to you, and reminds you of his charity
for you, and looks at you in SO patron
izing manner as to drive you to
despair. Forgive your friend out and
out, as you yourself would beforgiven,
if you would count the bond that
binds, aud binds for keeps. Such are
only make believe friendships.
i Some years ago, (about thirty, be-
lieve) an Englishman named Mercer
discovered that certaiB chemical
treatment of cotton cloth produced a
fabric resembling silk. Much cotton
cloth was transformed into this imita-
tion silk. Some manufacturers called
their product "near silk, ""siIkline," etc.
1t serves its purpose, and today util-
. ize this Englishman's name, Mercer,
from which to coin an adjective, which
l need to define half-heartedness. 1t
has never before been used in this
sense. Mercerized Friendship. The
fellow who warns up to another in
days prosperous is a Mercerized friend
| He only pretends to common inter
3 est. He urges you OH in some way
that is devious for his own selfish gain
? He will let you risk money, reputation
. and lures you on to certain ruin. My
Q audience is here largely because of the
8 Vaccinations of some Mercerized
/ friend.
1 Said customer to the negro apple
0 vender: "Why is it that the tops OF
8 your baskets are mostly large rec
! apples, and at the bottom mostly
runts?''
g "Well, sab, specks hits for de same
i reason dat de front of yu house il
8 mostly mable, and de back mostly asf
Q cans"
d No mal, we see, has corner OF
g shams. II we are shams-do we know
: it? What "critter" or thing OF prlnci
# pie are we Stimulating? Sham friend
IS ships, or using my new adjective, Mer
8, cerized friendships, are the most detest
It able of all mans attributes.
We all like to reckon today among
d our friends him who was our frien,
d. yesterday, and we can do this il W
q avoid quarreling. One man has
j. lonesome stunt to quarrel alone
If Something disturbing to TRANQUILITY
,r often requires but a quick-a hasty re
ID joinder to start a protracted estrange
le ment. The noted feuds of Kentuck
is are all tracaable to very trivial begiI
r Inings between friends. A line fenc
III dispute. and predatory pig or COZ
So have figured in two Of these feud
lg which have cost scores of human live
erl Had either party at the very outss