The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-09-26

AiItSL IA q a. 49,
Christian martyrdom, Will sacrifice
himself for the other. has been 50
rare that for he best Illustrations one
has ever been compelled to turn TO
myth and fable"
Having most sOnOTouSly delivered
himself of this profound observation
DR.. Oldfish paused as thousn 5Is
Opportunity to diverse opinion. AS
none came he continued: 'BetHeen
women it must be admitted Such sell
sacrificing friendships are not I'M
common. They are seen SO often that
they excite but little interest and call
for no special remark.
A great secret fraternal order
with benevolent aspects and a hand
some uniform could find nothing
nearer at hand on which to base its
initiatory drama than the ancient
stt-ry of Damon and Pythias,' which
vas, indeed. a creditable selection.
though these worthless Of the old
towns of Syracuse were heathens, and
the biblical friendship OF David and
Jonathan would have been quite as
a ailable. though less startling in in
CideTtt.
Perhaps you have seen the play
of Damon and Pythias' presented by
amateurs and characterized by the
town joker as On and Pity Us
When it is given by real actors it
may carry one to the most sublime
heights, especially if one is a true
T THAN. When the late DaVid Han
chett, who tipped the safes at Z4o
rounds-he was we'll knaWn in this
cit3-came on as Damon. putting and
short-breathed. from the wings just
IN time to say Pythias from the
sacrifice, it formed as dramatic and
sGul-stirring a scene as n need care
to witness.
That Jonathan and David should
have q such a friendship as that
with which they are credited, though
the biblical story is all too meager
in details, is in full accord with the
traditions of that early time. Such a
friendship could not now exist be-
tween married men without SERIOUS
disturbances in trNo households at
least. Mrs. David and Mrs. Jonathan
would both s~trenuously oppose any
such alliances. When the
goes to the club or to the lodge the
wife is not disturbed, for she we'll
knows that the endearing titles of
friend and brother are mere euDhu-
isms and neither of them good for a
loan of SIS to a needy wayfarer.
"Only bachelors can afford to be
chummy and when either one or the
other gets happily married friendship
is laid aside is dead and dry as a
of the dynasty OF Rameses
II. There is nothing that will SO eff
fectually deaden love for ones fell
bowman as love for ones fellow
woman. Those who have tried both
will not gainsay this blunt assertion.
The man with many male friendships
scatters his affections like Barney
Macauley's gun scattered its load in
the old play Of The Messenger from
Jarvis Section He who has many
male friendships is not equal to one
Oyoo f~So~1ch;o IJs~ ex,@ ox-o hoe
a full heart-throb in it. He is like
enough the friend to let one in on a
sure thing and then turn his back
as the bubbles break above the dis
appearing head Of him who has rust
ed in his advice.
The late King Edward VII, though
q spendthrift as the Prince of Wales,
came as king to have the thrift Of
his mother, who was notably near in
money matters.a Edwar went into
many financial ventures on tips given
by friends. No matter what the out
come Of the s~peculatiOns his majesty
was immune from loss. The friends
saw to it that he lost nothing. How
these losers managed to recoup would
doubtless make an interesting story.
It's a great thing to be a king. Ed
wards successor may slaughter three
thousand grouse in two days shoot
ing-caII it sport!-and be acclaimed
a mighty hunter before the Lord. A
poor poacher caught with a single
bird may get six months in a British
prison. These ideas OF game for lord
and serf go back to the days of Will
liam the Norman.
Among early friendships there
was that Of Orestes, the mad son OF
Agamemnon. pursued by the furies,
cared for by his e~ver-faithful Pylandes
When the Greeks fabricated a friend
ship there was nothing lacking in Of
fective detail.
"ShakeSpeare's best friendship is
that Of Hamlet and HOratio, beside
which that OF Antonio and Bassanio
is as cheap as a vaudeville stunt
Hamlet and Horatio, college chums,
are truer friends despite their diff
ference in station, a friendship worn
by Hamlet in his heart of heart
not hearts as usually quoted-a