The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-12-05
DIR. Marden's
Uplift Talks
BY oRIsoN SWEET mARpeN.
HADN'T TIME TO MAKE FRIENDS
Copyright By Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate


Not long g Mr.. Mellen, the for
mer president of the New Haver
railroad, and most bitterly talked
about railroad man Of his time, said
Il thought IL a man knew his bust
ness and worked at 1t hard and pro
duced the best product he could with
the materials available, hat was
enough. But apparently 1t was not.
1T Is enough until a storm breaks, y
said the newspaper man to whom Mr..
Mellen was talking.
Il thought l was strong enough to
meet any storm" he answered.
What should a mar do to prepare
for the kind of storm that hit mel"
HE might have made more friends
outside of the line of business-friends
with the public"
But hadn't the time. I was too
busy. | have had six weeks vacation
in "A years. How could l find the
time to meet your newspaper report
ers and cultivate the good will of
editors? engaged a man to do that
work. Well, we shall see. i may
have a little more time now to make
friends"
After all, what does that thing
which we call success amount to If
we have sacrificed our friendships, If
we lave sacrificed the most sacred
things in life in getting it?
One of the most beautiful things
that can ever be said of a human be-
ing is that he has a host of friends.
When Lincoln's friends were pro
posing him for the presidency he was
poor and comparatively unknown
and people said: why, Lincoln has
no rich men back of him; he has no
political pull, no money, not much of
anything excepting a lot Of friends"
This is true, but what friends they
were! They made his presidency pos
sible.
Only he has friends worth while who
is willing to pay the price for making
and keeping them. He may not have
quite as large a fortune as II he gave
all of his time to business and money
making. But wouldn't you rather have
more good, stanch friends who believe
in you and who would stand by you IN
the severest adversely than have a lit.
tie more money? What will enrich the
life so much as hosts of good, loyal
friends?
Most of us attend to everything else
hrst, and If we have any little scraps
OF time left we give them to our
friends, when we ought to make a
business of our friendships. Are they
worth it?
The faith of friends is a perpetual
stimulus. How it nerves and encour-
ages us to do our best when we feel
scores of friends really believe
in us!
1t means a great deal to have en-
friends always looking out
our interests, working for us all
he time, saying a good word for us
At every opportunity, supporting us,
speaking for us in our absence when
We need a friend, stopping ISLANDERS,
shielding our sensitive, weak spots,
killing lies which would injure US,
correcting false impressions, trying
20 set us right, overcoming the preju-
1ices created by some mistake or slip
a first bad impression we made,
who are always doing something to
give US a lift or help us alongl
One reason why 30 many people are
with what life has for
hem is because they have never cul-
the capacity for friendship.
is nc one-sided affair, but
exchange of soul qualities. There
be no friendship without reci-
Many people are not capable
II forming great friendships, because
hey do not have the qualities them.
selves which attract noble qualities in
If you are crammed with
i~espicable qualities, you cannot expect
my one to care for you, II you are
lncharitable, intolerant, If you lack
generosity, cordially; If you are mar.
'ow and bigoted, unsympathetic, you
'annot expect that generous, large
lesrted' noble characters will flock
Iround you.