Omaha daily bee., 1915-03-17
Love the Sun of Life
Best of All Friends is He Who Shows You How
to Use Your Own Powers and Build Up Yourself

once heard a person say. II love my
friends 80 intensely am jealous OF any
ray Of light that falls upon their paths,
save through me-" This Is not friend
ship. II is self-worship. self aggrandixe-
ment-self to the cote. Distrust any act
OF kindness shown you by such a friend
II is done, not TO give you happiness, but
to win your gratitude. The real friend
never thinks Of gratitude. though he
would be hurt by your ingratitude. But
he would as soon bestow favor unknown
to you. and he rejoiCes TO see you bene-
fitted by others. and takes pleasure in
anything which helps you no matter how
remote u may be from his own interests
Old friends endeared by years OF
memories are best Yet have no right
to reproach my old friend IL he outgrows
me in his tastes and habits. and | have
no right to call him changoable II he
finds new friends more congenial in these
things, and who keep step with him. He
may have found me sufficient for him
when we both studied simple fractions
together, but II he has passed into higher
mathematics l have no right to complain
II he no longer enjoys singing the multi
plication table TO the air OF Yankee
Doodle" with me as in our early school
days. had better blame myself for
not making at least sufficient progress
to appreciate him. even II cannot enter
into fun sympathy with his higher devel-
opment. II | am worthy the name Of
a true old friend" will rejoice TO see
him speed on and up even II our paths OF
necessity diverge.
Not long ago heard thinking woman
say that she could forgive the sin OF
commission in a friend far sooner than
a sin OF omission. AN unkind act or
word may spring from hasty temper or
mistake OF judgment, but the frienS
who sits still and silent when / need a
defender or a mentor commits an un-
pardonable SIM" she said, and said
( truly.
1 When I would prefer my friend to be
| the first 10 praise me for we'll doing. |
can excuse him for being the last, II he
Is the first 10 warn me when | am doing
wrong. He is no friend IL he sees me
drifting toward the rocks and does not
tell me so; II he sees me preparing fOs
the battle with flaw In my armor. and
does not point II out to me before the
fray begins.
II ne mas not discovered Il until we
arc in the thick OF battle, then the true
and wise friend will keep silent. least the
sudden consciousness OF my weak point
should unnerve me; but he will keep his
own eve upon il, and stand ready ia
come 20 my assistance II the flaw proves
my failure.
do not want my friend 10 feed and
clothe me. for that would enervate my
strength and rob me OF my self-reliance.
| do not want him 10 carry my burdens
unless he sees my strength failing me.
! Let him not perform my tasks for me,
but rather stimulate me to labor; instGGp1
of doing my work let him encourage in
me belief OF my own ability. let him
chide me for my idleness, and spur me
TO achieve results with my own powers.
In Charles Kingley's delightful littls
I book, the Water Babies.' there is a
wonderful weird water-sprite who makes
people make themselves; she does not
create people. but she teaches people how
20 create themselves; this is the office Of
! the true friend-to tell as how 10 create
ourselves and to urge us 10 action