The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1916-06-15
FRIENDSHIP.

If thou sorrow he will weep;
If thou wake he cannot sleep;
Thus with every grief in heart
He with thee doth bear part.
Did you ever stop and consider
what is really meant by true friend
ship, or ask yourself this question.
Who is my friend' ?
Not every one that processes to
be a friend will prove true.
George Washington says: True
friendship is plant of slow growth
and must undergo and withstand
the shocks of adversely before it
is entitled to the appellation. +"
Friendship is a wonderful thing
and has SO much to do with our
lives. All ! really. it is one of the
sweetest gifts | know,
Mr.. Taylor says, Friendship
is that by which the world is most
blessed and receives most good"
Yet how often are we heedlessly
wounded by those who propose to
be our friends, those we trust
most, in whom we believe most.
And those we trust most some
times lead us into the way of CT
ror, though we never intended
that they should.
We may lock our hearts against
some things and think we have
hid the key, then friend, by
chance, finds it and commences to
pick at the lock until our hearts
are torn and bleeding, and they d.
it in a way so sweetly hum IN
When we are wounded unit,
death what a dear relief to fly |,
some other friend and find rest
and consolation there. How splen
did to know there are othel hearts
big enough to hide in and close
out the whole world.
Only tn Jse who know what men
tai anguish and human suffering
is can sympathize with another.
If your have not been crucified in
the flesh how can you understand
these emotions of the soul.
How blessed is this friendship
and sympathy from one who knows
and understands; if one errs or
passes into transgression II W
ready is he or she to reason it out
md forgive, or how ready are they
% tell you of your errors in a kind.
gentle way, take you by the hand
Gas it were) and lovingly lead you
back TO the right. | believe one
reason so many go wrong and are
lost forever, those they love and
trust most cast them off at a time
when they need them most. Of
ten this causes them to feel that
no one cares for them and that no
matter What they do nor how they
strive to lift themselves up, some
one, perhaps that friend they have
trusted most, will stand ready to
push them back, therefore they
just continue on from bad to worse
and at last die and sink down to
hell and allbecause loving friend
cast them aside at the wrong time.
Would that | had the wings, and
power to gather all the weak and
broken hearted meath them, to
shelter them fiom the merciless-
ness of the rest of the human fam
lily. Would that | could restore
their wounded, broken spirits and
make them more than what they
are.
What is the secret of your
life =" asked Mrs. Browning of
Charles Kingsley. Tell me, that
| may make mine beautiful too. "
He replied, Il had a friend"
If there be some weaker one,
Give me strength to help himon.
If binder soul there be
Let me guide him nearer thee,
May my mortal dreams come true
With the work | fain would do.
Instead Of a gem or even {
fo YER cast the gift of loving
thought into the hear, Of a friend
If man be overtaken in
fault, ye which are spiritual re
store such an one in the spirit c
meekness; considering thySelf les
thou also be tempted.
Golden, Miss.