FRIENDSHIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2232, 10 December 1896, Page 44

FRIENDSHIP.

The greatest affection that exists in this world is the affection of a friend for a friend. The friendship of David and Jonathan is described as " surpassing the love of woman." But can the love of woman be taken as a status from which true friendship may be judged ?

The strength of friendship carries as through life. It gives as wings ; it lifts us from oar own morbid and selfish thoughts to those of a cheerful and broad-minded companion ; it brings relief and refreshment to the mind to listen to good-humoured reproof from a friend we love. Two great; friends are very seldom found to have the same natures, the same feelings, and the same interests. Two equally intelligent people of very different idiosyncrasies can go hand Id band through life in perfect har- ■ mony and sympathy. " Sympathy and in* compatibility — these are the , two great powers that .decide for us whether intercourse is to be possible, or not; bat the' causes of them are dark mysteries that lie undiscovered far down in the abysmal depths of personality." How monotonous it would' be in this world if ws, all enjoyed the same' persouality, if we all followed the same pursuits, and were all alive to the same impressions. We want a friend who is able to see a different side to a picture, who can supply us with thoughts and feelicga which we lack. How soon we tire o£ a companion who is always agreeing with us and asienting to our general remarks. We all love to feel the happiness of genuine human intercourse, but would all much prefer to live in 'solitude than to have a false pretension of it.

But then there is channel of intercourse which may be touched upon": that of epistolary communication. When we are separated from our friend we may keep up our conversation in a Bmall measure by letter writing. If two friends are good correspondents, and capable of writing cheerful and intelligent letters, this intercourse may be maintained ; but if only one, or neither, possesses the faculty for writing, the friends miss on 9 another sadly* and long for a revival of their friendship. If the friendship is true and real, this absence of presence will make no difference in their thoughts and affections for one another, but if not this ifl the time for the test, or one of the teats, aa there are so many. " Friends," cays Cicero, " though absent are still present ; though in poverty they are lich ; though weak yet in the enjoyment of health ; and what is sHll more difficult to assert, though dead thej ->c 'live." Though this may eeem a parados, burely there is mnch truth in the explanation. Moreover, we should be careful to keep our friends when we have once made them. If everyone knew what his dearest companion too often says of him in his absence, there would not be ten friends in the woilct. Let us then each try to be one of the ten. MAT.