The Golden Link of Friendship.

by Various.

Foreword

_Friendship is one of the most important things in the world. As a factor in educating the mind, forming the character, guiding the will, and shaping the destiny, the influence of Friendship can scarcely be overrated. Friendship has made a man a hero, a saint, a demon!_

_It is to be hoped, therefore, that these Golden Thoughts on Friendship--garnered from a wide field--will prove helpful and inspiring and tend to create pure and n.o.ble ideals in the minds of readers._

_The touching story of David and Jonathan continues to possess a surpa.s.sing charm for humanity; and the voyager over Life's ocean who discovers a true friend discovers an island offering a safe, quiet haven from every storm that blows, and which presents innumerable luscious fruits and sweet-scented flowers for his refreshment and enjoyment._

_A. E. S._

Birth of Friendship

Nature loves nothing solitary, and always reaches out to something as a support, which ever in the sweetest friend is most delightful.

_Cicero_

Great souls by instinct to each other turn, Demand alliance, and in friendship burn.

_Addison_

The only way to have a friend, is to be one.

_Emerson_

Some friendships are made by _nature_, some by _contract_, some by _interest_, and some by _souls_.

_Jeremy Taylor_

The firmest friendships have been formed in mutual adversity, as iron is most strongly united by the fiercest flame.

_Colton_

Only that soul can be my friend which I encounter on the line of my own march, that soul to which I do not decline and which does not decline to me, but, native of the same celestial lat.i.tude, repeats in its own all my experience.

_Emerson_

Culture of Friendship

It is a friendly heart that has plenty of friends.

_Thackeray_

We have few friendships, because we are not willing to pay the price of friendship.

_Hugh Black_

Hand Grasps hand, eye lights eye in good friendship, And great hearts expand, And grow one in the sense of this world's life.

_Robert Browning_

A friend whom you have been gaining during your whole life, you ought not to be displeased with in a moment. A stone is many years becoming a ruby; take care that you do not destroy it in an instant against another stone.

_Saadi_

Once let friendship be given that is born of G.o.d, nor time nor circ.u.mstance can change it to a lessening; it must be mutual growth, increasing trust, widening faith, enduring patience, forgiving love, unselfish ambition--an affection built before the Throne, that will bear the test of time and trial.

_Allan Throckmorton_

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

_Proverbs_ xviii. 24

You'll never hope To be such friends, for instance she and you, As when you hunted cowslips in the woods Or played together in the meadow hay.

Oh yes--with age, respect comes, and your worth Is felt, there's growing sympathy of tastes, There's ripened friendship, there's confirmed esteem.

_Robert Browning_

Plant thou the tree of friendship only; so shall thy heart's desire bear fruit: Uproot thou hatred's plant completely, or woes unnumbered thence may shoot.

_Hafiz_

Sacredness of Friendship

Friendship's an abstract of this n.o.ble flame, 'Tis love refin'd, and purged from all its dross, 'Tis next to angels' love, if not the same, As strong in pa.s.sion is, though not so gross.

_Catherine Philips_