e inheritance, and it does seem to be the case that few
friendships can survive the test of money.

Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend.

There must be something wrong with the friendship which so breaks down.
It ought to be able to stand a severer strain than that. But the inner
reason of the failure is often that there has been a moral degeneracy
going on, and a weakening of the fibre of character on one side, or on
both sides. The particular dispute, whether it be about money or about
anything else, is only the occasion which reveals the slackening of the
morale. The innate delicacy and self-respect of the friend who asks
the favor may have been damaged through a series of similar
importunities, or there may have been a growing hardness of heart and
selfishness in the friend who refuses the request. Otherwise, if two
are on terms of communion, it is hard to see why the giving or
receiving of this service should be any more unworthy than any other
help, which friends can grant to each other. True commerce of the
heart should make all other needful commerce possible. Communion
includes communism. To have things in common does not seem difficult,
when there is love in common.

Friendship has also been wrecked by outside means, by the evil of
others, through the evil speaking, or the envy, or the whispering
tongues that delight in scandal. Some mean natures rejoice in sowing
discord, carrying tales with just the slightest turn of a phrase, or
even a tone of the voice, which gives a sinister reading to an innocent
word or act. Frankness can always prevent such from permanently
wrecking friendship. Besides, we should judge no man, still less a
trusted friend, by a report of an incident or a hasty word. We should
judge our friend by his record, by what we know of his character. When
anything inconsistent with that character comes before our notice, it
is only justice to him to at least suspend judgment, and it would be
wisdom to refuse to credit it at all.

We sometimes wonder to find a friend cold and distant to us, and
perhaps we moralize on the fickleness and inconstancy of men, but the
reason may be to seek in ourselves. We cannot expect the pleasure of
friendship without the duty, the privilege without the responsibility.
We cannot break off the threads of the web, and then, when the mood is
on us, continue it as though nothing had happened. If such a bre