, which cannot be thrown to swine. Till we learn what a sacred
thing a true friendship is, it is futile to speak of the culture of
friendship. The man who wears his heart on his sleeve cannot wonder if
daws peck at it. There ought to be a sanctuary, to which few receive
admittance. It is great innocence, or great folly, and in this
connection the terms are almost synonymous, to open our arms to
everybody to whom we are introduced. The Book of Proverbs, as a manual
on friendship, gives as shrewd and caustic warnings as are needed, but
it does not go to the other extreme, and say that all men are liars,
that there are no truth and faithfulness to be found. To say so is to
speak in haste. There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother,
says this wisest of books. There is possible such a blessed
relationship, a state of love and trust and generous comradehood, where
a man feels safe to be himself, because he knows that he will not
easily be misunderstood.

The word friendship has been abased by applying it to low and unworthy
uses, and so there is plenty of copy still to be got from life by the
cynic and the satirist. The sacred name of friend has been bandied
about till it runs the risk of losing its true meaning. Rossetti's
versicle finds its point in life--

"Was it a friend or foe that spread these lies?"
"Nay, who but infants question in such wise?
'T was one of my most intimate enemies."

It is useless to speak of cultivating the great gift of friendship
unless we make clear to ourselves what we mean by a friend. We make
connections and acquaintances, and call them friends. We have few
friendships, because we are not willing to pay the price of friendship.

If we think it is not worth the price, that is another matter, and is
quite an intelligible position, but we must not use the word in
different senses, and then rail at fate because there is no miracle of
beauty and joy about our sort of friendship. Like all other spiritual
blessings it comes to all of us at some time or other, and like them is
often let slip. We have the opportunities, but we do not make use of
them. Most men make friends easily enough: few keep them. They do not
give the subject the care, and thought, and trouble, it requires and
deserves. We want the pleasure of society, without the duty. We would
like to get the good of our friends, without burdening ourselves with
any responsibility about keeping them friends