ckless of, and nervously alive to, the opinion of all
around him, with his bursts of womanly tenderness and Berserker
rage, alternating like storms and sunshine of a July day on a
high moorland, his keen sense of humor and appreciation of all
the good things of life, the use and enjoyment of which he was so
steadily denying himself from high principle, had from the first
seized powerfully on all Tom's sympathies, and was daily gaining
more hold upon him.

Blessed is the man who has the gift of making friends; for it is
one of God's best gifts. It involves many things, but above all,
the power of going out of oneself, and seeing and appreciating
whatever is noble and living in another man.

But even to him who has the gift, it is often a great puzzle to
find out whether a man is really a friend or not. The following
is recommended as a test in the case of any man about whom you
are not quite sure; especially if he should happen to have more
of this world's goods, either in the shape of talents, rank or
money, or what not, than you.

Fancy the man stripped stark naked of every thing in the world,
except an old pair of trousers and a shirt, for decency's sake,
without even a name to him, and dropped down in the middle of
Holborn or Piccadilly, Would you go up to him then and there, and
lead him out from amongst the cabs and omnibuses, and take him to
your own home and feed him and clothe him, and stand by him
against all the world, to your last sovereign, and your last leg
of mutton? If you wouldn't do this you have no right to call him
by the sacred name of friend. If you would, the odds are that he
would do the same by you, and you may count yourself a rich man.
For, probably were friendship expressible by, or convertible
into, current coin of the realm, one such friend would be worth
to a man, at least 100,000L. How many millionaires are there in
England? I can't even guess; but more by a good many, I fear,
than there are men who have ten real friends. But friendship is
not expressible or convertible. It is more precious than wisdom;
and wisdom "cannot be gotten for gold, nor shall rubies be
mentioned in comparison thereof." Not all the riches that ever
came out of earth and sea are worth the assurance of one such
real abiding friendship in your heart of hearts.

But for the worth of a friendship commonly so called--meaning
thereby a sentiment founded on the good dinners, good stories,
opera stalls, and days' hoo