friendship between us which began at Fulton Academy and which was so
pleasingly renewed in the city of Montreal. I had for the moment
forgotten Charley's peculiar and exclusive nature, and dwelt at
considerable length on the good qualities of my absent friend, till
checked by the dark frown which suddenly gathered upon Charley's
countenance, and the angry flash which shot from his eyes. Rising to his
feet, he said in a voice of deep displeasure: "Since you are so fond of
a new friend, I suppose you no longer consider an old one worth
retaining, so I will trouble you no longer." I attempted to reason with
him, saying I could not see why a new friendship should alienate us who
had been friends from our childhood; but by this time he had worked
himself into a fearful passion and made use of very violent language. I
had learned long ago that when his anger was excited, he was not master
of either his words or actions. I stepped forward, and laying my hand
upon his shoulder tried to recall him to himself, but he threw off my
hand as if my touch had been contamination, and without another word
walked from the room. As I looked after his retreating form as he walked
hastily down the street I could not help a feeling of pity for him, that
he should suffer himself to be governed by such an unhappy temper, for I
knew that when his anger became cooled he would bitterly repent of his
conduct. To the reader who has never met with one possessing the
unhappy disposition of Charley Gray, his character in these pages will
seem absurd and overdrawn; but those who have come in close contact with
a like nature will only see in this sketch a correct delineation of one
of the most unhappy dispositions which affect mankind. Charley was
endowed with rare gifts of mind and intellect, and was manly and
sensible, and setting aside this one fault it was hard to find a more
agreeable and pleasant companion. His absurd conduct was often a matter
of after-wonder to himself, and he made frequent resolutions of
amendment, which only held good till some cause roused his old enemy. I
suppose no more proper name could be found for this unhappy disposition
than exclusiveness, for what ever or whoever he liked, he wanted all to
himself. He was respectful and courteous to all, but intimate only with
a very few, and for those few his affection went beyond the bounds of
reason, inasmuch as it was a source of unhappiness to himself and all
connected with him.