is a lack of mutual sympathy. Amy is full of ideas
and projects, which she sows broadcast during their long confidentials,
and which spring up in great beauty (to her mind, at least) in the
fertile soil of Edith's admiration. But all the giving is on one side.
Edith listens and wonders, applauds or condoles, as her stronger-minded
friend may give her the cue, too unselfish, and perhaps, also, too
timid, to intrude her own less thrilling interests and hopes upon Amy's
self-absorption; so that when the latter comes to an end of her
confidences, and has leisure and recollection enough to say, "And now,
Edith, what have you been doing?" she hastily replies, "Oh, nothing
particular," glad to be able to shield her insignificance in silence.

Amy does not miss the return confidence which makes friendship so sweet;
she is too full of her own affairs to be a listener. Edith is her
overflow, whom she leaves saying mentally, "What a dear little
sympathetic thing she is! What should I do without her?"

But what is Edith to do? Where is her overflow? This is a very one-sided
friendship: the companionship of giant and dwarf, which sooner or later
must come to an end or be very uncomfortable for the dwarf. The friends,
as I said, need not be alike, need not even be of equal capacity,
intellectually or practically, but the sympathy, rooted in affection,
must be mutual; it must be equal give and take, or the friendship is
miserably stunted and incomplete.

And this brings me to speak of the third ingredient in what I have
defined as a perfect friendship--mutual help, which, of course, supposes
the two friends to be somewhat different, whether in character, tastes,
or surroundings, so that one can supply what the other lacks.

[Illustration: ALICE AND MAUD.]

If two countries in friendly relations both produce one article
abundantly, and are both lacking in some other article, there can be no
commerce--which is the symbol of friendly relations--between them. Both
must apply to a third country for that in which both are deficient. And
if Edith cannot get help from Amy when she is in need of it, not
necessarily advice, but some new view of the situation occasioned by
Amy's different character or life, and which would enable Edith to face
the trouble or difficulty with more courage or intelligence--if, I say,
Edith cannot get this help from Amy, before long she will find Clara,
and the friendship will be dissolved or cooled; while undis