becomes a flimsy affair. For souls to commune with one
another there must be harmony; unity, agreement of desires, sentiments,
and tastes. Not the harmony of indifference, nor a forced agreement,
but a beautiful and natural response of soul to soul. Such equipment for
friendship finds its basis only in individual character. Character is
conduct become habitual. If one spurns reason, and follows his impulse
and passion, he becomes unreliable, and does not know the issues of his
own heart and life. Who knows what such an one will do next? To make it
soar well or sail well, friendship must have ballast. This ballast is
worthy, individual character. It would be more exact to say there can be
no true friendship without individual character. Although many elements
constitute the character of the true friend, yet two elements are
essential--sincerity and tenderness. Sincerity is the soul of every
virtue, while true words, simple manners, and right actions make up the
body. If the soul of virtue is present one does not always demand the
presence of the body, but if the body of virtue is absent, one had
better take a search after the soul. If sincerity is unquestioned,
words, manners, actions have great liberty; but if words, manners and
actions are lacking in straight-forwardness, it is time to question
sincerity. This is true in all human affairs involving motive and
conduct. Especially is it true in friendship. Sincerity knows its own.
By a glance it penetrates the very heart of its true friend, and leaves
translucent and transparent its own. Sincerity gives steadfastness and
constancy to friendship. Insincerity mars and breaks friendship. Who
has not seen a soul spring into life through the love of a radiant
friendship; and then following a series of hollow pretenses,
insincerities, that friendship fails, and the beautiful creature
stifles and dies. As one tells us, "such a death is frightful, it is the
asphyxia of the soul!" Then, tenderness is an essential element in
the character of a friend. Says Emerson: "Notwithstanding all the
selfishness that chills like east winds the world, the whole human
family is bathed with an element of love, like a fine ether." With
Emerson, we believe that every person carries about with him a certain
circle of sympathy within which he, and at least one friend, may temper
and sweeten life. Much of the kindness of the world is simply breathed,
and yet what an aroma of good cheer it sheds in gra