stand for something in thought and purpose. If this is not true,
friendship 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