As strong as passion in, though not so gross."

Thus writes Catherine Phillips.


FRUITS OF FRIENDSHIP.

True friendship gives ease to the heart, light to the mind, and aid to the
carrying out of one's life-purposes. First, ease to the heart. The presence
of a friend is a beam of genial sunshine which lights up the house by his
very appearance. He warms the atmosphere and dispels the gloom. The
presence of a true friend for a day, a night, a week, lifts one out of
himself, links him with new purposes, and immerses him in new joys.
Friends breathe free with one another. They inspire sighs of relief.
Embarrassment disappears; liberty reigns supreme. Hearts are like steam
boilers, occasionally, they must give vent to what is in them, or they will
burst. This is the true mission of friends, to become to one another
reserve reservoirs of "griefs, joys, fears, hopes, suspicions, counsels, and
whatever lieth upon the heart to oppress it," or elate it. You recall those
familiar lines of Bacon: "This communicating of a man's self to his
friends works two contrary effects; for it redoubles joys and cutteth
griefs in halves; for there is no man that imparteth his joys to his friend,
but he joyeth the more; and no man that imparteth his griefs to his
friends, but he grieveth the less." The following selected lines, slightly
changed, set forth this first fruit of friendship.

"A true friend is an atmosphere
Warm with all inspirations dear,
Wherein we breathe the large free breath
Of life that hath no taint of death.