POEMS OF FRIENDSHIP. FRIENDSHIP. A RUDDY drop of manly blood The world uncertain comes and goes, I fancied he was fled, And, after many a year, Glowed unexhausted kindliness, Like daily sunrise there. My careful heart was free again; O friend, my bosom said, Through thee alone the sky is arched, Through thee the rose is red; All things through thee take nobler form, And look beyond the earth; The mill-round of our fate appears A sun-path in thy worth. Me too thy nobleness has taught The fountains of my hidden life RALPH WALDO EMERSON. FRIENDSHIP. FROM NIGHT THOUGHTS," NIGHT II. CELESTIAL Happiness, whene'er she stoops To visit Earth, one shrine the goddess finds, And one alone, to make her sweet amends For absent Heaven-the bosom of a friend; Where heart meets heart, reciprocally soft, Each other's pillow to repose divine. Beware the counterfeit; in passion's flame Hearts melt, but melt like ice, soon harder froze. True love strikes root in reason; passion's foe: Virtue alone entenders us for life: I wrong her much-entenders us for ever: Of Friendship's fairest fruits, the fruit most fair Is virtue kindling at a rival fire, And, emulously, rapid in her race. O the soft enmity! endearing strife! This carries friendship to her noontide point, From Friendship, which outlives my former themes, Glorious survivor of old Time and Death; From Friendship, thus that flower of heavenly seed; The wise extract Earth's most Hyblean bliss, What if (since daring on so nice a theme) I show thee friendship delicate, as dear, Of tender violations apt to die? Reserve will wound it; and distrust, destroy But since friends grow not thick on every bough, First, on thy friend, deliberate with thyself, Judge before friendship, then confide till death. Friendship 's the wine of life; but friendship new For twenty summers ripening by my side, As crystal clear; and smiling as they rise! DR. EDWARD YOUNG. 66 BILL AND JOE. FROM POEMS OF THE CLASS OF TWENTY-NINE " [HARVARD]. COME, dear old comrade, you and I |