■ST \533 58^ THEMEANINGOF ~ FRIENDSHIP (^ ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON ■w w fc CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY DATE DUE «— — m %i ^T- T r 77f ■'» MAY^> ^?? MP 2 8 \, T -. — Cornell University Library BJ1533.F8 S84 Meaning of friendshij,, V,, l bY i , i Robert |i| Loui S olin 3 1924 029 201 139 The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029201139 The'Meaning of Friendship y /fo /('/-/ i/r/ffJ ■ //r <>/■//■; r>// THE MEANING o F FRIENDSHIP t»- tyy Robert Louis Steven son With annntrodudory'yfote by Edwin Osgood Grover C Lettered by W. A. D wigcins oJ micum, amico ck5 Chicago iqog The Canterbury Company JN this -world of imperfections we gladly welcome even partial inti- macies. And it we find but one to whom we can speak out our heart freely, with 'whom we can walk in love and simplicity without dissimu- lation, we have no ground of quarrel with the world or God. R. L. S. Copyright, iQog By the Canterbury Company t%t ZMt of tsntmte PAGE INTRODUCTION 7 AN HONEST FRIEND . .... 9 YE, O MY FRIENDS .11 COMPANIONSHIP 13 TO KEEP FRIENDS WITH HIMSELF . 15 A FRIEND'S REBUKE 17 IF WE FIND BUT ONE 19 IF I MAY 21 A PRAYER FOR FRIENDS .... 23 OF WHAT SHALL A MAN BE PROUD . 25 THE STATURE OF OUR FRIENDS 27 SO LONG AS WE LOVE .... 29 THE UNCERTAINTY OF FRIENDSHIP . 31 Introductory Note ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON must have known the meaning of friendship, • for he taught others its meaning. Few men of his time won the love and loyalty of so many hearts or held them in so firm a bond, and now that he lies alojie on the hill- top that he loved, under the starry Southern sky, the friends he loved and who loved him, have not forgotten, — for he taught them the wonder and the immortality of friendship. Through almost everything that Robert Louis Stevenson wrote there runs the winning note, the human touch, that grips us all by its unconscious spell, so powerful is the friendly spirit. The essence of Stevenson's teaching seems to be that the way to make true friends is to be a true friend to others, — a simple re- cipe, yet a hard one to live up to in this our world. This little book of "catchwords" taken from Stevenson's writings is typical of the spirit of the man, and may hearten and "teach us all in our quest for the meaning of friendship. Only let us go about it humbly and with gratitude for a single friend if we are so fortunate as to find one. For, as Robert Louis says, "they are the end and reward of life." ^ AN HONEST FRIEND VI / ! lersinwhatJohnBun I \ / V^ 11 caUe die x^il&er ^ \fy ness of this world — all,too,travellers with a donkey; and die beet that wefind in our travels is an hottest friend, l3e is a fortunate voyager who futtV many. tt)e travel indeed to find them.^hey are the end and re** ward of hie. fc Robert Louis Steomson TE,0 MT FRIENDS ,11011, wp bve, ye,Omyjriends r The gist of lift, the end of ends— To fattgfo, to bve, to live, to die, Ye call me by the ear and eye ! ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON COMPANIONSHIP UT SURELT dtisnoverpextrava' ?ant opinion that it is better to ptw Aon to receive, to serve than to use our comparv ions; and above allwhere there is no question cf service upon either side, that it is good to enjoy their company like a naturalman. ROBERT LOUIS, STEVENSON To JCap Btoite trttft HuMlf h— | — 'OBEftOMST tabtfarib^ — tomnta tlr tea, to mate ipntk vMc a fimilp bappirr 6r h(0 prramce, to ir- tuuuurmbmfliarBluiUkiiar^arp^ but tor w$m mpMatfon — - abwoUonthrsamrgtortton!! to top iiftnto tirftti httn^df— tot fe otnakfiraUtoamantooffinJf tUJf#Mfltfp + Rgtati«)ufeS tt « f n son A FRIEND'S REBUKE IN THESE NEAR IN- timacies,we are ninety- nine times disappoinc- ed in our beqqarly selves for once that we are disap" pointed in our friend ; that it is we who seem most fre* quentlyundeservinq of the love that unites us /& and that it is by our. Friends' conduct that we ORe con- tinually rebuked 6^ yet strengthened for airesh en- deavoR . robh- mm stevenson IFWEHNDBUTQNE ([IN THIS WORLD of imperfections we gladly welcome even partial inti- macies. And if we find but one to whom we can speak out our heart freely , with whom we can walk in love and simplicity without dis- simulation , we have no ground of quarrel with the world or God. » ROBERT LOUIS STEVINSON IF I MAT HERE is an idea abroad amonq Jseople that they should make their ndqlv hours qood.One person I hope to make qood: my self. But my duty to my neighbour is much more nearfy expressed by say? inq thatlhave to make him happy — if I may. T> ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON A VWftR FOR FRIENDS iJJRGE our of every heart j the lurking grudge. Give us grace and strength to forbear and to persevere. Offenders, give us the grace to accept and to forgive offenders. Forgetful our- selves , help us to bear cheerfully' the rbr- getfulness of others . Give us courage and f^i&ty and the quiet mind. Spare to us our friends, soften to us our enemies. * . Bless us , if it maybe, in. all our innocent endeavours. If it may not,gjve us ihe strength to encounter that which is to come, that we be brave in peril, constant in tribu- lation, temperate in wrath, and in all chang es of fortune, and down to the gates of death, loyal and loving one to another. " ^ Robert J,ouis jtepenson OFWHAT SHALLA MAN BE HOP IF HE IS NOT PROUD OF HTS FRIENDS ? D %? Stature of ow Friends HEN we have fallen through story after story erf our vanity and aspira^ tions, and sit ruefully a^ mong the ruins, then it is that we begin to measure the stature of our friends; how they stand between us and our contempt^be- iieving in our best. i> Robert Louis Stevenson long as we love, we serve; so long as we are loved by others I would almost say we are indispensable: and no man is useless while he has a friend. R&/>erl /out's Stevenson, P Thr Urumrinty of FrtaiiteWp MAN WHO hasafew friends or one who has a dozen (if there be any one so wealth? on this earth), eannot forget on how precarious a baste his happiness reposes; and how by a stroke or two of fate— a death , a few light words, a piece of stamped paper, or a woman's bright eyes — he may be lefir in a month destitute of all . * 5 Robert Loui* Stevenson (£>' J HAT can be more encourag- ing than to find the" friend that was welcome at one age, still ■welcome at another? Our affections and beliefs are -wiser than we ; the best that is in us is better than Ave can understand ; for it is grounded beyond experience, and guides us, blindfold but safe, from one age on to another. R. L. S.