I.

A[2] blessed thing it is for any[3] man or (S. 10, N. 9) woman to have a friend; one human soul whom we can trust utterly; a friend who knows the best and the worst[4] of us, and who loves us, in spite of all our faults; who will[5] speak the honest[6] truth to us, while the world flatters us to[7] our face, and laughs _at us_ behind our backs; who will give[8] us counsel and reproof in the days of (S. 3, N. 2) prosperity and self-conceit; but[9] who, again, will comfort and encourage us in the days of difficulty[10], and sorrow, when the world leaves[11] us alone to[12] fight our _own_ battle as we can.

If we have had the _good_ fortune to win such a friend, let us do anything[13] rather[14] than lose him. We must give and forgive; live and let live. If our friend have[15] faults, we must bear[16] with them (S. 4, N. 5, _B_). We must hope all _things_, believe all _things_, endure all _things_, rather[17] than lose that most precious of all earthly possessions—a trusty[18] friend.

[1] +Segen+, m.

[2] It is a blessing.

[3] every.

[4] Superlative of +schlimm+.

[5] will speak = always speaks. Use the Present likewise with the following verbs in this passage.

[6] +aufrichtig.+

[7] +ins Gesicht.+

[8] to give counsel and reproof to a person, +einem mit Rat und Tadel zur Seite stehen+; self-conceit, +Selbsttäuschung+, f.—The adverbial clause ‘in the days — conceit’ stands after the rel. pron. and the Dat. ‘us’ (App. § 9).

[9] but — again, +der uns aber auch+.

[10] +Prüfung.+

[11] ‘to leave a person alone’, here +einen imstich lassen+.

[12] +und wir unsern Kampf, so gut wir können, allein auszufechten haben.+

[13] all.

[14] +um ihn nur nicht zu verlieren.+

[15] has.

[16] to bear a thing, +Geduld mit etwas haben+.

[17] +lieber+, which place before the last ‘all’.

[18] +zuverlässig.+

_Section 118._

THE BLESSEDNESS OF FRIENDSHIP.