The Rambles of an Idler 



human being and at the time not wishing to be 

 disturbed, and, saying so in plain words, turn 

 away, then it is rudeness, and pitilessly con- 

 demned. It is very inconvenient, to say the 

 least, and I prefer the owl's standard. My only 

 treasure is my time, but the world sees fit to 

 lay claim to it, it appears, and I must not de- 

 mur. At least, I will have so much candor as 

 to express my opinion. 



Such a view of the world into which we find 

 ourselves thrust without being consulted is not 

 of necessity inimicable to friendship. As all 

 work and no play is destructive to man's best 

 interests, so isolation from humanity or abso- 

 lute distrust of it would be fatal to any really 

 valuable outcome of a life. We need friends as 

 surely as we need food, but a true friend should 

 not be disturbed by candor. There should be 

 such understanding between congenial persons 

 that an honest expression of opinion will not 

 prove a shock to him who hears it. If there is 

 not this, then the friendship is certain to be one 

 of form, not fact, and, like many an apple in 

 my orchard, as I learn to my sorrow, hollow, if 

 not rotten, at the core. 



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