like and to trust and to use, and who themselves were
not in any way remarkably attractive except for hav-
ing a notable capacity to love. Undoubtedly there are
folks whom one loves as one does some quite useless
pleasant dog. From all of which it may be clear that
I had many friends. Some of them were always in-
teresting, and this is rare — although I may as well
confess here that more people have interest for me
than is the case with educated men in general. Even
those who are generally looked upqn as commonplace
often find a warm corner at the hearth-side of my
heart. When friends die or drift away, I Kke to fill
their places, and hope when hfe ends to find the ranks
as full as in the mid-flow of existence. Mrs. Vincent
says that I collect friends as a naturalist does flowers.
