The Gemstone
Emerson writes that, like the way one admires a gemstone, a friend must remain at a distance in order to be fully appreciate. A friend must always be independent, must stand “for the whole world”…
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Leaves
Emerson compares the way a friend may come and go to the seasonal lifecycle of leaves. The soul “puts forth” friends—that is, forms friendships with people whom one encounters—organically, just as a tree naturally produces…
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