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Edgar Guest - Old Friends
Work rating: Low

I do not say new friends are not considerate and true, 
Or that their smiles ain`t genuine, but still I`m tellin` you 
That when a feller`s heart is crushed and achin` with the pain, 
And teardrops come a-splashin` down his cheeks like summer rain, 
Becoz his grief an` loneliness are more than he can bear, 
Somehow it`s only old friends, then, that really seem to care. 
The friends who`ve stuck through thick an` thin, who`ve known you, good an` bad, 
Your faults an` virtues, an` have seen the struggles you have had, 
When they come to you gentle-like an` take your hand an` say: 
"Cheer up! we`re with you still," it counts, for that`s the old friends` way. 

The new friends may be fond of you for what you are today; 
They`ve only known you rich, perhaps, an` only seen you gay; 
You can`t tell what`s attracted them; your station may appeal; 
Perhaps they smile on you because you`re doin` something real; 
But old friends who have seen you fail, an` also seen you win, 
Who`ve loved you either up or down, stuck to you, thick or thin, 
Who knew you as a budding youth, an` watched you start to climb, 
Through weal an` woe, still friends of yours an` constant all the time, 
When trouble comes an` things go wrong, I don`t care what you say, 
They are the friends you`ll turn to, for you want the old friends` way. 

The new friends may be richer, an` more stylish, too, but when 
Your heart is achin` an` you think your sun won`t shine again, 
It`s not the riches of new friends you want, it`s not their style, 
It`s not the airs of grandeur then, it`s just the old friend`s smile, 
The old hand that has helped before, stretched out once more to you, 
The old words ringin` in your ears, so sweet an`, Oh, so true! 
The tenderness of folks who know just what your sorrow means, 
These are the things on which, somehow, your spirit always leans. 
When grief is poundin` at your breast — the new friends disappear 
An` to the old ones tried an` true, you turn for aid an` cheer.
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