That genius for friendship of which Lord Morley once spoke, extended far
beyond the ordinary limits of friendship. Mr. Chamberlain not only never
forgot a friend, but never forgot any loyal or honest helper, and, what
from the helper's point of view is equally important, never forgot also
that it is not enough merely to remember the helper. You must try to
help him in return.
This unwillingness to forget support, this instinct towards repayment of
loyal service, was no piece of cynical calculation, no acting on the
maxim that the way to get men to serve you well and support you is to
make it clear to them that you always pay your debts with full interest.
That Mr. Chamberlain was proud of the fact that no man could call him
ungrateful I do not doubt; but I am sure also that his action was due to
the impulse of a generous nature and to no sordid calculation.
He was a natural chieftain. He expected obedience and loyalty in the men
who enlisted under his banner, but he felt in every corner of his being
that it was the duty of the chieftain to succour, to help, and to
advance those who stood by him. No labour and no self-sacrifice was too
great to help a member of the clan he had constituted, and it was given
quite as readily to the man who was never likely to be able to help
again as to him from whom future favours might be expected.
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