Nothing is there more friendly to a man than a friend in need.

A friend who turns up when things are difficult is worth more than a large circle in easy times. Difficulty is the only place where the difference between company and friendship becomes visible, and most people learn who their friends are only when they need them. It is a hard test that nobody arranges deliberately.

When you hear that someone is having a rough time, go, rather than offering to be called. Bring something practical and stay a short while. Being the person who turned up is remembered for decades and costs you an evening.