DEAR ABBY: On Dec. 25, you printed an unattributed piece titled "Friendship" that was sent to you by a reader in St. Petersburg, Fla.
I thought you would like to know those words were written by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik in 1866, in a book titled, "A Life for a Life" (p.169). Here is the original in its entirety:
"But oh! the blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearless on any subject; with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely. Oh, the comfort -- the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person -- having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away." -- ROSALIE MAGGIO, ST. PAUL, MINN.
DEAR ROSALIE: Thank you for the reliable input. Several readers mistakenly informed me that it had been written by T.S. Eliot. However, Warren Seid, my trusty secret weapon at the Hollywood Library, has confirmed that you are correct.