Joseph and His Friend: A Story of Pennsylvania
Joseph and His Friend: A Story of Pennsylvania is an 1870 novel by American author Bayard Taylor, a prolific writer in many genres. It presented a special attachment between two men and discussed the nature and significance of such a relationship, romantic but not sexual. Critics are divided in interpreting Taylor's novel as a political argument for homosexual relationships or an idealization of male spirituality. Plot The title page carries a quote from Shakespeare's sonnets, Number 144, "Two loves I have of comfort and despair":The better angel is a man right fair; The worser spirit a woman colour'd ill.Joseph Aster is a wealthy young farmer in his twenties, with little experience of the world outside of his rural Pennsylvania community. He meets Julia Blessing, a woman from the city, at a gathering for the young people of his community. Joseph quickly becomes interested in Julia, who seems to reciprocate his feelings. They are engaged within a few months. While returning from a visit to Julia’s family in the city, Joseph is involved in a train crash. He is cared for by a fellow passenger, Philip Held, who is moving to the countryside to oversee a forge. Philip is worldlier than