San Andreas independent., 1857-01-03

tions and practically demonstrates and car.
ries out many important duties that are
appertaining to, but partially or wholly
neglected by many religionists. The great
Apostle teaches us, and particularly the
Christian Church, that pure and undefled
religion before God the Father is this
visiting the widow and the fatherless, and
keeping ourselves unspotted from the
world This very important requirement.
is many times partially or wholly neglected
by persons protesting the Christianity Of
the meek and lowly Jesus-whose great
mission on earth, was to do suffering hu-
manity good. l sometimes tremble for
the Church of God while [ have minis.
tered at her affairs. I see men and women
rolling in afluence, robing themselves in
the gaudy attire of palaces, handling as a
thing of naught their thousands upon thou
sands,-they hear not, they heed not the
wall of wretchedness, they recognize not
the pensive cry of suffering humanity COM
ing up from every side,-they have no
heart to feel for, nor hand to give, nor
tears to shed-and when solicited, ask
with stole Indifference, q Am [ my broth
ers keeper?" Oh how the sin of cov-
etuousness and selfshness exist even in
the Church of God, hedging up the way
of many who to-day would be active mem
bers in all Christian duty and practice.
Love thy neighbor as thyself," or in
other words, do unto thy neighbors as you
would desire your neighbors to do unto thee,
provided they were placed under similar
circumstances. This the Church has theo-
retically taught, but to her shame is prac-
tically deficient. And thus while the
Priest and the Levite have passed along on
either side of suffering humanity, only to
look and somewhat pity the unfortunate,
Odd Fellowship likean Angel of mercy,
like good Samaritan indeed, has ap-
preached the suffering victim-bound up
misfortune's bleeding, wounds poured the
oil of consolation into the deeply afflicted
heart,-wiped from the eye red with weep
ing oppression's scalding tears-and by
these and similar acts of mercy-have
demonstrated to the world of mankind and
pharisaical hypocrite in particular, that
one of the peculiar oddities, of Odd Eel
lowship, is practical demonstration of that
Commandment, Glove ye one another. .
Odd Fellowship is an ASYLUM for the
worthy friendless. Here we meet as one
great united brotherhood, religious differ
ences-political proclivities, and petty
strifes, never come. Within the retreat of
Odd Fellowship, we meet for mutual la
bors-for mutual benefit, ft,-up from their
different fields of benevolence the laborers
come together to report progress, and ar
range their future plans of operation.-
No selfish spirit is seen to tremble on the
lip OF any one as he proceeds to perform
the labor devolving upon him.
Far away from home-widely separated
from the scenes and associations of early
youth, leaving loved ones behind him.
the young man, tenderly beloved, stands
alone on CALIFORNIA; sea-girt shore, hay
ing no special circle Of friends to advise
him, only to deceive him,-he feels acute
ly the need of sympathy, and COUNSEL =
his empty purse soon demonstrates the
poverty OF his circumstances, while sick
ness at the same time is struggling with a
faltering heart for the ascendency.
Oh how wishfully he thinks of home
and friends, no fathers true heart and
strong arm are near him. No sisters smile
and soothing voice to comfort and cheer
him. No kind mother upon whose warm
bosom he may lay his aching head, and
have imprinted upon his heated cheek
the kiss of paternal affection. Oh no. no.
sorrowfully, lonely, he lays
himself. down on his lowly couch to die
Poor, poor child of misfortune, how cold
and cheerless is the bleak world around
thee; oh he dies,-a small cortege bears
him to the narrow house-no monument
or craven epitaph marks his grave, and
should ever friends seek him, his resting
place is no where to be found.
Such a melancholy circumstance could
never occur with worthy brother of our
beloved Order, and while the world with
out, in the hour of adversely and trial, is
cold and cherries as the tomb, here
here within this retreat are men of warm
hearts, ready hands, willing to 90 in an
instant through rain and storm, prosperi-
ty and adversely, to do the needy brother
good.
The world, brethren, has WITH Jed many
cases of human wrong and human suffer
ing But, bretheren, the world has never
seen nor will it ever see the day, when our
worthy sick will be neglected It will
never see the wife of a worthy brother toll
ing for nought, or hisorphan children beg
sing bread. The world, brethren. never
saw Odd Fellowship leaning Ger the
threshold Of affliction, parleying, as to
whether shifting would not subserye all
the purposes Of a sovereign. No, breth-
ren, but throwing around her the mantle
OF mercy-her great heart palpitating with
pulsatlons OF true benevolenee, she stands
H.