The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-05-17
PUBLISHED At rus REQUEST OF n. LODGES.

1907
PUBLISHED At THn R1oUEr OF SHa LODGES.
BRRTHREN AND FRIRNDs This day should be
to us-tO all who like us have met in the name Of
Odd FslOwShip-a glad and feStive time. Now,
We have put aside the cares, anxiettes aud buTdeuO
which daily press upon US, and meet under the in
huence Of the higher aud more worthy inteTests.
We now come 70 celebrate the great truthT which
eBnobls our nature, and are health giving and
life giving to the soul. We meet TO recall and
brighten those generous symPathies and genial
feelings, which give to human ife-ahke TO the
life Of the individual soul and the collective life Of
sOciety-grace and freshness and Joy.
And need enough there 10 that some days should
be thus eOnsecTatsd to such kindly and exalted
purposes.
Our earthly course 10 tFuthfully represented in
hgurative way BY an AllegOry, familiar because 90
truthful-an sllegoFy which 10 used in the Scrip
lures and which our Order has adopted and set
forth IN vivid manner. Man in this world, IL but
a sOiourneT and pilgrim, having no settled rest,
continuing city here. These he can find only in
the world TO come, and thither be 10 advancing
through the journey Of life. But this pilgrimage
il wesrisome and toilsome and he iS beSet with
difficulties. There are wide deserts, parched and
desolate, over which he must drag his weary steps.
Across HE course arise the dificut mountains ap-
bearing impossible, and which can be overcome
only by paInfui toll. Many false pAthS branch of
from the safe route, tempting him At times to wan
dering aud dangerous ways. Along the ROAD are
pitfas which only the most circumsPeet can avoid.
Sometimes he travels beneath black clouds, and
through the beating and dTenehing storm and
sometimes be fants under the Shadeless, witheTiug
glare Of the burning sun. His way 10 not one OF
peace for he 10 disturbed BY the clangOr Of strife
aud war, and through these hOstlIltles ne himself
may have to pass.
In such journey mOst JOY full would il be 70 come
upon place Of refreshment and Test--s retreat
utIrc the SheltsEinG grove throw arEtce1l shade
and makes cool the air within it-where fruits for
nourishment are upon the ttees, AID flowers Of
beauty and fragrance spring from the ground, and
tAe clear running streams ahD ihlKHy tS9v-
eler aud where spread the tents Of hospitality
In this calm and cheerful seclusion, the pilgrim
would find the needed refreshment, and he would
20 forth from il ON the remainder Of his journey
with augmented strength and Joy.
We verify the correctness Of this symbol by our
nwn experience. In the course Of life We find
much to weary and desOlAte the SPirit-Obstacles
are before us-the snares Of temptation around uS
we pass through dark adveTSitieS, and the glare
Of worldly prosperity still more dangerous TO the
souI-and from collisions and eOnhiets We cannot
hope To escape. Then how grattfu how necessa-
ry. 10 such daS a. this In its stiffness the
spirit rests and 10 refreshed. IL il fed and noun
ished by Truth eheered by the fragrant beauty OF
Charity, and revived BY the pure draughts Of
Friendship
Its then, an actual, pressing want Of the soul
that this festival meets not all unreal and merely
fancied sentiment. These here assembled are men
active, matured business men, who can well dts
uish between the practical and the fictitious.
They are CalifOTnians-snd that name imphes that
they bsSE Iosde ibs aepii'ipia"fr~s'RW - -
TIxnySAlnal TLey know lite many experiences and
trials.
What definitely is it which We celebrate to-day |!
What 10 the meaning-the natuTe-the philosophy
Of Odd Fellowship! Its method 10 nrst TO adopt
certain pr pies and sentiments essential 10 hu
man we'll being, which are AxfOms amongst right
hearted men IN all nations aud ages Of the world.
Aud much more than thiB-they being not ~ this
world only, but enduring ~ the living soulS In
VII: fhaw nd Eternal
whom they proceed. Truth 10 one Of these. 1t
msAnS all The Divine laws and appointmen!S-au
which Infinite Wisdom has commanded and crea
ted. While this Divine will 10 Snthron. IN the
soul 40 the do,nln mating power. the darkness Of ig
nurancs aAd evil 10 dIspeTrSd by heavenly light,
aud Ly its pure service our nature lS emanelPated
from the degrading slavery to Elm. Truth WITH Its
resulting light and liberty Is one OF our foundation
principles. AIOLf er one 10 LOCe or ChtIrity. This
10 the unSe. fish and sympathetic emotion which
vitAlIIrs the soul, breaks down narrowness aud
hardness Of heart, aud produces the kindly deeds
of beneV Olence. FiieHdShip 10 our third pTlncl-
pie. II embOdieS aud applies the other Two, being
IN itS nature tTuthfun, SIeadfast love. Worldly
friendship manifest itself only IN prosperous days,
when the social Offices can be refrigerated. But
that which We teach, aud strive To practice, 10
strong in the time of affection and helpless
aud more than this, after the frIend's departure
Lsnce, it extends its thoughtful care 10 his be-
rtANed hOme
ODD Fellow ship takes these essential principles
and e expresses them in fitting SymbOlieal forms,
That they may be more thoroughly liked On the
mind. uur forms are sufficient to teach them In =
beautiful and Impressive way, and a. the same time
are not tOo cumbersome OF Over-elabOrate. CeTe-
iunIes are Of value, not because they are obscure
or mysterious, but because they clearly represent
vital truth.
In order that these princIp Piles may not be passing
and ineffective, they are made To work through
pc rmaneut organized fraLeT Ity-a widespread
nhatiOn. Aud through their power tie Institution
Of Odd Fellow ship las obtained an established
l. ..sal. fRaAw uHk
Of the effective charitable agencies in our land.
The happy influence Of these Iurs teachings 10
not flInit 6y the lodge room or the formal work
Of the Order. II spreads beyond these into the va
rIuus sphe. es Of life What u shs great object Of
true rrllEIun II to recall us from the subsection
Of souI TO seu,e-from resting our existence aud
happiness Lhings outward and peTlshAble-from
seInshnesS-frOIn indifference to the wants Of 9TH
eTs especially the suffering. IL il 10 continually
REM nd US Of the All seeing God above us-Oi the
Orothe rhOod Of mankind around US, and VI our du-
ties to each. From the inItlatOry to the hnal de
gree, these are wildly taught Gy wOI0s and gym
bUls. Thus We are aided III the religious hIe Oy the
lessons Uf our ritual.
What makes the real strength Of the civil com
munity-the stale: Not the material objects, ~
much dwen upon BY public OratOrS-the snow
crow ned mountaInS-the hill slopes, fruitful with
VINEYARDS and Orehards-lhe fertile valleyS-the
gold producing earth-the spacious aud beautiful
Iay-the broad OCEAN Of the Norld-the sunny eli
naIe-the Kenia Imosp heTe which battles our
land. But the glOr. and strength Of any people 10
III sOuls-sOuls developed aud exalted by tue wis
dom of TTuth-humAnIEed by the inspiration Of
Charity, and bound n one enduring union by the
10y atty Of SeadfAs .iIendShlp. Patriotism, the
prIncIp OF nA'loi, IL cultivated oy the action
of thls gUsd spirit.
n ere Is one other here in life wherein Friend
ship, Love and Truth act with peculiar power, Tar
superior to even the kOya Purple degree. allude
to II with much hrsItatUn, for an unSe
philosophical, middle aged, anI--thCugh this 10
not said BY way Of bOxstInE Or example, bachelor
I must say, though II Seeuls rather ungTAelOus,
that will not endorse all the Ver-lnell0W things
written in rhym. and prose ON this SUBJECT OF all
the over tender things whispered IN the many mu-
LuAl admiration societies Of two persons each,
which meet under the influence Of this sentiment.
bet, in my abStruSe and speculative way, have
thrurized thus: Man Is Intended tn embody the
idea OF power. nobleneSs, heTUIsm; to be mighty
worker, subduing the maternal world to his own
use, and carrying forward the public and business
activity Of tue human world. But another idea 10
essential to peFfeetOI-that of beauty, grace, ten
derness-Of sweetness and Refinement. In the
union Of these two ideas, the happiness and deSt-
ny Of our race is accomplished. Accordingly, there
is in Beauty wOndrOus magnetic PUwers whereby
It enchants Siren tn, and causes = renovation OF
the soul and 4 revolution In the life. But do not
dwell ON this theme, for he best possible reason
that you all undoubtedly much better &C
quainted with it practically than am. Most per
sons get to understand it very naturally, and very
soon, without having to go through the tedious and
dry abstTactiOns Of the less favored philosophers.
Brethren and EJiendS: In concluding repeat
the opening thought, that this should lie joyous
festival day. Yet IL should net be thOughtless or
a thaukless one. Let US in self recollection OF
mind think Of the precious truths and wholesome
spirit which Odd Fellowship is appointed to spread
throughout the world, aud go forth from the social
JOY Of this annIyersary, cheered and hallU"ed IN
$3.50, .nSlPlIcF v1a6Ae6 IL perform an acceptable
service to our ll-gracious Heavenly Father, aud
to labor for the welfare Of the brotherhood Of Man.
DIFFERENT SPECIES. No man knows, or
ever will know, the exact number Of kinds
of living creatures in the whole world.
Leaving out the anmalcule, which are
beyond counting, naturaiists compute the
number Of species at about $4,000. Six
Thousand varieties of stuffed birds are
said 10 be in the Berlin Museum, and