Weekly Trinity journal., 1866-05-05

tHcic III uihClcut "Bco, III csAh'h5
the worlds selfshness, have been those whose
hearts were swayed by their influence Age:
ago, when the Samaritan poured oil and wine
into the wounds, and minstered TO the necessi.
ties of him whom the Priest and Levite passed
by. they were exemplifed Before that, when
: Jonathan made his covenant with David, 10
guard the sweet singer of Israel whom be loVeo
with more than brothers affection, agains'
the anger, and hatred of Saul, they found ex'
nression. Still more remote, when Abraham in
the days of the Patriarchs said unto Lot, . Let
there pray thee be no strife between thee ana
me. for we are brethren" they had utterance.
Yet further back, when the fibres of the human
heart first thrilled with emotions of sympathy
for distress, Friendship and Love were called
into being. Aye, in the beginning, when the
heavens and earth were created, and the hand
of Deity placed the planets in their orbits, and
the morning stars sang together in glory, was
exhibited that harmony we aim to inculcate.
i "From harmony, from heavenly harmony,
This universal frame began
From harmony to harmony
| Through all the compass Of the notes it ran,
The diapason closing full in man.
| In the latter part of the last century, ana not
until then, have any definite history OF our
Order Beyond that time all is obscurity In
1888, Montgomery, invoking his poetic muse,
wrote the verses commencing
"Whcn Friendship, Love and Truth abound
| Among a band of brothers.,
for society of artzans and laborers of London
bearing our motto, and known as Lodge OF the
" Ancient and Honorable Order of Odd Fellows
Its members came not from the ranks OF NOBILITY
or wealth from the spacious halls and princely
mansions of st. James but from the hewers OF
wood and drawers of water-from the toiling
masses whose infancy was rocked in the cradles
of poverty, and whose manhood too often, alas
confronted the perils of starvation. Unceasing
labor was with them the daily routine of exist
ence Except when disease came, and the delir-
ium of fever had laid them low, or the hectic
glow of consumption marked the wan cheek, it
was toll on, toll ever. Then, when the loom
must needs be idle, and the ringing of the ham
mer and anvil hushed in Stiffness how appalling
was the spectacle to contemplate Want terri
BILE want beaten back only by the unremittlng
blows of the aborer's arm, crossed the threSh-
old and FASTENED the victim to that narrow home
where the weary are at rest. To the widowed
wife and fatherless children there were none to
whisper consolation. Bcrefs of hope, despair
paralyzed all effort, save perhaps to beg mis-
erabe pittance from the cold charities OF the
world or seek subsistence in the crowded
wards of the amshouse of the parish From
the habitations of the poor and lowly our re-
cruits were drawn, and amid such scenes as
these, alleviatng distress, ministerng to the
sick and burying the dead, to its honor be it
known. NAV be traced the earliest reliable record
of Odd Fellowship. Extending rapidly to other
cities among the poorer classes, the Lodges uni
ted under the name of the Union Order OF Odd
Fellows Although in the way OF assistance to
one another much was being done, yet it is prob
able that the couviviality of friendship, then the
chief recreation of the poor, was prominent If
not the leading object of their association. An
attempt was made to reform this in 1909, and to
make mutual relief and Charity its principal aim.
The agitation of this subject resulted in 1913 in
the foundation the proposed plan OF reform
of what is known as the Manchester Unity lnde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, from which soon
after there were established seven separate bran
ches having an independent existence, working
under different systems, but all springing from
the same origin, and all striving in the same
great field of benevolence and harity,-distinct
| as the bilows in their organization, but one as
the sea in the cause of Friendship, Love and
Truth.
In our own country it is believed that Lodges
were formed prior to the commencement OF the
present century On the 23d of December, 1906,
Shakespeare Lodge was instituted in New York.
Soon after several others were organized in that
city, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore. These
however were all formed by self institution, and
worked entirely independent of each other. The
present, and may say the only successful organ
ization of the Order in the United States. was
founded in the city of Baltimore, to work accor-
ding to the Union Order of England, April Goth,
1919, by Thomas Wildey, John Duncan, John
Welsh, John Cheatham and Richard Rushworth,
but within month Of its formation it was chang
ed to the Independent Order, receiving charter
dated February lst, 1920, from the Duke of York
Lodge, Preston, England, which belonged to the
branch known as the Manchester Unity. From
this small beginning, inauspicious indeed, forty
seven wears ago to-day the institution in Ameri-
ca had its beginning. With a zeal worthy of the
cause that little band, disregarding the frowns
and many discouragements of the world around
them and despairing not of the future, labored
manfuly, nobly in their undertaking.
with heart for any fate.
| Still achieving. still pursuing.
! Learned to labor and to wait
| Having thus considered the origin and early
! history, fabulous and authentic, of Odd Fellow
ship down to its introduction in this country, let
us now contemplate briefly its objects and teach
ings Manifold yet not conflicting, but accord
ant are the objects aud teachings of Odd Fellow
ship. As the branches of a river flowing through
different channels all unite in and swell the main
current which bears their tribute onward to the
sea- so do the various objects and teachings of
our Order all tend through the practice of Friend
ship, Love and Truth to the common aim of the
good and welfare of our race The experience
of many, and the observation of all. must have
convinced every rejecting mind of the unstable
nature oI WOrluly possessions, ana the uncertain
ty of health aud life. Mutabiity is stamped on
all things, and silently perhaps, yet resistlessly,
is working changes in all ranks and conditions.
Health, plenty, comfort ana ease may bless US in
the present. but who can say they will remain to
smile on and cheer us in the future The luxu-
rious Dives, clad in purple and fine linen to-day.
may become as Lazarus in his rags tomorrow.
Regarding all then as liable to the misfortunes
and reverses of the world, we make mutual re-
lief one of our prominent objects, and by COM
bining orr efforts and uniting our energies are
enabled to render assistance in the hour of need
to soften the evils aud meliorate the suferings
from which none can claim n charter of exemp-
ton. For this purpose we seek through sys-
tenn of practical benevolence to minister to the
sick, to relieve the distressed, to bury the deld
| to protect the widow and educate the orphan
We claim not through any Utopian scheme to
Danish all the ills of life, nor do the means al
our command enable US to relieve the vast mul
titude of the needy. Compared with the world
at large, our numbers are few and our resources
limited, yet it is something to know that it ii
rare indeed for an Odd Fellow to suffer without
being relieved. Is he prostrated by sickness
Brothers are ready to watch by his bed, and his
Lodge must award him weekly benefits, and 4
necessary provide means adequate to his sup
~