Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1867-05-11

moral nature is susceptible those
generous Offices which one felI)". being
is bound by lhe very laws Of his nature
10 exercise towards another Of ihe same
family. Ii teaches US that We have one
common origin, one common portion and
one common destiny. and IN our pllerIm'
age through lhis valley Of tears, are de-
pendant une)UpOn an0iher, and all upon
The same Almighty hand for every bies'
sing and comiou OF life. That the Prince
aud the beggaI-Ihe King on his throne,
and subject of his realm, are all but so
many links Of the same great cham OF
humanity, that if one suffers all should
suffer with him. This sacred lesson
taught rs by job, in the 3lst chapter oil
hat book from the lGlh 10 lhe 2Srh verse
inclusive, is also incuicsled upon every
member Of ihe Order IN his Lodge. VIZ
h, II have withheld he poor from heIr DE.
sire. or caused lhe eyes OF ihe widow 10
fail, ii | have eaieD my mOrsel myself a.
lone. and he aiheiless bath Dol eaten, II
| | have seen any perish Tor want ol cloth
/ ing. or any poor without covering, It bis
lnins have not blessed me. and il be were
! not aimed by The fleece Of my sheep. il
have made gold my hope. or have said
To the fine gold thnu arr my cOnhIence,
lhis were an lniqulty 10 be punished by
the Judge. for should have denied lhe
God that is above. Now the sun Of 'hls
good man's srgumenl seems 10 amount to
this That if oul Of The good 'hlngs
where with my almighty Beneiaclor hs'h
so sbuudanjly blessed NE. should refuse
10 communicate IN and provide for the
ldespiuIe, should be worthy Of the high
est punishment he Righteous Judge Of
aII should see fit to ipn.c, upon me.
This. admit. is very inperf'cl CT deb
milton of Odd Fellowship. lndeed after
al! We might say Of It's advantages 10 So
clciy in the bresenl state Of The world, We
would have To return, saying like The
Queen of Sneba alter vlsl'iug the court OF
Kiog Solomon One half had not been
! told.
The next thing in order ,hal claims ots
attention is The origin of ,he lnslitu'
,ion. Living as we do al so remote a pc.
nod from lis FIST lse and al so remote q
distance from he theatre OF lis fret ope.
rauOns. our information most necessarily
De imperfect. The prinriples upon whirb
the Order is founded are ss old as time
ITSELF although as ii now exists. il had us
Ioigjn in England. good mahy years
al. hat
singular, which perhaps gave Use 10 ibe
name of lhe Institution. 1t has grown
10 lis present gigantic proportions both N
the old and new world rather from for
lnnale concurrence of events than from
any design upon the part Of HE first loun'
fers of he Order. A few young men OF
res peciability, talent and leisure, had been
for some time in The habit OF spending
lheir evening hours together for amuse-
meni. we Learn, rather Than for profit.
The idea at length suggested itself o!
! forming themselves into society or or
der To which hey gave ME name OF Odd
Fellows. This society soon attracted ihe
attention Of others and his increase be.
came very rapid. A fund by shJ by was
created leoD the different regulations Of
lLe Order, which they concluded 10 De
vUle lO.lhe comi0:l Of each oiheI's faml-
| lies " hen in .flliclion and TO benevolent
and charitable purposes, so that in short
time il became one of the most useful so.
clsties Of the times. For long time,
however, lbe Order was confined 10 Eu-
rope alone, and il is only in 1918 we find
any authentic account OF IL IN This cOun.
Try. The frs. lodge il appears was es.
Isblished in Baltimore on The 26;h day Of
| April, 1910, under charter from Eng
land, and called by the brethren Wash
ingtoD Lodge, No. |, and consisted only
of four members, probably unknown TO
each otler, and perhaps from different
countries and Of different nslionslies, yet
assured by free interchange OF those ST.
leDi but convincing proofs which are well
understood by every true Odd Fellow oi
whatever land or tongue he may be. Lit
lie did they dream on that memorable
evening that they were laying The lounda
ion for an institution that 81 no very re-
mole period would send abroad through.
oul the length and breadth Of this land,
the mos he sllhlul and blessed influences.
Little did they lbiok lhal;hey were opening
up as in The desert fountain whose pc.
rennial streams would refresh, cheer and
bless. The remo,est portions of this great
Republic. This scheme may at first
seem somewhat ulopisn. but from the
success which has crowned The efforts aud
the numberless blessings which have fol.
lowed in the footsteps of the Order we
are taught mot TO despise Tie day Of
small things" An institution which