The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-11-29

romantic banks OF tho "lhghlNdS, and
claspcd the lovely form Of his beautiful
girl wife 10 his proud, warm breast, breath
ing in low, gentle tones, those fond mur.
murings OF love that lloated away in har.
mopy. Then came from his dying lips the
beautiful words of the Psalmst, 4" ! am the
resurrection and the lite, saith tho Lord
Yea, though walk through the valley aud
shadow Of death, | fear no evil"
Pauline, darling, did you put out the
gas tits 50 dark My poor, dear wife,
Pauline " and the echo of that fond name
was waited beyond the dark river" whose
silent banks the dying man had inst crossed.
The angel of death had bcckoned his soul
10 that for.oG cline, wherc he may enter
the Grand Lodge" the holy of holics, and
the great Eternal,
Rapidly the news spread Of the strangers s
death, and his desire to have Masonic
funeral, which would bo the first that had
ever been celebrated in the little hamlet.
The little church was filed to suilocaton,
and as the solemn procession entered,
robed in their spotless white badges, en-
blematic of the pure Order to which they
belonged, decorated with tho beautiful
sprigs of living green, bearing the romains
OF the stranger brother, a feeling of awe
crept over me. After the beautiful aud
impressive service for tho bmih of tie
dead had been read, and brief retrospect
of The mounGul occasion which had
brought them together, the coiliE, which
was strewn with tho early spring tlowers,
was horne away to its final rcstng,plaCo
There was not ono dry eye in the house,
Every pulse throbbed with grief, for that
poor .bereaved wife and those tender in.
! Iants. Oh how my heart went out to that
| little baud, for her, as with slow funereal
| tread they bore her husband to the tomb.
| The baud played soft, sweet funeral
| dirge, aud as the notes loated on the calm
pure air, bearing the sad tidings, me,houghi
| could hear the sorrowing wall of anguish
from the broken heart of that poor wife
! and the cry of agony from the lips of that
| loved sister The forest trees in their
! fresh robe Of green, waved their thick
branches to aud fro, as if bowiug in silent
grief at the mournlul procession, as it en-
tered the newly. made cemetery, and placed
the bier beside the fresh.dug grave.
Then came the sacred and holy words
from tho Chaplain, breathing OF faith, hope
and charity, the Tiiune three--rollmg the
stone from the sepulchre- presenting the
dead one arisen, annoiuted, renovated and
purified" Beautiful faith, the glorious ef.
fugcnce that can never die Then followed
such prayer as never before heard. IT
was not prayer, but the cry of a naked
soul for the bread and water of Heavenly
life. That God would pour his precious
balm upon the afflicted wife, comforting
her in this her cruel bereavement. Those
strong proud men bowed their heads and
wept. The eloquent sympathy manifested
by the clergyman, passed with mesncric
influence to every heart within the com
pass OF his voice.
Then, then the ancient order of Masonry
arose before me in all its solemn, silent
grandeur IN profound aud classic illus.
tratious, its noble and maguauinous code
of laws are grandcr and more lasting than
those of tho Roman Senate, which have
been, for ages, tho standard of the world.
An order that is inapproachabe, but in
its silent mysteries muves an army OF
minstering angels" whispering hope to
the de.pairiug, consolation to the sorrow
ing, aud redemption to the last--wakng
/ to tile soul of the poor widow song, thrill
ing with almost seraphic JOY, whose music
will chime through her heart forever. When
she feels the sombre shades of DEATHS
shadow creeping over her threshold, TO
steal from her fond embrace all that ren.
ders life charm, all, all that makes sunny
spot to her in tho vide, wide world, then
comes this angelic band OF brothers, pour.
ing into her broken heart those sweet
words of comfort. that can only be felt or
expressed by a Masonic brother. They
push away, with their gentle hands, all the
thorns that intercept her pathway. They
think for her, they act for her. They are
Father, Mother, Sister and Brother.
Oh the talsmanic power Of kind words
uttered by sympathetic friends in the un.
mistakable tones of disinterested friend
ship. 1t helps the poor, lone wife TO push
her weary way through all The realms of
Thought, to the House of God, Beautiful in
Poetry, and to breathe in softest numbers
those delightfu! dreams of peace the mystic
brotherhood teach by their noble, gener.
GUS and sterling virtues.
None may ever know the deep venera'
ton and almost holy awe we entertain for
that august aud truly wonderful organi2a-
ton, which traces its hon 0red and ancient
lineage to the grand temple Of Solomon,
being a crystulizatiou OF worship.
They point her weary heart to that beau.
tiful land dressed in living green, and the
hosts of the redeemed walking therein. In
sickness, poverty and death, they throw a
mantle of sympathy and love around her,
shielding her lone heart from those grim
monsters, want and woe, aud opening to
her woInau's vision, an exalted, noble and
generous view of life, by sitting the cry of
anguish that is wrnng from her lacerated
heart bidding her hold sweet communion
with her "sainted dead" Her children
are their especial care, TO counsel, advise
and belriend.
And thus the stranger btother was put
away to sleep far from the beautiful home
he loved so well. No gilded funeral car,
with richly caparsoned horses, bowing
their plumed heads, or a long line of ele-
giant carriages, filled with monrners, fol.
lowed his re0alns to thor last resting
place, but little devoted band OF Ma
sons" whose warm hearts poured precious
!ibation upon the liar" of their sacred
principles, more precious more acceptable.
because unknown. He fell among them
a stranger and they TOOK him in naked. and
they clothed him with the bread of Heaven"
A beautiful and touching letter was re.
ceived in due time, from the poor wife,
iraught with so refined expressions of woe
that angels might weep with her in her
great alfliction But blessing, forever
blessing TO noble souls who cared for her
poor husband, aud followed him TO the
silent toni"
Who can look upon them but as divine
Order impl4nting those true prlneples OF
Christian charity ia the hearts OF ALT
To krow one as worthy brother, en-
dears him to all. He may command their
time their nurse, ave their life almost