Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-01-04


God, our Father.
Is the Nason's brother, friend.
Masons while iie's day il passing
Noon succeeds lfe's morning gray
Ask for wisdom. grace surpassing,
Strength proportioned Tor HE sdAy
Time is passing,
Soon, ah, soon, We pass away
Time is neetIng days gliding,
Swift lite's sands uncea-ing run
While on this green earth abiding.
Ere shall sing iife's setting sun,
Let each Mason
Know that lie life q work has done
Mnsons, ere hfc's day 10 ended,
Ere the night Of ceath comes on,
Faith hope love, here sweety blended,
Wait us to our Father throne;
0od our Father,
Let ach Mason meekly own.
National Frcsmsson.
Tus Mssons Of Bunker Hill. ILL.,. have .
new hall, and are joyous thereat.
The cornerstone Of . New Masonic Hall
was laid 10 Richmond, Va. on the 10th. -
The Grand Lodge officers were present.
Masonry treats of our duty to the Gov
crnment and State in which We live, max
ing il obligatory to be faithful TO our coun
try, and to maintain its honor and dignity
at oil times and in oil places. &c. w. Nash.
NJ. w. G. n. Of g. L. Of Minnesota.
The influence of Masonry can only be sup
ported by an unaninou determination
amongst the brethren to preserve in their
private Lodges the utmost regularity and
decorum, and uniformity Of rites and cere-
monies. and, above all, . resolution to prac-
tice, in their several stations, those moral
duties which are SO strongly recommended,
and so beautifully display in the private
lectures Of the Lodge.
I,xEnivE.-"Thc sluggard will not pillow
by reason Of the cold therefore shall he beg
in harvest and have nothing. Solomon.
Masonry has her sluggsrds. The brother
who iales away his time. making no pro
vision for the future and not enough for the
present and makes this an excuse for neg
lecting his contributions TO the Grand Char
4 ity, until he is dropped from the rolls, shall
in the hatves, beg and receive nothing. We
have heard thousand excuses offered for
not paying dues. but never heard one that
was good or sufficient "lle that hath pity
upon tho poor leudeth to The Lord and
that which hc hath given viii He pay
again."
Masonic ScnisMs.--Masons ought always
to bear engraved in their hearts these noble
words, pronounced by the Count Alexandra
dc La horde. responding, in the year one
thou and eight hundred and twenty eight,
on behalf Of the visitors from the Grand
| Orient 10 the Supreme Council Of France
"Diilercncs may distinguish, but should not
| divide Masons; all disasnsions should DO
merged in the immutable principles of our
beautiful Institution in that equality that
causes rank 10 be forgotten in that love Of
human kind, which reminds US OF our du-
ties in thatreciprocsl good will that should
bind all men together y Trcwel.
Time, patience and earnest study are
required to gam correct knowledge Of
Masonry, and make ourselves capable OF
impaiting information obtained to others.
1t is not expected that We shall at once
step into the full light of truth, but that
the light will be gradually revealed rs we
move forward in oar Investigations We
can hardly suppose the freshly initiated
10 fully understand tho whole ritual OF
the Order, and be able to give all nfotma
ton needed BY uniniora.cd brethren-it re-
quires time and application to do this work,
aud do it wel. Step by step. rising from
the lowest to the highest degree, we come
after patient toll and close study to com
preheni tie noble principles and beautl
fu lessons Of our Order. The light re
cured, the knowledge gained and the pleas
ure derived from impsrting that light to
others. will abundantly reward US for our
toll and labor. The members as well as
officers Of the aLodge should make them
selves familiar with all the work of the dit
ferent degrees of Masonry. We some
times fear that our brethren become sat
istied with the reception Of the different de
grees ~ obtained at their imitation each
should make himself . bright Mason. ca
pabe Of travelling from South to West,
and from West to East.-The Keystons.
LADoR.-Labor 10 On important word 10
Freemasonry-wem must say the most i'm
portant. Il is for this sole reason that q
person must be made . Freemason oil
other reas ons are incidental and unimpor-
tant or unconnected with il. Labor is the
reason why meetings of the Lodge are
held, but do We every time receive . proof
OF activity and industry ? The work of an
operative Mason 10 visible, if even it be
very often very badly executed and he
Receives his reward if his building ia
thrown down by . storm in the next mo-
ment. He is convinced that he has been
active so must also the Brother Freemason
labor. His labor must be visible to him
self and TO his brethren, or al tho very
least. it must be conducive to his own in
ward satisfaction. AZ our building 10 nsi-
Their like . visible Temple OF Solomon. nor
the pyramids Of Egypt, 30 mist our indus
Try be proved in works which are impersh-
| able. When We vanish from the eve Of
nnprfala thar,
| to say" His labor WAS good. and he il
called TO his reward" But We must not
think that as Free and Accepted Nasons
We are bound TO labor in the Lodge only,
because the Lodge Of genuine Mason ex-
tends from the east to the west, from tn.
north 10 the s1u'h, from the centre Of the
earth unto the clouds
FREE MAsoNRY.-"Was Uncle Paul A
Mason Ike asked Of Mrs. Partington, as
he stood looking at the rigid profile Of the
ancient corporal Of the Bloody Lcyenth,
that hung on the wall.
'No, he was . veteran sargent. naturally.
though he took to gardening afterwards
and raised the most wonderful sonashes'
that took the first primmer at the Iiortcul
tural Fair"
II mean was he Free -mason?" contin.
ued Ike.
20 dear no. replied she. land I'm glad
OF IT. Tor they are great deal too free in
throwing their plasterin' round, which i.
very notifying, and takes the color out Of |
things so; and when they white washed
the kitchen, dlin't they make free with the |
baimy bud rum which they mis,ook for q
cordial, and wish to gracious i, had been |
q metic to have taught en- Lesson to be a
title lcsa free next time"
&C. But Free Masons," said Ike pctulsn,ly.
h,,;,. .Hasoas; I mean the fellows that
dear has, We e1cl.im.d. "th.my Well,
they did. and then a,ail s1oa many things
good many things they didn', .na - :,
tween EN- both don't he,i,v,. - ~ ~ -,
- great mysteryr' She whss,.,'', -
they did kill Morgan, the, on.h, ;, , a"u
dene It'll they agreed to. though ,,-e
bad thing for him. But never bcras
the story Of his scullirg up Niaesry Fan.
IN potash Aeitle with a crobar. which :.
prcpos'ercus and as for the or;d;ror