Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-01-19

are closed in death. The love of
brothers aud sisters is sweet in
the otherwise lonely hours of
childhood. Love for our fellow
creatures should be a prominent
feature of cur lives. 1t should be
seen in our every Cay actions
We should love our parents, broth
ers aud sisters, our companions,
our country and our God.
"Love is the second link which binds
| Hearts joined by friendship frmer still
Who once has felt it in it finds
Joys which his soul with pleasure fills,
Let Us also write truth In fam
ing characters on our. banner of
life. 1t is the foundation of every
good and noble principle that wells
up in our hearts. The fashions
of the world are changeable and
continually changing. The en-
pires of the world arise in grand
eur and sublimity, blaze out in
the zenith of their glory with a
brilliancy that lights up the whole
world, then falls away into decay
and oblivion as utterly as if never
having existed. But Truth alone
remains unchanging. 1t is said
that Truth proclaims its own di-
vine origin" God is its author.
When the Architect of the uni
verse laid the foundations of the
earth, gave the sea It's bounds, and
marshaled the stars in their pres
ent harmonious order, Truth
was there, aud it shed lustre on
all above and beneath. 1t was
given as companion to man. and
the wonderful bequest called forth
a shout of joy from the sons OF
God. The ruins of BaIbec, Pal
myra, Aliens, the cilies of Central
America, and the innumerable
wrecks which linger cn the shores
of time, attest the heeting career
.of human grandeur, and the per
iShabie nature of all things earthly;
but Truth is as understandable as
the pillars of heaven" "Truth
crushed to earth will rise again ;;
The eternal years of God are hers.
But error wounded writhes III pain,
And dies among her. worshippers
Then let as write Truth In our
hearts, and never once in life let
US deviate hairs breadth to the
right or the left. Then what no
bic words are these which | have
chosen for my theme Friend.
ship, Love and Truth. And how
we'll worthy to be the motto Of the
noble band of men, the Odd Fel-
lows, who have chosen it as such.
The OddeFellows are an organized
band of men whose object is to
"visit the sick, relieve the dis
tressed, bury the dead and educate
the orphan" And this command
does not fall like words of hollow
mockery upon their hearts. Faith
fully and to the letter is every
behest of this noble command
obeyed The Odd Fellows are
found at the bedside of the sick.
The last few moments OF life are
soothed by their kindly words of
sympathy and love. Aud when
the fire of life burns low, and is ex-
tinguished, it is they who are there
to follow him to his last narrow
home, and perform the last service
of love to the departed. And af
ter the last solemn ritual is over,
when the last sod has fallen on
his coffin, they leave him then and
there with his God, where alf1urust'
shortly be. IT'S they who return
to bis desolated hearth-stone and
''shed the light of sympathy and
earthly hope upon the night Of a
widows woe, whose idol is shat
tered aud dead"
And 'us they who gather to-
gether the ''lambs OF the flock
the lonely'orphans Of the deceased,
and nourish them. Their educa-
ton is provided for, and they are
made true members OF society
Then thrice bletsed are these hO-'
ly men Angels are rejoiced that
fallen man may SO far redeem HIM
self by deeds 80 noble as these
| My own father, long since dead,
! was proud to be member OF this
no lie Order. And well may we,
his lonely orphans, attest the truth
of their noble deeds of charity.
/ For It's to the Odd Fellows we are
blessed with the means of obtaia-
ing an education IT'S they who
have sent US to school the six-long
years since our fathers death, aud
they who are still doing so.' My
i lips cannot find words TO express
the deep thoughts of my heart.
But in my heart there is a graf
iuude for them that will only cease
when. Death shall close my eyes
,.in that.eiernal sleen. La behalf