Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-05-07

ed itself upon the continent of Aus
tralia, found its way to the islands o.
the Pacific, and is now firmly en-.
throned in the grandest and most en-.
lightend empire in continental Europe
And i IS there, not in defiance of i'm
periaI authority, not hiding itsel
from the light Of day with the bar
of outlawry upon il, but with the
endorsement of the Emperor William
upon it, and already largely o recip.
lent OF popular favor and regard or
the part of the German people. What
is this, with the strange name, that
has spread itself SO widely, and sc
challenged the confidence and res.
pect not only of the American PEG.
pie, but of the people OF Europe and
of the islands of the sea? How did
it originate, and by what means has
it attained to its present command
ing rank and measure of power
What is known as American Odd
Fellowship-and it is respecting this
that our inquiries have been made
was born in an upper room in q tav.
ern in the city of Baltimore fifty
five years ago. 1t is therefore oil
humble birth-so far as its immedi-
ate parentage was concerned, it was
the child Of poverty. And it does
not seem to have been at the first q
very promising child-well-formed
and we'll featured enough, perhaps
but lacking a sturdy vitality, and
having some faint OF original sin in
It's blood. At any rate it attracted
little or no notice. The event of its
birth was known only to few COM
mon people, and if it was spoken Of
in tho ears of the great world at all,
it was Immediately forgotten as not
worth remembering. And when,
after a long period of creeping, it
began to walk, and came out of doors
from it's nursery in that upper room
OF tavern for air and sunshine, if
any looked upon it. it was with q
sort of pity or else contempt. There
was nothing to mark it save as the
child of poverty and perhaps of
shame. 1t would have been very
different had it beer of aristocractic
birth had it first seen the light in a
rich mans house, ard there had been
a throng of fashionable attendants,
and it had been announced in the
streets of cities and in lordly dwell
lings that an heir to proud
name and large estates had been
born. In such case it would have
attracted a sort of homage, and in
infancy and childhood and youth
fashionable incense would have per-
petuaIly burned before it.
You know how this is. 1t is COM
mon to suppose that greatness is of
birth, or of worldly rank, or Of wealth
or occupation. No doubt parentage,
it's kind and quality, has great deal
to do with the manhood Of q man, or
with what he will do and be. And
it is sad TO think of the mis-shapen
lives, full of bad tendencies, the faint
of original sin all through them, that
was born into the world in palaces as
we'll as in huts. TneD, again, it ID
pleasant to think OF the many that
are born in both high and low life
full of good and elevating tendencies.
1t is coming to be /. recognized fact
that something like predetermination
is congenital. Gifts" it is said,
"blossom from the blood. Some men
have their calling forecast in the
sockets of their eye balls, and the
bullying of their thumbs" Aptitudes,
powers, will are born with the man;
and so it is true the place he is to fill
is ia some measure determined before
be sees the light. II is no more true
of the past that he sis born, not made"
than it is of the farmer. Every man
cannot be a mechanic, any more
that every man can be a mu~
stefan and the faculty OF
laying the keel Of ship is as
divine as the faculty of creating a
poem or painting picture. SO it is,
10 very near sense, that every man
is born to the place ho fills, and is
fitted for some untransterablo work
in the grand economy. And it can.
NOT be doubted that there is a meas
ure of greatness in filing well our
severa! places. To be great, there
fore, does not mean to occupy high
official station, TO be prime minister,
or Secretary of State. and to be called
Honorable, ard your Excellency, or
something of that kind. Greatness
means something else. 1t is not a
high place that makes great, but a
low plsce-that is, low in worldly es-
timation. He who is faithful IN se,v.
ing, diligent in humble offices of love,
devoted to labor OF kindness among
poor and perisbing people, is great as
God counts greatness; and he is poor
and little and mean who is wrapped
up in selfshness, and has a cold and
hard heart, and stuck up ways, even
though he may have high worldly
rank and live in a palace.
Not only was Odd Fellowship ar
out of-the-way institution, humble
obscure, poor, so tar as lis birth, sur
roundings, estate and associations
were concerned, with only common
blacksmith little known beyond his
forge for its reputed father-not only
was it without friends among the
great and influential. without money
without worldly attractions of any
kind, or ought that secure popular
favor-but there was its strange name
that lay like burden upon it, and
that had something ominous in it tt
great many people. 1t has come
to be very proud name, name full
of blessed meaning. Then it was /
vulgar name, and smelt OF the taverr
and the bar room. No wonder, there
fore, that it was 81 very millston,
about the neck of the institution tha
bore it.
We will have it sometimes thai
there is every thing in a name. L
not only covers, or uncovers, q null
titude of sins, but converts base met