The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-11-08
USES OF OUR RITUAL.

~ oliSl pun poses, especially business.
There are just such objections to music,
singing, literary exercises and recreations
OF every nature and kind. But our Order
was intended for all kinds of people, Of
every age and sex, and of tastes and incli-
nations; and, as in nature, all these differ
ences are required to constitute full, we'll
rounded harmony-"All natures differen-
ces make all natures peace" 1t were as
reasonable for the gay and lively to de-
mand that the whole time of our sessions
should be devoted to dance, and song, and
plays, as that the money-seeking should
ask every minute to be given to business
only.
The main reasons for devising and urg-
ing the use of ritual in the Grange may
be classed under few heads. If as po-
etc, philosophical moral and religious in its
teachings as it should Inappropriate in
explaining the great principles and objects
of each degree and of the Order land made
interesting and impressive by we'll chosen
symbols, emblems and dramatic and scenic
representations then it cannot fail, in nine
cases out of ten to answer to these reasons
ProOfde9, always that it is properly deliv-
cred on each occasion.
I. Our members selected from persons
of secluded lives, even more than city and
town residents, need ritual to train them
to look, speak Cor recite) and act in unison
and concerto overcome the individual
ity and diverse modes of speaking and
acting caused by the separations Of coun-
try life. This unity is a small matter, as
aH6eSInHiR9S are; but it is beginning
2. To effect a complete unity of action
we need order. The call to order, follow
ed by systematic yet instructive and inn
pressive opening Cor closing) of the
Grange, secures attention, wins obedience
and concentrates all thought and action
(for the time being) on the objects of our
meeting, mutually of our duties and obi
cations, and the separate work of each of
ticer and member in securing the great
ends and aims of our organization.
1t is a continued regret that the Ma
tional Grange has not introduced the Re-
vised Ritual, prepared with so much care,
adopted at Charleston, S. c., in 1879, and
tzVice ordered printed, as soon as the old
ritual was exhausted. The Revised Rit-
ual has special opening and closing GER
emOnial.
3. The doctrines and precepts of the Or
der, embodied in the ritual, cannot be too
often impressed on the heart and mind of
every member-like the daily food of the
body, or the daily study of Holy Writ, or
the morning and evening prayer,it cannot
be too constantly thought of and resolved
on to be bracticed. If every officer and
member could recite the ritual entire, "by
heart, yet would each recitation,i in prop
er manner, be salutary to the reciter and to
all who heard it. And how much Hfe-Ake
and earnest would be each opening and
closing, each initiation, and the comforting
of each degree! He who objects to a rit
ual has not considered the more than phil
osophy of a proper teaching of child
hoods prayer:
Nov l lay me down to Sleep" which
causes it to be the daily prayer of mature
manhood and womanhood, and the last
evening petition of old age John Quincy
Adams, in all his life, closed all other
prayers of his bed time with this prayer,
taught him by his mother in his infancy
And he is one among the hundreds of
thousands who lisp (and lisp it nightly,
with the tremulous lips of old age! So,
if rightly and properly recited, our ritual
cannot be too often on all proper occasions.
4. Its use at each meeting, recited as it
should be, and by all required to recite it,
and in the presence of all, as a mere read
ing lcSSOu anu IGClldl1Ol, w III JUSTLY IL dS
'drill'' or training" of all the members
in elocution, and to accustom them to free
and easy yet correct and impressive speak
ing and reading "before company" There
are not many good readers-by which |
do not mean oratorioal or grand readers
but those who, in a plain, common sense
way, can bring out the meaning and the
feeling of the author and make the nearer
1 i i i,
cital of the ritual, meeting after meeting,
must improve him who thus tries to bring
out its full sense and feeling; and the of
tener he thus tries to read it the better will
he understand it and make others under
stand it. 1t would be an insult to the va
riest dullard to say that he could earnestly
listen to the ritual thus recited, and recited
SO often, and not better understand it and
nor learn something by its frequent reel
tai to improve his own reading of it.
:. Passing other reasons, for brevity-
as moral and spiritual food to mind, heart
| and soul, it requires to be taken, digested
and assimilated by frequent and thought
full reciting or hearing. Talk of ''monoto-
ny" "sameness" Is it more so that daily
meditation and prayer-daily work and
recreation-our daily food and drink for
the body? When need is felt we never cry
out against these latter; and so it is not
Frequency" ofritual (once week, or fort
night or monthly that makes it dull and
uninteresting, but want of heart or OF
mind to get its fulluess of meaning, and tc
grow stronger and better in soul thereby
like the preocupied stomach, though only
filled with husks, loathing Gan honey
comb Butte the hungry and thirsty how
sweet even dry crust-how refreshing
the cup of cold water! Of course bung
ling and stammering reader, or gallop
ing one, rushing all sense out of the
words, makes hearing unpleasant OF ever
divinest wisdom and sweetest poetry.
mean no disrespect to any who hear sucl
unpleased; but lay not the blame of mon
otony on the ritual.