Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-01-02

Through the temptations of The
Prince of Darkness sin entered
into the world, and by sin came
death. Thus it is, my Brothers
we are convened tonight in {
Lodge Of Sorrow to mourn the
loss of departed brother, the
strong man has bowed, the gold.
en- cord OF life has broken, death
remorseless death, has entered the
sacred portals Of our Lodge
high twelve has been STRUCK
in eternity and our brother has
been called from labor to refresh.
ment. Brother NEWTON WnIT-
AKER, under whose shadow We
now stand, was born July 1st
1916, died August 9th, 1878
aged 62 years / month and II
days. 1t is not my purpose to-
night to pronounce an extended
eulOgium upon the character Of
the deceased brother; born ant
reared in your midst fortunately
for your speaker his character
stands beyond the reach of eulo-
gy; suffice it to say that his long
residence in your midst, his init
mate acquaintance with you as a
community, whether considered
socially, civilly or religiously,
makes his character familiar tc
you all, his noble bearing, friend
Iy mien, his kind and affable
manners require no comment at
my hand; he possessed the rare
combination of character that
unites frmness and decision with
kindness and condescension, a
charity not circumscribed by To-
cality it can be truly said of him,
| was an hungered and We gave
me meat, / was thirsty and ye
gave me drink, / was a stranger
and We took me in. How many
here tonight can testify to the
hospitalities of his home? how
many who have shared the boun-
ty of his board? 1t has been
said that the mother controls the
destinies or ends of the child; if
this be a truth, BROTHER WHIT
AKER was fortunate in having a
mother who early taught him
the lessons of piety, and these
lessons he seems never to have
forgotten, for at the early age Of
fourteen he embraced the Chris
tian religion, united with the
Missionary Baptist Church, was
a member forty-six years and for
over twenty-five of these years
he was an officer-thus he lived
and died a consistent member
of the church of his choice.
This alone presents his charac-
ter to YOU in its true light, it is
beyond any written composition,
but yielding to the promptings
Of his own nature that bade him
bestow his charity upon the poor,
he sought and obtained an en-
trance into the body of Free Ma
sonry and was the first Worship
full Master of Mulberry Lodge
when instituted and its Chaplain
at the day of his death. How
delightful it is, my brothers, to
review that life in the mystic cir
Gle, not a blot upon it's fair pa
ges, not a blight upon his fair
escutcheon from his entrance to
his departure, and now, that the
brother has been called from la
Dor to refreshment, is now done
with the duties of the Lodge sub
ordinate on earth, it is orr privi-
lege and pleasure to examine
that departure and see if it was
in accord with the religion that
he professed, was in harmony
with the teachings Of Masonry.
His last illness though long and
through protracted suffering, yet
he bore it with the meek resigna-
ton of Christian and the firm
fortitude of a Mason. His end was
peace, no gloomy distracting
fears, his life went gently out as
the sunbeam fades upon the
cloud, as tired, worn-out winds
expire, calm as a sunARer eve
ming. He gathered about him
the drapery of his dying couch,
laid himself down to pleasant
dreams, awoke and found him.
self in eternity. His sunset of
life was quickly followed by the
of immortality. Death
was robbed of its sting; the
grave was swallowed up in VIC
tory. For him to die was gain
from the body he is
present with the Lord. Fare
wells and tears belong to earth
and time, deaths dark banner
waves in triumph along these
shores, diseases troop at
the call of death, walls and sighs
float upon every breeze. Pale is
the cheek and earth's anxious
millions inquire as the grouped
apostles around the sacramental
board, is it / who must next lie
down with the coffined sleepers
of earth and increase the graves
LIES fitful dream
will soon be over and eternity's
great calendar will mark the rest.
Under this state of facts, the
ouestion becomes Derfinent- who