Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-10-03
RUsT's SPEECH.

RUST 5 SPEECH.
KNIGHTS OF LOUISVILLE DIVISION,
No. LIN behalf of Evergreen
Lodge, No. IS, it becomes my pleas
ant duty to present to you this BAH
ner in recognition of your superior
cxcellency of drill 81 I'D"
There was time, sir, in the dark
ages that have passed, when the
crude ignorance and sordid deprayity
of the people gave rise to an order,
whose Knightly devotion to the
"True, the beautiful and the good
was as magnificent as it was neces-
sary. On every side surrounded by
opportunities for chivalric daring
and with hearts aglow with a sub
lime passion of romantic love and
with imaginations fired by the trans
ccndcnt nyth0logies of the ancients
the gallant Knighihood Of the middle
ages was decoyed into the chase of a
poetic phantom, which led them from
the rugged braveries of the noun
tain and the wood into the sickly
cult.ics of a masquerade. The great
two-handed sword gave place TO the
dainty, jewelcd rapier; the pure and
lofty love asthe chevaler was chang
ed into the fawning scntimcntalism
ofthe charlatan; while the dinted ar
NOR, that had flashed in the grandest
battle deeds of Knighthood, was laid
aside for the gorgeous costumes of a
splendid prodigality.
But at this time the world was
growing wiser and growing better.
The demand for this order, now SO
wasted by luxury, was 10 more, and
so the swan-like dirge of chivalry
was sounded and Knighthood vanish.
ed like the glorious pageantry Of ;
dream.
II is said that on the ground wher
the battle of Bull Run was fought
pure, delicate flowers might be seen
growing out of empty ammunition
boxes and a wild rose thrusting III
its graceful head through the top o
broken drum and cunning, scarle
verbena peeping out of Il fragment o
an exploded shell, and just so, 1 hav
thought that, out Of this magnificen
decay Of Knighthood, we have gath
cred unto ourselves the sweetest, tht
noblest and the best of those qnalihe
which go to make orr Order a bless
ing, its life beautiful and its manhood
glorious. Not only are you brave
aye as brave as that old Lacaedemo
MAN general, who in the lead of his
forces became target for the Spar.
tian columns and when his body wa.
filled with arrows he, with the dar.
ing of a dying hero, plucked them on,
and fired them back at. the enemy
not only as brave as he, l say, bu
you have a grander bravery, BRAY
cry that will stand out for justice an(
the right against the bristling oppo
sition of a worlds venality. Not only
are you courageous, even as the chev.
alier Dayard, who alone maintained
bridge against two hundred of the
enemy until the French could retreat,
but you have nobler courage
That highest gift, that scorns to bend r.
To mean device for sordd end"
Nor could l, for moment, suspect
that you, like the knights of old, do
not possess that chivalry of heart and
gallantry Of action that would bring
you a worshipper to the feet of her,
"who moves Goddess and looks a
Queen" and even still further,
could imagine that, out of the mag
nanimity Of your hearts, you would
confess right nobly that
"You love the sex, and sometimes would re-
verse
The tyrants wish, that mankind only had
One neck, which he with one fell stroke might
pierce,
Your wish il quite as wide, but not so bad
And much more tender on the whole than
fierce;
IL being y
That womankind had but one rosy mouth
To kiss them all ut once from north to south"
Not only brave, courageous and
true, but your hearts have been
touched by those grand and lofty
sentiments Friendship, Benevolence,
Charity with a friendship
THAT has severest virtue for Its basis,
And such friendship ends not but with life."
With beneyolence, that will not
only stoop to relieve the poor and
needy, but would even dare to suffer
for Il brother, and with a charity
that will soothe the sorrows and heal
the heart-wounds of the lowly and
depressed and send the sky-lark Of