Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-03
SIR KNIGHTS.
Dr. j. c.: Carpenters Address Before
the Knights Templar at Dallas.
Seed sown and Harvest Reaped During the
Past Year-ProsperIty and Growth of the
Order in the Lone Star State.

The following is the address delivered
before the knights Templar at Dallas by
DR.. ]. C. Carpenter, grand prelate:
Sir knights, Ladies and Gentlemen:
1t is with no small degree of unaffected diff
dence that 1 stand before you this morning
Conscious, as am, of my failing powers, both
mentally and physically, with no lack of vastly
superior talent in our midst to fill this place,
could not feel otherwise.
cannot explain the unmerited Partially
which makes it my duty, now for the eighth
time, 1 believe, to address you on our annual
convocations. One thing do know-that from
the depths of my heart greet you this morning,
if possible, with more than knightly affection.
OF another thing feel assured-and that is, the
faYoring circumstances which, under q kind
Providence, surround us on TINS truly happy
gratitude of our hearts; and the incense of
grateful praise must go up TO the Oliver OF all
good for preserving care and continued mercies
so benifcently bestowed.
Our whole land has been blest. The Lone
Star. our proud symbol-the brightest of all the
constellation of states-has shone with I'M
dimmed radiance upon every portion of our
During the year that has passed God has given
US the ''early and later rains, seed time and
harvest" and the labors OF the husbandman
have been crowned with abundant success. 1t
hiss been to us year OF unparalleled prosperity,
and in this prosperity our beloved order has
largely shared.
The seed sown, and the harvest garnered, the
husbandman can see, as the results are before
him. while he enjoys the fruits of his iabors and
is happy. We too, Sir Knights, have been
sowing seed in the moral world, and have gath
cred much precious fruit and nave much 70 re-
joice over: but we cannot the full result, nor
can we know or answer the qusition, What
shall the harvest be9'' till in the light of etern
ity il will be developed and unfolded to our
wondering vision and will constitute not the
least of the infinite sources OF bliss in that tear
less world where the fruition of the good mans
And how much of this good seed have you un-
consciously sown along your pilgrimage the past
year, or, II conscious, without the hope Of
The extent of our benefactions the outside
world may not know, for they are not en-
has said: s'I,et not your left hand know what
your right hand doeth. Acting upon this
principle every true Knight and every command
airy is carrying out this inlunctlon as duty re-
quires and as opportunity permits. You
cannot recount the seeds you have
thus sown, and it is wen that you cannot
That widows cherries home you made bright
and JOYOUS as YOU almost stealthily entered with
your little store of benefact1ons, brought the
sunshine of heaven into the grateIni nonsenold.
When the dark clouds OF adversely had welinigh
overwhelmed weary pilgrim, you met him with
kindly aid and encouraging words, lighting up
his heart with fresh hoPe eSong On 70 pIosper
have arrested and with gentle. persuasive conn
sci turned into the paths of virtue ana hope-1n
short.-eyery act of kindness and mercy-al these
were good seed sown that viii terminate and
bear pros pective harvest OF Joy hereafter, Tor
the 0mniscient eye noted them all, and has
promised. verify, you shall have your re-
In confirmation Of this, turn to the twenty
fifth chapter OF Matthew and read the graphic
description there given by the Divine Judge
himself, as seated upon His tArone he declares;
ssInasmuch as We have done it unto one of the
least 9fthese, my brethren, ye have doue it unto
Enter thou into the Joy Of thy Lord. -
= All, then win the time Of your seed sowing be
over and then VIII you be able to answer the
question: what shall the harvest be?'' as
you enter upon and share its fruits with the in
Vulnerable company OF the sanctined and re-
deemed in glory everlasting.
Oh, what incentives, beloved Sir Knights, are