The record-union., 1892-01-09

( SNIP.
This bright spot on the pages of the
! past was the cornerstone upon which
Brother Rathbone 'builded wiser than he
knew For years the fires burned low
/ upon the affairs of the young and Strug-
/ CLING brotherhood, but III its present
/ high noon, when from every hill-top the
shields of brave and gallant knights
make bright the day of promise, the
Founder of the Order may rest assured
( that its ascendant star will never wane."
Since this was uttered. Brother Rathbone
/ has passed from this to a higher life.
The founders of our order, when they
4 selected this beautiful story of Damon
and Pythias as the foundation, sought
/ TO build around the dull skeleton of ira
dition the living flesh of reality, and to
\ bring forth from the shadowy past. the
/ vital principle of friendship" Upon this
/ foundation has been erected a gigantic
structure, consecrated to the practice OF
i the great ylrtues-Friendship Charity
/ and Benevolence. The following is our
DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES:
/ Recognizing the universally of human
/ brotherhood, this organization is de-
/ signed to embrace the world within its
I jurisdiction, intended solely and only 10
/ disseminate the atprinciples of friend
/ ship, charity and benevolence; nothing of
| a Seetarian or political character is per-
United within its portals. federation
IN religion, obedience to law, and
! loyalty to government are it's cardi-
nal principles. Misfortune, misery
/ and death being written in such
! fearful characters on the broad face
! OF creation, our noble order was insti-
tuted to uplift the fallen, TO champion
humanity, to be his guide and hope, his
! refuge, shelter and defense to soften
down the asperities of life, to subdue
1 party spirit, and by the sweet and power
/ ful attractions of the glorious trinity of
/ Friendship, Charity and Benevolence to
! blnd IN one harmonious brotherhood
men of all classes and all opinions. The
! brightest jewels which it gamers are the
! tears of the widows and orphans. and its
/ imperative commands are to visit the
| homes where lacerated hearts are bleed
/ ing, to assuage the SutferingS of q brother,
! bury the dead, care for the widow and
! educate the orphans; to exercise charity
toward offenders; to construe words and
| deeds III their least uniavorable light,
granting honesty OF purpose and good
intentions to others; and to protect the
| principles of knighthood unto death It's
| laws are reason and equity its cardinal
doctrines inspire purity of thought and
life; its intentions are peace on earth and
| good will toward men.
The first Napoleon once said force may
! subdue nations, but love alone can bind
them together. The same is true of indi-
viduals. Man may be forced to do q
thing or submit TO a certain state of at
fairs when he can see no justice in either,
| but love will induce him to ADOPT a meas
ure of the severest kind, and for love he
Will endure the most fearful suffering
and In it all see justice. The man who
understands well the human passions
| will realize the grandeur of the love and
friendship taught in our order, when once
unfolded to him, as they are during his
/ NN1r fkn,..N
| PythlanlSm. We seek to bind mems
hearts together by the ties Of love and
friendship which will make them purer
and better men. That in all their inter-
| course with the world they may associate
! justice with love and friendship. We
would instiil into his mind that love,
| friendship and justice are to go hand in
hand in all walks of life.
! The idea that justice is superfuous
! where love reigns is worm that has
dwelt at the core of many fair house
! hold and many q warm friendship, and
has gradually wrought in them decay and
! bitterness. The unfair use Of power, the
sharp criticism, the light banter which
/ disparageS our intellect, our capacity, our
motives, the tone of distrust and sus-
/ picion, the readiness to see and to mag
! Nifty faults and errors, these and
similar unjust thoughts, words and
| acts, are the shadows that too often hide
real affection in a gloom so thick and i'm
| penetrable that it energies no more for
| ever.
The Knight who understands his obi
cations as a Knight, and the lessons
! taught by the ceremonies and lectures
will better understand the frailties of
human nature, ana perceive how COM
mon it is to err. He Will also learn that
men are made better, and their faults cor
rected more easily by kind acts and
| pleasant words.
While we use the terms applied to those
seeking the great honors of knighthoOd
i'll the ages OF chivalry, and try to impress
our members as they progress from
rank to Rank with the Importance of
fully understanding the meaning of all
symbols and signs used, and learn we'll
the lessons each rank is designed to
teach, nothing is required which re-
Sembles the probation of an ancient page.
nor the service of an esquire to his
knight. In feudal times the page COM
menced his service and instructions when
Z or years of age and continued a page
seven or eight years. He acted as the
personal attendant of both his master
and mistress. He waited on them in their
hail. accompanied them in their chase,
| served the lady in her bower and followed
| the lord TO the camp. From the house
hold of his lord he learned the rudimentS
of religion, of rectitude and of love From
lilS lAlsSLG1S TIC UlIGS the GIGllGQLS
OF military exercise, to east spear or
dart, To sustain a shield and to march
with the measured tread of q soldier.
From the mobiles he learned the rules and
practice of hunting. The Pythian page
enters our portals seeking not all of these,
but to learn the lessons, obedience and
| friendship. In order that he may be
| taught we require that he be in possession
of all his faculties. He must have his
hearing, he must see. Once in the lodge
room his surroundings become the most
solemn. The scene about him is one cal
culated to impress the most Indifferent
with the soemnity. The lesson he is
about to receive is one that if he be a man
fit for knighthood will inspire him with
! desire to emulate deeds of all noble
lives which have been sacrificed on the
altar of friendship. He is made to feel
chat he is standing amid band of broth
ers bound together by friendships sweet
ties. If he has needed the lessons here
taught, the things seen and heard, and
the lessons to be drawn from them, he
will that night leave the lodgeroom as a
page in knighthoOd, feeling that pure,
DISTINGUISHED friendship such as that
which bound Damon and Pythias is q
bright flame, emitting none of the smoke
of selfishneSs: that its origin is
divine, its operations heavenly and its
results enraDturing to the soul, and that
it is the perfection of earthly bliss. Pos
sibly he has heard the words, otis
sweet to die for those we love, . but to-
night they have deeper meaning than
ever before. He is now on the road to
knighthood, and the seven years of toll as
a page which he must endure in the DAYS
of chivalry, are with us reduced to seven
days, when he stands at the outer en-
trance OF our Castle Hall, page desiring
to receive the rank of esquire. If he has
| been faithful page, and is able 10 prove
himself, he is admitted. He has learned
how to be true friend. There remains
another very important lesson to be