The morning call., 1892-03-21
THREE GOLDEN LINKS.
Rev. L. e. EaStOn On the Genius
of Odd Fellowship.
The Usual Crank ar Calvary Church-A Stone
Fired Through a Window During
Divine Service

There was a large gathering Of Odd Eel
lows. including several grand officers. in at
tendance at Calvary Presbyterian Church
last night TO hear an address by the Rev.
T. Chalmers Easton, D., on 1.-THE Genius
Of Odd Fellowship"
When the sermon was near a close the
congregation was startled by sudden crash,
and at the same moment fragment OF red
rock, about two inches square, dropped at
the base of the fourth lower window on the
right-hapd side from the entrance door OF
the church. The missile had evidently
been thrown with some force. as the hole
made by it was nearly round and as clean as
if a pistol-ball had raSssd through.
The popularity OF the affair is that the
rock is not such as is found in the city, but
is quite abundant IN Golden Gate Park. 1t
was also Immediately evident that the stone
had not been thrown from below, as the
ceiling slants al a right angle night opposite
the window, but was not graZed at all.
Alongside the church there is a long alley.
forming part Of the yard Of the edifice 1t
was Impossible for the stone TO have been
thrown upward from the alley, and the
conjecture is that il was discharged from
the roef or window OF some neIghbSrug
building
Several ladies in the congregation ner-
vOusly rose and shifted their seats. but DIR.
ing had happened.
love THE BROTHERHOOD
TIE text was taken from ~. Peters First
Epistle, ii:17, Love the Brotherhood"
Man." said tie preacher, ''has been
called mlcTocOsm, small world. And
when we analyZe the individual life we fiud
this To be- 80 far a fact that each one in some
way represents or Is related To all
that is; or TO universal existence. Thus
each one is composed OF common mat
ter and is thus related to all material
existence. Each one has mind, and through
mind stands in relation TO all truth. Each
ene has heart, spirit. VIII, conscience. af-
fectionS, and, therefore, comes IN relation 10
love, rigE teousneSs and God.
Man is a social being. Ged ordered him
for fellowship and active society. This is
the secret principal which prompts the crea-
ton OF 50 many guilds. traternities, orders
and societies.
The preacher proceeded, after identifying
himself by implication as an Odd Fellow,
TO analyze the history, principles and genius
OF Odd Fellowship and 10 take a glance at
its future.
THE FIRST LODGE.
1t is just 73 years since i've individuals
opened IA the city of Baltimore the first
lodge or this side OF the Atlantic. What it
is to-day can be seen frem the last annual
report. DIT EaSton intimated that he con-
sidered that Odd Fellowship might be traced
back TO the organization known as Fellow
Citizens" IN the reign OF the Roman Emperor
Nero, - A. D., and that the name
Of odd fellows" was given to the members
by Illus IA 4. ID. 20. That EmUtror gave
the members a dlspensation engraved in
gold. accompanied by number Of emblems,
nearly all OF which are worn by the various
lodges al the present day. The Romans
were strongly inclined To believe that the
order, a originally formed. was Tor mutual
assistance, protection and defense; conse-
quently its use in tile camp among the SOL
dicrs who were exposed 10 every species of
peril and pTivation. and in this way il had
done much TO ameliora;e their condition.
After tracing the history of the order
down to the establishment OF the Man
chester Unity ia 1859. and thence to the
present time, DIR. EastOu dwell upon the
! conservative principle which had made il
| possible for the Institution to survive nearly
! 1900 Years of revolutions and trials He con-
tended that while its principles are not iden-
teal with Christianity. they are in accord
with it and founded on revelation.
BEoTIERHooD OF MAN.
Its chief principle is the brotherhood of
man for mutual aid. assistance and support
in all the misfortunes and caiami,es of life.
Its elements OF secrecy are only such as
| guard the best Interests of the family and
! the state. in both of which n certain degrees
Of cy Is a safeguard. No man with
hostile intentions against the state or the
welfare of the republic. no anarchist or
dynsmiteT or blaspheWer can have place in
the fraternity of Odd Fellows.
The preacher spoke at length of the fire.
quency with which he had met Odd Fellows
unostentati0usly watching at the bedside of
the sick and the dying. and when life had
passed away relieving and soothing the
widow and the orphan. He cited the case
of Schuyler COifax and the almost tri-
umphal progress of that statesman's re-
mains from city 10 city and to their resting
place In South Bend, Indiana, as an
example of the honors paid by Odd Fellows
TO the worthy dead. The order cared for
the remaus from the first moment, and he
could not but predict glorious future for
an organization which boosted THREE such
splendid jewels as friendship, love and
truth.