Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-07-06
I. O. o. f.

on the annual memorial day observed by
The order, and appended Is as much OF
the address as We can reproduce from the
notes from which he spoke. He SAID sub
stantiaIly as fellows
Noble Grand and Brethren ofthe Order
No man with a due sense of his respon-
siblity can touch the mighty theme of
life and death but with ialtering awe
Life is the nights and death the depths
of the universe. The nights cannot be
reached with common reflections, nor
can the depths DC reached even with
thoughts that breathe and words that
burn. Our impulse wish, impression,
each Of his own life, is chat it will be
long; but measured with reference to
time we can hardly express the brcvity
oft. Our fathers were We are; and
our children soon will he, eye already are
We only catch a glimpse of our own cx-
iStcncc. At first blush to the most im-
aginativc of us it seems to present three
degrees or orders :-prc-eNislcnCc, Exist
ence, and Future Existence or immortal
ity OF the first we know nothing. As
the Ionic order of architecture was made
up by adding to the Corinthian and Dor
ic certain types and touches of beauty,
female delicacy and imaginative grace,
So may this prc-existent order of things
he the results OF additions to our actual
existence and so be purely imaginati vc.
Probably this is so, but it is an impress
sion or imagination SO strong that even
statesmen and philosophers speak of the
interests of our Children'S children far
down the generations as though they
were really in eSSe. 1t IS probably imma-
terial to human science whether this is
SO or not; but in influencing individual
lives it may or may not be so. As the
imaginative forms and touches of arChi-
lecture are necessary to fill the soul with
the varied and elegant features of archi-
tcctural conceptions So it i'll like manner
we may be taught grandcr ideas of our
being and finer and gcntlcr relations to
each other by this imaginative order OF
our being then be it so. am content.
II imagination moves any man to higher
life or grander ideas of human purpose
and destiny, God forbid that we should
quarrel about the means which moves us
on and up.
| like better, however to be in the sec.
ond degree; to be among realities, to
reason from what we know to what we
may be. know it is wide world OF
wild realities In it we are among tamil
lat objects and yet plunged in the deep.
est mysteries. The greatest mystery to
man is man himself. and next to that are
our relations to each other. The study
and regulation of these is among the first
purposes and objects of the order. Oh
that man might know himself. 1t is a
terrible reality that our joys and sorrow $
are seldom the result directly or remote.
ly otaCtualcxtcrnal conditions; and that
at least tourtiiths OF all human misery
in all the world is scli-nfctcd
Ills true. and pity tbs. tits true"
This proposition may he tested 10y tht
commouest things in life. Call to mind
that beautiful morning when you cx
changed rudcrcss for cOurtcscs. scowls
for smiles, selfish demonstrations for
kindly offices OF good. When you. being
stronger, rudcly struck the boy. kicked
the pet, and even f"owncd sullenly in ttc
glorious light of the smiling sun without
noticing how it lit up Your mean present
merit with its glowing beams. You re
member well how YOU went miserubly
out into the world regarding every mar
as your enemy and rs plotting against
! you. You greeted all coldIy and received
cordial returns, and i'll spite of yoursel
a short walk and few friendly greeting.
restored urcquilibrium and assimllatct
you to your real conditions. The cloud.
! ioi'NN ~ thllh Noh hS NOIbNIINN tihN
happy without Il particle OF change il
your situation or surroundings TIL,
! fault was not in your fortune, or in YOU
situation, but in yourself that you WA,
miserable.
This condition of man is among tn,
principal studies of our order Its grcat
antidote for this terrible affection is Ia
bclcd IF. l.. T." 1t restores unhapp,
man to n mastery OF himself. The mine
and mode as related to our surrounding,
is either a well ordered kingdom of hap
pincss and peace, or it is Il confused rab
bile OF conditions and circumstances pre-
senting all kinds of frctlul, gloomy anC
sullen scenes. Man never willingly con
tributes to his own unhappiness. III
loses he mastery of himself and is pushet
to it. Every one has each high ideal O
a manhood he would like to attain. Ev
cry one desires to live in good warm anC
generous relations with his fellows, bu
he loses the mastery OF himself and fails
This school of mastery is one of the chic
exercises of the order Give me an orde
OF men in which each individual memb be
is master of himself and will show yo,
an order of giants who will move tn
moral and scientific world.
When will we reach that result do yot
say? Never. But because We cannot be
come suchgiants shall we iorego all train
ing and development Of that strength
. which is the pride and glory of man
Next to the control and development O
self stand the relations of men to eac
other. These should be and are the con
| Giant etudy aud ,,oct;co ,c tLo o,.Jo,