The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1895-01-25
A. o. U. W. MEMORIAL.
Services Conducted at
the M. C. Church.

the M. C. Church.
The Ancient Order of United
Workmen have a beautiful custom
of setting apart one day in each
year for appropriate memorial SER
vices in honor OF persons who have
crossed the silent river into that
mysterious bourne unknown to
mortal men. January IS, 1885,,
assigned as Memorial day for this
year, in accordance with orders
from Supreme Recorder Hackett,
was observed by subordinate lodg-
es throughout the land.
Athena Lodge, No. 104, A. O. U.
W., was one of them and held pub
lie services at the M. d. church,
the exercises being at once impress
i've, appropriate and interesting.
The memorial sermon, delivered by
Rev. LaViolette, follows;
Text, Luke x: 20. "Who is my
neighbor?'
Gentlemen of the A. 0. U. w,
we esteem it both an honor and a
privilege to preach to you on this,
your memorial day. While not a
member of your society, yet we are
not unacquainted with the objects
and purposes of your society. The
words to which we have called your
attention are indicative of that
close, active sympathy which
Christ saw was needed for the mu-
tual help and protection among
men. Divine wisdom alone could
have selected such an appropriate
illustration of the lack of that vir-
tue which Prof. Drummond calls
the greatest thing in the world
charity. In the time of Christ
the autocracy of pride and selfish
ness was paramount. The Church,
Like the priest, the law, like the
Levite, afforded no relief to the
tstricken man. The Church had
come to be formal, the law was
merciless because of exacting de-
Iclarations, and it remained for the
good Samaritan to provide for the
unfortunate mans needs. The man
who manifests practical sympa-
thy for his brother shows forth
those principles of character which
Christ taught III this parable. 1t
is evident by the great number Of
organizations that have been effect
ed that He did not teach in vain.
Others have grasped the principles
set forth and exemplified them in
every day life. The pathway of
| life is today infested with merciless
robbers, even as the road to Jericho
in the days Of Christ. What more
merciless robber than Adyersity?
what more distressing than Dis
ease2 what more invincible than
death? They haunt us on every
hand; when we awaken from our
sleep they are at hand; in the heat
of noonday toll they wait beside
US; by the freside or in the silent
watches ofthe night they are ever
present. Seeing the evidence on all
sides, we are faithless to our trust
/ if we fail to provide for those who
are dependent upon us. Disease
will inevitably steal the strength
from that right arm; adversity may
impair that minds power; death
Imay clsin you as his victim, then
| what for the widow, the orphan,
the helpless ones that you leave
behind? That man is false to his
trust who fails to lay plans for their
ample provision, in case they are
/ left unprotected.
! These cannot be mere theories,
| but are facts that should make
| plain to every man his bounden
4 duty. Some may say that trust
! in Providence and prayer to
4 the Infinite, is sufficient Re.
member, my brother, that faith
without works il dead. The phil.
osophy Of the old colofed preacher
il irresistible, VIXEN he says: Bred
dern, it am all correct to pray fol
1 rain, and ter trust in Providence
that you may be giben big croI
OBJ pertaters; bat, breddern, don't
you ebber forgets to hoe dem an
hoe dem we'll
"The prejudice that some shoV
because of eecret societies, gener
ally organized for this work, I can
not share for / am a member o
one. Let us becareful that judgmen
is not dethroned by prejudice. Or
ganized in 1858 with nine charte
members sou have today over 335
900 followers, and during that tim
have paid ont in benefits s55 900,
900; sufficient guarantee of th
benignity of your organization ans
cause for elfcongratnlation.
! HAgain let Us admonish you t