The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1895-01-12
Catholic Wife OF an Odd Fellow.

mcIHUcT VI tHc OIuCE W Ttdiu Tue
effect OF the Church's edlct in se-
cret societies circles. The follow
ing was the result of his inquiry:
"Well," answered the gentleman, II
look upon the matter as being one OF
public interest and l must say that
no one regrets TO be accommodated
more than me although l am not
strict follower Of my religion Gum
pardonable negligence, / admit,) /
am nevertheless a firm believer 10
what / term its reasonable dogmas
and would to-day hail with sincere
pleasure, the announcement that the
'edIct' had been countermanded by
the Pope. AS brotherhood only
do we desire to be recognized also
as unsectarian christians, free to ex-
ercisc our religious beliefs which
ouv obligations in the Order leave us
unfettered in that respect. Honor
and self respect now hold us and il l
were inclined to humor the church
by resigning, would acknowledge
guilt to the world of which l am
innocent and as there IS no alterna-
tive but to bear with patience the
charge made against our fraternity
and hope that the church will soon
discover that "for once" it has fail
ed in wisdom, and will revoke, what
] consider, an Unjust decree"
"What effect do you surnise it
will have on the homo circle?"
Dangerous, predict; homes are
liable 10 be broken if the husband
and wife disagree and II only one
case should happen, it would be one
mistake that could never be reme-
died and recalled, even il this world
lasted eternallY. My dear sir, how
ever great acknowledge the wisdom
Of our spiritual leaders, cannot re-
fiain from saying, that they are step
ping on dangerous ground, they are
risking too much the peace and hap
piness OF our homes and this meas
ure which they are enforcing, is
without one iota of foundation upon
which to stand"
"How did the decree afflict your
homc"'
81 will answer that question, first
for the good Of our church and next
for the good and guidance of our
Catholic Odd Fellows. When the
subject was discussed in my home
and my wife asserted that, being
member of the order, 1 certainly
should know better than those who
only could surmisc and that she be-
lieved me implicitly and as 1 had
been expelled from our church, and
Notwithstanding that she believed
firmly in her religion, she was in
duty bound, as well as our children,
to go with me in this my moment of
religious adversely, and to retain
only as a consolation, the hope that
very soon we could go back to
the 'fold' In which we were born,
married and in which we hope to die,
leaving this world when the time
arrives with those consultations that
our mother church knows 81 well how
to administer. desire TO close this
Interview and in doing so, all Catho.
lie Odd Fellows commit the IN after
and appeal for redress to his Emi-
nence, Cardinal Gibbons, the great
American Prelate, the intellectual
peer of the spiritual giants OF the
Roman Catholic Church."
II would be we'll that more wives
and mothers Of that kind existed.
Such women give to their country
boys that when they attain manhood
can be depended upon ny those who
are nnder their protection. Wives
and mothers of that kind are gui ed
by their heads and reason and not
by idle words which the world uses
so generously they are ornaments to
the churches of which they are men,
bers and when their mission is full.
filed and the Masters summons"
come, there is a..yacant place on this
earth that can only be filed by the
daughters they leave behind, monu-
'ments to the memory of those truth
ful, honest and God-loving mothers.
e @
Everybody is at liberty tc stop
their newspaper, but often they do
1t under the impulse Of the narrow
est possible condition and il is to
that class we now refer. or course
every body is not supposed to take
their local paper. hut when person