The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-02
ELKS' LODGE OF SORROW
tConcludsd from Page 81

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and ease. his whole manner simply in
dicating that he was endeavoring to
put forward the substance rather than
the embellishments OF his thought. He
said:
Attorney TayIor's Address.
The organisation Of men known by the
name OF the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks. has acquired distinctive
oS fer sars and the mns Of
many people, become the synonymous with
mirth, but there is abroad an idea that
!eyity Is the controlling factor OF our insti, n
tuition. Now, like many other things that
have been said OF people. this idea Is not
altogether true.
In the order Of Elks, as in all other insti-
tutions of its kind. We have occasions es-
pecially devoted to pleasure. and other
times appropriated to the consideration OF
grave matters. But, whatever may be the
purposes and incidents Of the regular COM
.munications. or even the special sessions
. of this order, there Is in each year one day
that In specially set apart and particularly
devoted e serio9s E aml ON na
divested, not of good cheer and lively SYM
pathy. but of all expressions OF mirth or
merriment. We are here assembled to-
night for the purpose OF commemoratins
the memory of those OF our members who
have gone to their final account. For the
purpose of afrordlng to the families and
-
dence that their memory Is fervently cher.
ished in our hearts For the purpose of
proclaiming to this community the names
and virtues of those who have gone from
IU.i can of membership.
1t has so often been said we are all crea-
lures of environments. that, by very
many, II has become an accepted truth.
w hile 1t is true that the pleasures. desires,
sentiments and even the characters of men
largely agree, with those of the age In
III. IL it,,~ h.. tt,,,,
is also true that the human race is natur-
ally endowed with certain natal impulses
and emotions, which. throughout all gem
erations, have Identified themselves as
parent. There Is implanted within the
breast of every human being an instinc--
tive desire to live and. growing out OF
that desire and the assurance of revela-
ton, q. hope for immortality. Born of the
same Impulse which prompts that desire
and that hope has grown in the heart of
lnembered by his friends and neighbors
after he has paid his last debt.
Sentiment That Is Not New.
This sentiment in the hearts of men is
by no means new; but, on the other hand,
ante-dates the remotest history of all
another. Is mingled with the history of
the heart promptings of all men. A glance
at the pages of history, from the earliest
ezeh bpaope sre US Ways
"
various customs and peculiar fashions OF
'commemorating the memory of the dead.
We learn from the history of the earliest
people, of whom we have any written rec
ord. that Abraham having buried his wife,
Sarah, in the land of Canaan. afterwards.
That he might conspicuously mark the
place of her burial, and thereby preserve
her memory to after generations. secured
the same place for the interment of his
family and kindred.
Among the ancien, Egyptians. an art
xrft, t,tnh f, h..v,n xrrnc of hot cnp Il
mysteries and against the revelation of
which they religously guarded-the art
of embalming their dead-was the out
growth of the same inherent sentiment
Among the ancient Grecians and the
Etruscans there prevailed the custom Of
incremation. prompted by a desire to pre-
serve the memory of their dead by pre-
serving their ashes.
Some of the most magnificent structures
that have ever been erected were tombs.
such as the pyramids of Egypt. the castle
temples of India. In modern Europe, con-
nected with the institution of cathedrals,
grew up the custom OF interring distin-
guished persons within the churches and
the so-called common people" in the
churchyards. And finally at the present
day, we ,have elaborate burial grounds or
cemeteries. many OF which. by reason OF
their magnifcence are national in their
characters. In expression of the same
sentiment, and in appreciation of the SER
vices Of the veterans in the last struggle
between American freedom and human
slavery. there has been established by the
government Of this nation an institution
known as Memorial Day" upon which
all patriotic people find it a pleasure to
gecurate them with beautiful flowers,
emblematic of love, admiration and i'm
mortality, and renew their declarations or
gratitude to that sleeping host in the
silent cities OF the dead
Reason They Assembled.
har fnn
hers Of our order, for the purpose of pay
ing a proper tribute Of respect to the
memory Of our departed brothers; and
while to this demonstration of our regard
for their memory we are moved by the
same human impulse which has moved the
people Of this world In kindred directions
from the Genesis of her history, yet at the
same time we come not here in imitation
of any national custom or social cere-
mony; but. on the other hand, We are here
assembled In obedience to the obligations
due from us to our departed brothers as
members of this. our great fraternity. and
toward the discharge Of those obliga tions
we have adopted a form of expression
peculiar to itself. singularly distinguished
from all other kindred demonstrations, not
by its elaborate Evolutionary preparation.
nor by its exquisite artificial rendition, but
by its simplicity Of substance and form.
Again. while we come here tonight clothed
with the poetic spirit of the traditional ivy
and amRranth. and bearing in our hands
fancifu! wrcaths OF everlasting flowers.
prepared to decorate the tombs Of our
sleeping brethren with these tokens of love
and affection and ready to garnish their
graves with those emblems of immortality,
yet we are not prepared to disguise their
memory with any misconceived names Of
high sounding greatness--we are content
with. a rendition to them Of the tribute
Justly due.
Though we are unable to show you the
record OF any hero, distinguished for his
valor or military conquest; though we can
not mention to you the name of any
brother who, In his lifetime; was eminent
fon for hi asXy o bs np aHG ndsS in sha h
not pretend to you that any one of them
was famous for his deep learning or his
intellectual greatness. and even though
we could do all those things. neither of
them would be in the scope Of this even
jhg's service, the purpose of which is more
particularly designed to attend those per-
eonal virtues that endear men to their
families and friends; not so much to cele-
,brate the acquisition of outward greatness
as to mark the progress of that moral
warfare that Is continually being wagel
within mems hearts.
{ Rather Visit the Last Home.
We would rather gently lead you out to
the last homes of our departed brethren,
and pausing over those narrow houses, in
the case Of each and everyone who has
followed the teachings of his order. we
would truthfully say to you, not in imita-
tion Of the great occasion. but In the words
which the great poet put In the mouth of
Rome's greatest eulogist:
His life was gentle; and the elements
So mixed UP in him that nature might
& stand up
And say to all the world Here was a
man."
Though not distinguished for either his
vafor. his craftsmanship or his learning,
yet Here was man among his fellows
and neighbOrs. honored. respected, loved
tnd trusted: honored for his charity of
heart; for his sympathy with the misfor-
tunes of his fellow-man, and for the
readiness to forgive the transgressions of
his brothers; respected for his integrity of
character. for the. loftness of his purity of
heart and for his Justice In commerce with
etss F~