Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-06
EIEg MEMORIAL SERVICES
The Annual Lodge Of Sorrow Held
Yesterday Afternoon.

The Annual Lodge OF Sorrow Held
Yesterday Afternoon.
A Large Audience Assembled in
the Grand Opera House-A Very
Pleasing Programme Rendered,
Including Excellent Addresses by
John Calvin, Of Cincinnati, and
Rev. @. e. Clark Of This City.
Wheeling Lodge No. %, of the Be
nevolent and Protective Order of
Elks, held it's annual lodge of sorrow
yesterday afternoon. The exercises
were conducted in the Grand Opera
House, which was well filled with
members of the order and their friends,
and relatives and friends of the de-
ceased members whose names appeared
upon tablet occupying a conspicuous
position upon the stage. The decora-
tons were very tasteful and apprO-
pirate. There was a lavish display of
palms, judiciously arranged, and upon
a table draped with an American flag,
was large elk's head and antlers.
Exalted Ruler Joseph Wood was the
presiding officer, and only those swho
took part in the exercises occupied
seats upon the stage.
The deceased members of Wheeling
lodge, in the order of their death, are
as follows, namely: Samuel A. Miller,
R. J. Mansfield, Joseph Melrose, Rufus
Wilmarth, Samuel Letzkus, w. M.
Davis, Robert B. Simpson, Albert d.
Adler, A. d. Garden, T. J. Geraghty,
A. G. Sprague, John D. Brown, ]. F.
Cline; also, Kate Castleton, an hon
orary member. The memorial COM
mittee for this year was composed of
C. w. Seabright, c.. H. Driehorst, A.
H. Weidebusch, F. H. Hanke and c. Il.
Tracy.
The printed programme contained
this beautiful sentiment-"The faults
of our brothers we write upon the
sand; their virtues on the tablet OF
love and memory
THE EXERCISES
were opened with an overture by the
Opera House orchestra. The exercises
were then opened in accordance with
the ritual of the Elks, each member OF
the lodge responding to roll call and
depositing flower in memory of the
departed brothers. The opening ode
was sung by the entire audience. The
Rev. A. G. Robb offered up fervent
prayer, after which Mr.. w. B. Day
sang very effectively THE Light Of
the World" After a selection by the
orchestra, Mrs. Flora Williams sang
81 know that my Redeemer liveth."
The lodge was particularly fortunate
in it's selection of brother Elk to de-
liver the eulogy Mr.. John Calvin is
member of Cincinnati Lodge No. s.,
and very pleasing and effective
speaker He was listened to through
out with marked attention. His ad-
dress was as follows:
Exalted Ruler, Brother Elks, Ladies
and Gentlemen
when to the flowers so beautiful
The Father gave name,
Back came a little blue-eyed one
Cali timidly it came),
And standing at its Fathers feet,
And gazing in His face,
1t said in trembling tones,
Dear God, the name Thou gavest me,
Alas / have forgot.
kindly the Father looked Him down
And said 'Forget-me-noi.
This timid but beautiful little flower,
symbolic Of love and tenderness, is the
floral emblem Of our order, and once
a year on the first Sunday of Decem-
Der. in accordance with our law, we
meet in sacred session to place the
sweet forget-me-not, together with the
amaranth of mortality and the cling
| ing ivy of devoted friendship upon the
memorial tablets whereon are enrolled
the names of our eternally absent
brothers.
1t is not intended that sorrow and
| tears should be the prevailing influ-
ences in these sacred sessions. We be-
lieve that sorrow should be but fleet
| ing shadow crossing the sunshine of
our lives; that the heart should be SO
! full of the gladness and sweetness of
life as to leave little abiding place
| there for grief. 1t should be like an
unwelcome guest, accorded no place at
our hearthstone.
| The purpose, therefore, of these me-
mortal services is not SO much to
grieve about our departed brothers, or
to weep tears of bitterness, or pity,
that they have been taken from us, but
| it is rather to kindly touch the heart
strings of tenderness, by gently refer
| ring to those who were our associates,
and to bring the memories of them
back to us perpetuated only by love;
| to recall the hours of pleasure we pass
ed together when they lived, loved,
laughed, and liked life well; to COM
memorate their virtues, faults they
had none; to recall their noble traits,
their kindly dispositions, their abiding
| love of home and kindred; to draw
lessons of good from their lives, to
aid us in living ours; and to be re-
| minded by their absence that some day
| the call will come for each of US in
our turn. and to prepare ourselves for
| that and for the reunion with these,
our loved ones, in that place where no
| memorial services are ever held, and
where absences are unknown, and
where all is peace, and light, and hap
| piness.
And with what tender feelings we
recall those little deeds and words of
kindness, that perhaps in life were
passed by unnoticed: and though these
memories are accompanied by a sad
ness. it is a sadness that we would not
exchange for any scenes of revelry or
| gaiety if purchased at the price of for
| getfulness. Sad memories are some
| times the sweetest after all. And
should these memories call up bitter
recollections of duties unperfermed on
our part or of offenses committed
though it be too late to make repara-