The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-08-15

natural torpidity of disposition re- strain them from becoming thoroughly interested in anybody or anything. Modefat'on, not zeal, is the distinguish ing cha! actetristic of those who hold in such careful check their thoughts and feelings, while they seem to cultivate an easy and careless indifference even ir regard to matters which are of su- preme importance,
 Masonry has a large class of indiffer- entists among it's constituency. There are brethren who have taken all the de- grees, and who have been advanced to high positions in the craft, who yet seem to be insensibla to the glories of the institution. They are not reused and thrilled by the taAt lings of the royal art; they show '1o deep sympa- thies or lsearty ecINice is the result of their Masonic membership. It goes without saying that these torpid souls are Instructions in the way of Masonic progress, and that every means should be taken to keen the number of indif- ferent ones within the narrowest lim- it's
 There is, however, a danger on the
 other hand. It is possible to have an excess of zeal-to exhibit zeal that is
 not according to knowledge. Addison says zeal without discretion is like ex-
 petition to q man in the dark" Thus a rash impulse, a reckless purpose, may lead one to intense activity, and yet nothing of abiding good shall be accomplished. An over-abundant or uLrestrained zeal may lead to the ends l of disaster and ruin. Some one has artly said that zeal is the most proper snouVe power in the minds of wise men,
 but the trouble is it is apt to flourish
 chiefly among fools. This is an exag-
 gerated form of statement, yet it sug gests what we know to be the fact, that
 men of arrant stupidity often push
 themselves to the front and show the | utmost zeal respecting movements and enterprises to which they are allied. The enthusiasts-men who are of fu-
 rious or fiery natures, and who put their whole hearts into whatever they | ndertake-sometimes do harm by the
 very intensity of their devotion for a principle or cause; at least they fail | to Illustrate in their lives well-bal- | anced and harmonious character.
 | We have known brethren who were especially interested and active in Ma sonrw, but whose zeal was not tem- pered with discretion. It was zeal
 no. of the right quality; or being If | the right quality, 1t was yet held in such undue quantity as to prompt a course of conduct by no means favora- l ble to the interests which were counted | eceedingly precious. The devoted and impulsive brother who goes about ar
 guing the benefits of Masonry, being | ready on every occasion, both in sea- son and out of season, to proclaim his Identification with the institution, ex- hibits an excess of zeal. It would be better that he should hold himself in
 more lestraint--that he should be less
 ready to make expression of his Mason- | fe attachments.
 The ardent craftsman who asserts that Masonry is all the religion which | the world requires, who declares that | the Masonic institution outranks all | other organizations and systems, being | equal to the Church of the Living God | itself, is carried by his enthusiasm to | greater lengths than a wise discretion would determine. His excessive zeal | for a grand and benefcent order may | lead him to underrate the claims of | other teachings and work which per- | chance may hold a still higher rank.
 He fails to balance one good thing with ! another he neglects to exercise wise 1 discrimination in passing upon the va i ried contributing forces of moral and
 social good; he allows feeling, preju- | dice, strong attachment to warp his | judgment, at least in some particulars.
 Some brethren show an excess of zeal
 for Masonry by giving to it's work and
 associations too much of their thought
 and time. Not many, perhaps, make a
 mistake in this direction, but we have
 known instances where both family as- l soclations and religious interests have
 been made to give way before the de-
 rands that were classified under the | Masonic name, but which would never
 have been called for by a zeal regulated 1 by wise discretion. Not very long l ago we heard a worthy craftsman
 speaking of his giving four or five
 evenings a week to Masonic meetings.
 Now this man is obliged to be away
 from home each day, and can only be
 with his family at evening time. Ought
 he not to allot part of the evenings | during the week to home? If he would
 live through his whole nature, ought he
 not to attend an occasional public lec- l ture, religious service, a social gath
 ering of his own friends and neighbors?
 Surely he ought not to give all his 1 spare time to lodge, chapter and com
 randery, nor to the meetings of any
 secret society in which he holds mem-
 bership and whose teachings and min