The San Francisco call., 1898-10-13

W\ N0SN /SM plhed yesterday Tn
 Ny Decoto when the
 words quoted above were spoken in unison by the multitude which had assembled to witness the dedication of the Masonic Widows and Orphans Home. Not charity extended to those who are to occupy the home, but that charity which was given by those who have gone beyond and which is now returning-the bread cast upon the waters.
 The solemn, impressive and beauti- ful ceremonies attendant upon this ded- ication were emblematic of the good of Masonry-that unostentatious, ever watchful charity of thought. word and deed which upholds the weary brother and stands between the widows and or phans of the departed brother and the rude buffets of cruel world.
 In the dedication of the home is seen the Faith fulfilled, the fruition of Hope and the Charity which extends beyond the grave to the boundIess realms of eternity-the sublime naturalization of the three supreme tenets of ancient and accepted Masonry. Yet it was not with vainglory and boasting pride that the ceremonies were conducted. Hu- miIity of heart and thanksgiving to the Supreme Being were the undertones that dominated the entire assemblage as it listened to the words which gave the magnificent building as a sacrifice on the altars of the order. When the child in his homage, the widow in her weakness and distress and the ailing brother in his dotage turn their steps to the portals of the home situated on the heights overlooking the broad bay and beautiful valley there will come no idea of mendicancy, no heartburnings from a feeling of being the recipient of charity, no abasement of spirit be- cause of the bughting touch of pow erty-they will walk proudly into the house furnished for themselves by themselves and with the consciousness that the mystic mantle which covers | th-ill has bee .eoveu by then own | hands.
 This was the spirit which animated | the m Altitude yesterday and which | gave a charm to the proceedings fan more touching than the words of the | beautiful ritual which deeded the home 1 to its noble ends. It was not in the | variegated plumes and clanking swords | not in the ornate regaIia and modest apron-not in the pomp and ceremony l that the impressiveness of the occasion l was to be found, but rather in that all- l pervading feeling of brotherhood and unity of purpose which marked the 1 day
 It was an imposing sight to witness the hundreds of men as they marched ! through the streets of the city yester- day morning preparatory to their ex- cursion across the bay and down the | valley. It was the symbol of strength | of the order and it left an impression on | the crowds that thronged the pave far | deeper than the passing of armed bodies | of troops, for these men were marching | to the peaceful victory that meant more | to the world than all the battles ever l fought over religious creed or political | faith. As trainload after trainload of i people were unloaded at the little way station until full 5000 people were con gregated 1t was seen that there was | something more than pomp and show which stirred the hearts of those bound | by the mystic tie. What matters the ! details of the procession or ceremony? | What matters the how when the. why Sredominated over all? The blare of band and sensate words of the orator sank to nothing before the great, om- nipresent fact that Gods nOblest work was being done. It was the communion of humanity-the outpouring of the corn of nOurishment, the wine of vir- tue and the oil of universal benevo- lence.
 It was a splendid pageant which marched across the fruitful valley from the trains to the home on the hill. Led by the grand marshal, Colonel William Edwards and his aids and pioneered by a squad of police the two divisions wound along the broad road made espe- cialIy for the occasion and up the ter raced hill to the front of the building, l where the Templers and the Scot tish Rite bodies in their gorgeous uniforms enfiladed to the right and laft on the steps, permitting the main body | of the procession to pass through be- | tween the uplifted swords and beneath | the waving palms and embarked blOs- l