New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-31
y.soyRy IN MIDSUMMER.

"a ;,Auence Of Masonry upon its ad
..,s e conceded by all brethren, and even
=. onDopents Of our fraternity admit Its excel
-. teachings and tenets. and admire us moral
:. h,, never IS this more apparent than dur
~. months Of July and August. When the
"e IN the class tube plays around the 9Os.
~. ,oundrvrnan with the iceman rule the
q c remarkable how much reform is
,,,, and what love Of home is developed
,ho brethren. The active Mason, who was
-, .sen in Masonic Hall, 10 visit this lodge
-, hat chapter or was to give the lecture In
49, Third Degree. or act as Senior Deacon In
~ second Degree has suddenly become
.soread man He assures his good wife that
- .oula much rather stay at home and enjoy
.,s comfort and pleasure OF her company than
% lodge meetings. and the good wife, in the
,,,ocence OF her soul, believes him implicitly
.ra makes things real nice for him at home,
ND IN her minds eye she sees many pleasant
ayanings theatre parties and social calls ahead
O., NEXT winter Alas! she does not reckon on
,Aa thermometer, forgets that the evenings In
,,,ter are quite cool. OF course. the staid
,..ron she who has spent some summers with
bar Masonic husband-aye, and many lone Win
,srs-she knows better. She knows that this
",s,orm" holds good for July and August only.
She roads the Masonic Page Of The Tribune,
hence is posted, knows that the lodges are all
called on-no chapter no commandery, no COM
ro..ae meetings, and even the corridors Of the
temple are piled up with furniture in process OF
cleaning and renovating, and that her active
Masonic husband has no lodge to go to, and is
glad Of the privilege Of being permitted to stay
AZ home and become acquainted with his family.
OF course as In all things, there are excep-
,;ons 70 this rule and we have some brethren
enonp us who cannot stay at home even with
the mercury high up in the 9Os, and who may
be seen every night on the steps OF the temple.
discussing the weighty subject Of the weather,
advising the President how 10 conduct the war
with Spain crticisng the actions Of the gen.
erals and admirals. or occasionally giving sly
dig at Grand Lodge officers, and reforming
Masonry the country and the world at large
and all things therein contained. But these
brethren never never reform themselves, Yet
while the lamp holds out 10 burn" etc, and
the good Masonic missionary is alive and
actively engaged among all these brethren. and
with his wel-known presidency Will succeed
in due time-later on.
And as to the dear wives, let them be pos
sessed Of patience Their good husbands will
stay at home during the entire summer, and
then the old mill will again begin to grind, and
the endless chain" Of Masonic work will begin
as Of old, and The good works Of charity of
brotherly love and relief will occupy their leisure
hours
There is beautiful legend in Greek mythol-
ogy to the effect that the spirit OF man is the
warm breath Of lie, and when this escapes the
body becomes cold and rigid. the friends watch
by the side Of the dying so as to breathe this
warmth. this spirit, the "Pneumf they called
IT. before It took its fight TO Olympia. and by
this means perpetuated the virtues Of the dying
and prolonged their own existence. SO in
Masonry the spirit, the warmth, Of its life Is
IN the activity Of its members, and when that
becomes cold the life goes out, and the member
becomes indifferent 10 its good work, and at the
same time becomes Indifferent TO human ills
and human sufferings; hence as long your
husband Is active in the Masonic Quarries he
mas Spiritual life within him ever pointing up
"afd toward a better and higher ideal. Be
patent with him now. and be patient with him
~ winter. for he is engaged in the divine work
VI reverence TO God. and doing good unto all
men ana this divine law is not Of summer
~ OF winter but is Of all time-constant eternal.
forever and forever