The Portland daily press., 1900-12-03
Subject Friendship and
Principles of Order.
Hon. A. F. Moulton Presided
and Spoke Briefly.

The knlRnte OF Fythias VI
and vicinity observed their annual ~ IT,
ian Sunday yesterday afternoon by SER
vices held In City hall, and participated
in nv 800 members OF the order. The
Pythians assembled at Pythian hall at 2
oiclook where the lines were formed pre-
paratory to the march to City hall. The
line OF march was taken up at 80
O'Clock. with Mr.. Arthur M. Sawyer az
chief marshal. Each member OF the or
der wore in his button hole white
mink. and the commanding officer Of each
lodge wore q dark pink. The lodges rep
resented were the several Portland
lodges, Presumpscot Valley lodge OF
Cumberland Mills, westbrook lodge OF
westbrook; Oriental lodge OF South Wind
ham; Rocky Hill lodge Of Woodforcs, Pts
catsaua lodge Of West Falmouth and
wescustago lodge OF Yarmouth. The line
of march was down Congress street
The long line of 800 Pythians filed into
the hall, entering by the rear entrance
and filing down the aisiss and into the
seats reserved In the body Of the house.
The exercises commenced at 3 O'Clock.
About 1900 people were In attendance
upon the exercises as spectators.
On the platform wers seated: Hon. A.
r. Moulton, the presiding officer oil the
meeting; Past Grand Chancellor K, q.
Reynolds, Rev. G. q. Phelan OF Lewis
ton, Rev. II. 4. Townsend OF Woodfords,
and Rev. Lewis Malvern and Rev. John
nj. Atwood. beside delegation Of promi-
nent members of the order.
The exercises commenced at O'Clock,
the audience rising, united in the sing
ing OF the hymn, praise God from
Whom All Blessings Flow" The divine
invocation was said by Rev. Harry
K. Townsend, pastor OF the Woodfords
Universalist church. A quartette COM
posed OF DIR. II. M. Nickerson, Albert b.
Hall, Mil lard W. Bowdoin and Howard
Mcdonald rendered in an admirable man.
ner the hymn LEAD Kindly Light. !"
The Scripture lesson was read by Rev
Lewis Malvern, ID. d, after which the
ausrtette rendered the anthem "Sanctus,
with marked effect. The divine blessing
was ferventIy invoked by Rev, John III.
Atwood, after which Hon. A. r. Moul-
ton the presiding officer, addressed the
asssmblaye briefly. He COM
menced by speaking of the rapid growth
OF the order that had Its birth In this
generation. From single lodge 1t now
encircles the United States and Is going
into foreign lands. There is reason for
a growth like this ana we have oonfi-
dencs 10 believe 1t is because the order
Is founded on the highest types OF man
hood Friendship, Charity and Beneyo-
lence, the motto OF the organization.
MIR. MouIton said that the Emperor of
Germany was once asked what Is the
German Fatherland. The German Faith
eIland, replied the Emperor, is not geo.
graphical centre, 1t is bounded only by
the heart throb and feeling OF a brother
throughout the German race. That Is
the type OF friendship that exists in our
order, and which we try to cultivate
Mr. Moulton referred to the charitable
and benevolent work OF the order, and
referred to 1t as organized benevolence.
He gave instances of the practical
friendship and charity of the order, as
exempiified In the case of brothers who
had been taken sick and had died in
q far distant state. MIR. Moulton oonolud-
90 his remarks by referring to the order
and higher ideal OF righteousness on
which the order exists that OF the father
hood OF God and the brotherhood of man.
At the conclusion OF Mr.. Moulton's re-
marks. that gentleman introduced Rev.
q. q. Phelan OF Lewiston as the speaker
OF the day.
Rev. Mr.. Phelan, a member OF the
order. spoke with much feeling and in
q plain, straightforward manner. He
Eased his remarks ON the text found in
Hebrews, 18th chapter and 10th verse
Mr. Phelan said, In part: Standing on
the present, looking backward into the
past, and forward into the future, we
are urged to be of good cheer. However
much some may Wish to say, we are liv-
Inv In an .ags OF degeneracy, and are
going from bad to worse, there Is one
thought that will confront US, the
thought that Gcd has, In His mind that
the past is not perfect, nor the present
absolutely perfect, but we are tending
toward perfection. In the Greek age II
was taught that the golden age was In
the past, but in the Hebrew age 1t was
taught to be in the future. That the
coming OF the prophet, priest and king,
Jesus Christ. was to be a future event
toward which they we're TO look forward
That when Christ should appear that