The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-18
MODERN WOODMEN DAY
MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVED IN THE
LODGES OF THIS CITY
The Services Held at st. PauI's Church,
with Sermon by Rev.
Lewis &. Brown.

Memorial day was observed yesterday
afternoon at St. Paufs Church by the In
dianapolis lodges of Modern Woodmen OF
America with services which were charac-
terized by their soemnity and beauty. Mar
ion Lodge met at its headquarters on Vir-
ginia avenue at o'clock and, headed by
the Woodmen Band. marched TO the cor
ner of Delaware street, where ii was met
by other lodges and the procession went at
once to the church. The services we're in
augurated by the impressive professional Of
the Episcopal ritual. followed by choral
anthems and responsive readings. The
memorial sermon was delivered by the rec
tor. Rev. Lewis c. Brown, and was un-
usually eloquent. Mr.. Brown said in part:
in the tenth chapter of st. Luke's Cos
pei. twenty-ninth verse, will be found the
words of my text, Who is my neighbour
We regard 1t as a great compliment to-day
the rector. wardens. vestry and congre-
cation of st. Pauls Church-that the or
der of Modern Woodmen have come here
to have their memorial day services. 1t is
a matter of congratulation TO us that you
have come within these walls to render
that duty which every man feels it is a
privilege to render to lives that have passed
away into the great beyond. Mans uncer-
tain life is like rain drop hanging on
rough amid ten thousand Of its sparkling
kindred. but which shall soonest lose its
perilous hold we cannot guess. The great
procession OF men from the ages down to
this time passing onward have gone into
shade and we sit here before the great cur
tain that men call DEATH knowing that
ere long IL shall part and every one present
here in this church this afternoon shall go
behind IL, never more TO be seen by human
faces, never more TO be touched by human
hands. never more to be part OF this great
human world in which we live-and yet not
10 be forgotten, for, as We pass hence;
-eavilg behind US the story of life well
spent, of kindly deeds, of thoughtful ut
terances, of tender emotions-we live for
ever in the minds of those left behind, who
think of us I'm love.
BENEFICENT PRINCIPLES.
'T rejoice at your order coming here this
afternoon because of the benefcent princi-
pies which underlie its very foundations. 1t
is beneficial order; IL stands here. with
its 100000 members and its two millions dis
pensed throughout the last year in connec-
ton with legacies and in connection with
those needing help. as an organization of
charity is cold thing IL you simply trust
the promptings of the heart that come from
men and women day by day. 1t may last
for little while, but very soon people grow
somewhat weary of exercising IL. But
when charity becomes an established prin-
ciple, as in your order, and this money
comes year by year as right and not as a
eratuity, that is kind of charity no one
POSSIBLY can find fault with; no one posi- =
lily can escape If he needs it. And so the
power OF just such movements as these is
the power of the right kind of a recognition
OF the needs of mankind. He who looks aft
er those that are to come after him in some
such way as this Is rightly standing by the
world; he Is preventing the pauperism and
the beggary in the streets, and he is max
ing IL possible for other lives to go forward
and do their best in days that are to come.
For tell you the sorrows OF the widow and
the fatherless are the sorrows of this world
causing the saddened faces and the tear
stained faces day by day, and there is
nothing / think in all the world that is
harder to bear than just such a condition
as that-death coming and leaving behind
that legacy of care and anxiety and those
who ought to be kindly tended going on
and bearing the burden, walking under
| meath that burden day by day and en-
6eavoring simply to keep body and soul
| together by the hardest possible means
And so I thank God that this is a beneh-
cial order"
DR.. Brown commended the Woodmen for
4 the etnlCdl feature Oh tnelr say
| ing that Ii stands for pure morality. He
also said that the order believes in the eX-
emplihcation of Christliness and in teach
| ing the fatherhood of God and the broth
| erhood of man. In closing he said:
INFLUENCE OF BROTHERHOOD.
wherever you find brotherhood touch
| ing the lives Of men and women in This
world you find noble men, and you may
| have as many doubts as you please about
| that mans religion. but say that man il 9
| religious man and he deserves a high place
| In the other world and he will get tina.
| place there. He may never have said in sc
| many words that he is Christian, but
tell you the God of the universe realizes
his Christianity and he will go in at tn.
| pearly gates. And so / say to-day that
/ believe in these conditions for which yol
stand, for they stand for the equitabl;
conditions OF human life. You are standing
/ for the best conditions that come to yol
| from day to day. And so my text to-day
| Who is my neighbour means simply this
| Your neighbor Is every man and woman IL
| this world whom you can help as the day,
/ go on, and as you remember in this memoir
/ ial service this afternoon some who
| have walked by your side, who have beer
/ In your lodge room perhaps, whom you ar,
concentrating in this church this after
/ noon; as you remember them. remembei
/ also the best idea you can have i'm con
4 nection with those who have gone before Il
| this: To live to be better men and womeI
| because they are looking back over the dis
lance to see how we are using life"
| The sermon listened to with clos,
| and approving attention by the large mum
Der OF Woodmen and their friends wh'
almost filled the church.
Yesterday morning committees appoint
| ed for the purpose visited Crown Hill
| Glenn's Valley and Anderson cemeteries
| and decorated the graves of "neighbors
| Very few deaths have occurred i'm the or
| DER in Indianapolis. In some of the lodge
| none at all are recorded Three grave
| were decorated at Crown Hill, two a
| Glenn's Valley and only one at Anderson