The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1901-01-31


to the discouraged and disheartened
brother. And finally, oddfellowship
incarnate in the persons of the immor-
tai heroes of our order, has sacrificed
life in devotion to those principles which
are so beautifully taught and so in
delibly impressed upon the candidate
during the ceremonies of initiation.
The admission into lodge of Odd
Fellows has been the turning point in
the life of many young men. They
have been shown that it is not all of
life that we see in the mad rush for
possession, where brother jostles bro
Their and tramples under foot; and they
have learned that friendship and bro
therly love are not hollow mockery
but veritable and blessed reality.
This much and vastly more may be
said of oddfellowship as it is today, for
its history is the history of a grand
progression, ever growing broader and
becoming more nearly perfect in its on
ward and upward course towards the
ideal. The ideal did | say? Yes, for
history is traced by, and people become
like their ideals. Ancient Greece set
up an ideal for culture. In Sparta the
ideal was OF courage and perfect physi-
cal manhood, and her armies were not
defeated for five hundred years. In
Athens the ideal of culture was in litera-
ture, art and oratory, and her authors
produced what to this day are the clas-
sizes of the world When ancient Rome
held the ideal of political power, Roman
soldiers stood guard over the civilized
world. When France set up an ideal OF
inlidelity, her government crumbled,
tottered and fell. She arose with the
same ideal before her, and Il government
that resulted in the bloody commune
could not endure. But today her ideals
are changed, and she has risen, Phoenix
like, from the ashes Of the past. Eng
land holds an ideal Of commercial SUI
premacy. The seas are iiecked with her
ships, the sun never sets on her domin-
ion, and the gold of the world flows into
her Golfers. Our own glorious country
holds an ideal of freedom, and the OPP
pressed OF all nations find life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness under the
protection of the stars and stripes.
Show me a successful man and | will
show you man who has held with a
steadfast purpose to Il high ideal. Wash
ington believed that the people should
have voice in the government and
wrested the colonies from the despotism
of George III. Lincoln, believing that
slavery under so-called free govern
ment was disgrace to any country, held
steadfastly to single purpose until he
attained position where, with single
stroke of the pen he liberated four mil
lions of slaves. Look with me in the
labyrinths of the past, and behold the
character of the simple Nazarene, at
whose birth the angels sang, peace On
Earth Good Will Towards Man. His
ideal life has changed the destiny OF the
world
Thus we see that it is our ideals that
lead us to our successes in life. If they
are vague or uncertain we grovel in the
dust, and grumble that fate or the gov
eminent, or the rich has cast our lot in
such mental position. But if we have a
high ideal as the goal for which we strive
we may carry the hod, delve in the gut
ter, yet we will give the task in hand
our best energy and skill, and use it as
a stepping stone to rise to higher planes,
'nor spurn the base degrees by which
we rise" Education may be wanting,
talent undeveloped; wealth may not
lend its power, princes may frown and
fashion may scott but with an earnest
to make our ideals real,
no life can pass without leaving in the
world lasting marks to tell the magical
power Of devotion to purpose.
Brothers, whatever our opportunity
may have been, however limited our
field OF action may be, and though the
future may seem clouded and forebod-
ing, one OF our faintest hopes, ii taken
up earnestly, resolutely and persistently
as an ideal OF our lives, and followed with
zeal and untiring activity,
will lead us to become masters in the
OF life. Let us then strive to
become what we wish to be.
make my mortal dreams come true
With the good fain would do;
Ii there be weaker one,
Give me strength to help him on;
Clothe with life the weak intent,
Let me be the thing meant"
better natures and not permit our self
isness to stand between us and the noble
things our souls would have us do Tn
derstand and realize the principles OF
Love and Truth, so that you
may be the bearer of "glad tidings of
great joy." An ideal Odd Fellow is the
exempar OF the teachings OF oddfel-
lowship-a kind father, devoted hus-
band, loving brother and dutiful son.
In the state a. a private citizenhe stands
as guaranty OF the existence and per-
petuity OF the principles OF the govern
ment under which he lives. Human ma
ture is a tender and responsive thing.
The ragged street urchin may be born Of
poverty ana callous with sin, yet there
i within his breast spark OF good that
may be blown into flame by kind
word or act and he becomes a hero. Ev
cry heart has tender spot, and a kind
word or a hearty hand shake may be the
open sesame that will touch the finer ma
ture OF a brother and win for us his ev-
erlasting friendship. The secret OF hay