The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-16
FINE MUSICAL PROGRAMME
HIGH OFFICIALS OF ODD FELLOW
SHIP IN ATTENDANCE.
Rev. Tevis's Sermon Made n Deep
Impression Upon Them-The Dis
course i'm Full.

| ellOWS NdS UelQ In MeTlOldn-SlIeel MSlI-
odist Episcopal Church yesterday morning
Such of the citys visitors as had arrived
were given a cordial welcome as guests of
the church. fine musical programme was
rendered by the double quartet choir, and
| the Rev Virgil w. Tevis, ardent Odd
| Fellow, preached an eloquent and effective
| sermon Fraternity that was keenly
| enjoyed by both the initiated and uniniti-
ated in the congregation. A number of
visiting Odd Fellows were heard to remark
| after the service had concluded that
Brother Tevis's sermon was worth making
the trip to hear
Previous to the sermon the announce
ment was made that memorial service
| would be held in the church next Thursday,
when the funeral of the martyred President
| takes place in Canton, o. Further partic-
ulars of this service will be given out later,
it was said
Mr.. Tevis did not give out a text for his
discourse. but plunged a once into his sub
ject, and spoke as follows:
There is implanted in the human heart
desire for fellowship. Life is absolutely
lonely without It, Joy Is always multiplied
by sharing II, and trouble is always light
ened by dividing the burden. AS the tear
drops in child s eyes are hung with rain
bows by kind words, so in the life of man.
hood. where larger feelings meet. No man
has mourned for a hermits life. Such
| life Is absolutely unnatural Every one of
| us is creature of society. There is to
| every man solace in even the presence of
a human being In the long hours of the
| watchers night, when the clock ticks loud
er than ever before, and the wind sobs
around the house in minor tones, and the
dog howls and the hectic flush is on the
cheek of the sufferer whom we watch, there
is the solitary step of a passerby upon the
sidewalk. You know that man depends in
a large measure upon his neighbors There
if1gla4 lrlGT1f Eh
| life s nigh seas. Every man looks ahead
once in a while, for to-morrows sunrise is
| limited in the sunset colorS of to-day. The
very star that pins the curtains of night
| together whispers Of a coming morning.
when these same curtains shall be drawn
| apart knowing that tomorrow will come
just as surely as to-day is mere, every man
anXously scans his horizon. In its shad-
owy outlines he reads very great possibil-
tiles in life. He knows that time of trial
is coming in his life when he will need
human sympathy. Trials are a part of
life's experiences. With a struggle we
come into the world and with struggle
We will go out of the world. Life is bat
tie absolutely from start to finish, and that
man who succeeds more than his fellows
| is more of a general, knows better how TO
mass his forces.
HUMAN SYMPATHY
"In times of trial there is nothing quite
like human sympathy tina touches
brothers hand and has in il 81 all anetism
that stirs the most tender chord in the
human heart. Looking along the horizon
we know that maybe there is coming d
time of financial perplexity in our lives
Riches take wings and fly away. There is
not anything in the universe quite so un-
stable. When want pinches we instructive
ly look about for helper in time of trou-
BILE. Poverty is not a poem; poverty is a
grim reality. Poverty is not song Very
few friends you count upon in pinch
The friendships Of the mass of men, after
all. are based upon reciprocity, and that is
true in the mothers case, and We use the
} mother the very height of the simplicity
or love. She looks down into the face of
her sleeping babe, ana fancy pictures a
time in the future when her footsteps faiter
and her form is bent and her eyes dim
and the frosts or winter have cOlored her
hair, when she can lean upon that babe 5
arm, and ne, in turn, will lead her in the
decline of life. When time comes when
We are unable TO reciprocate, friendships
ny out of the window, ana hence, in the
vigor of manhood, every man seeks to bind
friends TO him with chains that cannot be
brohen. He knows there is time coming
when he must fail asleep and forget to
wake up, and his wife and children will be
left TO the untempered winds of the world,
and this thought worries every devoted
husband and father. He does not care fol
himself half SO much as for those whom
he loves. and hence he makes prepare ton
for this contingency. Even If he is poor
ne strives, ii possible, to carry life insur-
ancc. l want to say right here that a sound
policy in sound company Is one of the
most religious acts OF mans life, and L
% not repr1@ent any company, either. He
.noNs that those whom he loves VIII be
= remembered by his lodge, for 1t is one of
-l-e ton1ts of tine institution to let brotherly
s. 0.e extend 10 a man and embrace mis- FAM
! or these reasons men organize, and
= among the organizations the Odd Fellows
STANDS among The first. The ORDER is found
81 upon frierd ship, love and truth trim
. ity of forces which makes chain hard to
break.
True friendship always shines brighter
in trouble ana this is it's test. Trouble is
to friendship what acid is TO the golG. Are
: you aware Of the fact that true friendships
! 10 much toward building up character? 1t
is rare thing in the journey of life that
a man climbs 10 a summit of fame without
willing hands to help him up.
"A word from an acquaintance weighs an
ounce while a word from a friends weighs
: a ton. A true friend advises and helps. He
: not only relieves human weakness. but
he aids in removing it. And now this order
) of ours aims to make better men. All.
friends, there is a grandeur in assisting in
the moral elevation of the race.
a STORY RELATED.
Here Mr.. Tevis related the familiar story
; of the sculptor whose touch seemed en-
lowed with magic and who when little
! girl marveled at the beauty of an angel
he had wrought and referred to it as hav-
ing been carved by him, declared that the
angel was already in the marble and that
he had only cut away the stone from it, al
lowing it to escape. Continuing the min
lister said:
Happy that man in organization who
looks 10 men ali around and discovers the
angel of their nature, for every man has
better angel, and happy that order, no
! matter what il is. that cuts away the mar
BILE and let's the angel out of the man. Ii
: is the grandest voTA in all the world.
l You not only have the financial interest,
but the entire interest of a bro her heart
You will not think me harsh ii | say to-
day that he is no. a good odd Fellow who
looks TO the financial benefits that accrue
from the order and fOrgets the moral OBJ
! legations that bind him TO a brother. Aft
l er ALL money is the easiest thing to give.
( Many man can give dollars toward the
, alienation of human suffering who has
word of kin 1ness his lips. After
} all, the most precious thing that was ever
offered to humanity Is a human heart.
And he is not worthy of the name of
Odd Fellow who simply enters into IL as
an insurance organization. True men look
to the moral obligations accruing from
such an organization rather than anything
else.
Love is embraced in friendship All.
:, what power is lovei Love puts a new
face upon this old world of ours. Do you
know that TO love the object is always
beautiful2 There comes down these aisles
TINS morning an old. old woman. Her
brow has been plowed by time for eighty
Her hair is white. she leans uDon