The Columbus weekly dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1902-1905, 1903-05-07

{ 1IAS dn III uHIet1LlCO OtAa1l uO On dIl
unknown sea, the great doctrine
OF human brotherhood has come
into the world to unite this sew
cred cord. and friendship spreads
her wings over man ike a guar
dian angel to protect him from
harm as he treads the thorny
path that leads up to the heights
of God.
This order inculcates the trim
ity of graces. friendship. love
and truth, and it promotes the
cultivation of these in the human
character. A mixture of false
hood with truth is like alloy in
gold or silver coin, it may make
the metal work better, but it
makes it base. Again.
ODD FELLOWSHIP IS PRACTICAL
BENEVOLENCE.
Resting securely upon the be
lief that the brotherhood of man
is true, it seeks to light with
genuine comfort the path of hu-
man sorrow. Selfshness is the
offspring Of ignorance and sin,
the result of unrefiecting infancy
or savage solitude. Benevolence
is the product of a cultivated i'm
agination, and is closely allied
with all the forces which add dig
nifty, power and stability to hu-
man character.
Benevolence then is a virtue Of
an enlightened people. Ali the
splendid theories of life which
have contributed to the elevation
of the race, to it's freedom from
the enslavement Of sin and igno-
rance, have been based upon the
elementary sentiment Of beuevo-
lence which constitutes the ma
iesty of human nature
1t possesses this regularity,
that the more it is exercised, the
more enjoyment it gives. He
who has caused the tears of graf
itude to flow finds no higher JOY
than that which fills his own
heart.
Patr iotlsm has fired the hearts
OF millions Mutius Scevola
thrust his hand into the burning
Goals. and the clansmen of Rob
ert Bruce were ready to follow
him anywhere, but the streams
of pure benevolence are as clear
as crystal, as pure as the driven
snow and as unselfsh as religion
itself
Sometimes we wish we lived in
the age Of chivalry that we might
win the golden spur by knightly
deeds; we would rescue a cap
tive maiden, defend holy cas- tie
or join in long pilgrimage tor
Palestine torecOver the sepulchre
of our Lord from impious hands,
but the deeds of kindness done
to needy brother, the relief we
give to the sick, the care OF the
helpless orphan, the substantial
assistance rendered the desti-
tute widow IS as knightly deeds
as ever shook the lance or drew
the sword in the days gone by.
In our complex civilization we
must bear one another's burdens
or the whole fabric of our social
order will fall to pieces.
And this order offers the larg-
est opportunity for the exercise
Of the spirit of generosity and
the cultivation Of the spirit of So
cial enjoyment without the temp
tations of conviviality. Again,
ODD FELLOWSHIP CHERISHES THE
MEMORY OF THE DEAD.
If a man loses confidence in
his fellowman he may permit his
love to turn to hate. his friend
ship to enmity and his benevo-
lence to malevolence. Then his
deeds will perish from the earth,
his name will be forgotten and he
will pass away unWept, unsung
and unknown But the right
eous shall be in everlasting re
memberance, for his deeds are
embalmed in the hearts and en-
shrined in the memories of his
fellowmen, and they live forever.
Because Odd Fellows believe in
the divinity of good deeds they
cherish each others memories,
and long after the tongue is 81
lent in death and the daisies are