The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-05-02

| ry@mdEcnt and sure. You, therefore, lay
the fidelity of your hearts ON one com
I.ou altar. fer I'LL the years to come and
SO ppt the seal upon It. that You shall
rDrr forget ii. but br soIcnuly pledged
{" aid, cheer and succor each other to
Tie end. And AL this not for SrlShn"sS.
Tut for love and fraternity. Surely this
| l. AN impressive spectacle in It world all
too 'ul' of tickle purposes and careless
/ uu...l~. The fact is that the spirit Of
such covenant should exist among all
mn" everywhere. We are members Of
o1" race. We are living one iif" and
th"'n is common want, trouble and weak
| 't>-. God bids MS by the highest pos
| ,h'r commands. ito love our n"ighbrr
e." ourselves. His love puts lis all ia
covenant with one another This being
| true, then GOODNESS and SrltiShncSS amy
where, are "uvcnant-hrrakcrs and wc
| hu ar" Indifferent to the Sorrow> of our
| "ruthrr~. are like the miserable Priest
anl l"vit". who pass by on the other
! side. And this would remain true. even
| II l" OGd Fellowship ever existed.
Third. l!ut see how quickly that coy
| rHant bore fruit. 1t was no mere sent.
m"m that Jonathan had proposed. or :,
l'jl,r romano" for pastimr. No. 1t bios
>"#"I int" deeds. II flowed on, into
Us. Soc him He leads David ini,
his own tent They are brothers now.
i!r takes off his own princcly robe. ana
puts il on the shoulders of his friend.
Lives him his own sword and bow. ana
even uncla>pS his girdle and faStrnS il
lh"ut tn" waist of the wondering David.
HAT L.,
'l)Avid, honor thee NV heart i knit
/" thee. All | have is thine. | keep
rpthlng from thee" ., how royal THAI
Gas thry were both military heroes.
nut timer" WAS no envy nr jrnurtSy there.
onr was u Prince, and the other. Il sub
l"cl. but that should not divide them.
ih"y were men and brothers. ard thai
WIS higher than Prince or King. More
S.lll Jonathan was heir to the throne,
but David could have it. II" preferred
aim in h"nor-And said 50. Here was y
friendship that l"aped over all mere urlt-
" lrh circumstances. that forgot titles
and ranks ana personal ambitions in T.,
Nlrr'i Fellowship and denied itself aud
"l>t contempt on it l.gtimi.ir hnn".S
lAAt another might have them. i that
In" high devotion which you arr, copying
lntO your lives, my brothers II -. GoI
viii >mil" upon you. You kr"H that IT,
r"rrlN" any part of the dress which has
been worn by Il Sovereign or his edr~,
son. Is deemed in the East the highest
honor that can be conferred. and to- w-a..
his gir'lr Il special mark of esteem. SurI
ar" tn" deeds and self drnial> of n great
hearted friendship and the hnnor> which
I,litr r. IN and 4
teaches these rare lessons. 1t believes in
universal Rrothcrhood because Go! i
the Father of us all. 1t steps oyer urti
hclal distinctions. and sets love above
CROWNS and hearts above cornnets. And
ii is generous. 1t speaks not in words.
but III deeds. 1t has Il C,,rrnan, 10 helm
the nee Iy and lift up the bowed dnwn.
On III" seal of the Sovereign Grand
lodge. is this ringing order. W. com
mand You to visit the sick. relieve the
distressed, bury the dead and p,iurat,
the orphan" And this it has done. II
has given its robes and grdleS and hearts
to its needy brothers. 1t has bowed it.
elf over beds of pain, and watched and
mnlHt"rrd and never wearird. t. has
Gathered i'll its arms the weeping or
i'han>. and laid their lonely heads against
its great heart. 1t has been Il Jonathan
all th"S" years and counted not it, liz.
dear unto itself, so that it might hrlp it,
DaviiS.
More STILL here was II lowing friendship
that stood the test Of adversely. AMI
ShoiI" all the more brightly the ia rk -
the nig'ht Of trouble that shut in about
It. There is Il cheap friendship that
smiles and blc>ScS in tn" sweet dny, of
our prosperity, but when tn" winter Of
our trouble blows around us, hi.> away
Xix" Autumn birds. But it is not - here.
Nothing moved Jonathan. The m,-,h,
Saul h : father, might hate David, hu,
that did not influences him. He ,lrlyht.tl
in him and loved Kim even ,nurr trr,l.rly
For Me clouGS that w"rr threatening.
Ih"r cam" NE moment Of .rrr TESTING.
saul Snid 10 Jonathan, Il want Won ami
Honr servants to 90 and kill David" Wa.
there a"y >t'u%gl" there | krnw no..
! OIL? kno" that his heart went ,ut e.,
David, and \" h. t"r"i'a' the "is!: Of his
own life, IT, tell him and hep him Ia
hiCr lWay. IL" dnrrd IT, shelter his
friend and then on tn" morrow. ~ ne
ard his father walked in tn" field, -,
How he pleaded for his brother David. |
like a nobi" iutcrrrSSur He ,lrfcnd.I |
ls. ~ L