The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-06-27

que, let US AVOID the very Semblance
of deception. Let US speak wen of our
| brother, and if we cannot speak wei
/ of him. let US hold our peace concern
ing him.
Men are not always what they seem.
The poor man, in humble garb and
with hand rough from honest toll, may
be wise and good. while the rich man,
with the style and appearance of what
the world calls gentleman, may be
base and mean. Let US judge of a
man, then, by his conduct. not by per-
sonal appearance
Fraternity this is our cornerstone.
1t teaches US to regard the whole
| family of mankind as our brethren,
all children of one heavenly Father, in
who We live and move and have our
being, and we should, in our conduct,
reflect the image of that Father after
whose likeness man was made. Friend
ship, Love and Truth fit warriors a
gainst vice in all its forms. Friendship
prompts the contest, Love with its
gentle influence supplies the weapons.
and Truth consecrates the effort and
leads to victory. Let us engage in this
Holy War nor cease our battle until
our cause, and induced to enlist under
our banner.
As a child, I remember looking at
the certificate of my father as it hung
on the wall and thinking how complex
and strange it all was 1 couldn't
fathom it, but as 1 grew older and
especially after becoming a Rebekah,
it was like an open book. There the
all-seeing eye Thou. God, Seest Me- .
for the eye of the Lord is in every
place, beholding the evil and the good.
Then our tongues. Let US bride our
tongues and the secrets we have pro-
missed to keep inviolate will never be
divulged by any one, except by a man
or woman devoid of the principles of
honor
Then, the heart in hand, Odd Fellow
ship teaches US to relieve the distress
ed, etc. Whatever our hands find to
do in this respect let US do with our
whole heart, willingly and cheerfully,
not grudgingly. The heart should go
with the hand: they must not be div
ided in their efforts. You are all Odd
Fellows, but I must say one word to
the Patriarchs, of which brother S. is
a member. He doesn't seem inclined to
tell one much about them, but they
go about their work, as we all should,
in a quiet, transformations way but I
do know this-that the Patriarchs of
old We're a peaceabIe, contented and
happy people, dwelling in tents and
following the life of shepherds. They
were happy because they were good.
Now Patriarchs of today though We
dwell not in tents, initiate the example
of the patriarchs of old, and you, in
deed, shall be happy.
Now, before I close, a word to our
sister Rebekahs. Odd Fellows went
along tolerably we'll for some years,
but there was something lacking and
that something turned out to be wo-
man. She had been kept out of the
order therefore, not as some said to
me once because she couldn't keep
secret, but because of her social posi-
ton and standing in those days. But
in 1851 or 2 a man by the name of
Schuyler Colfax wrote the degree of
Rebekah, in Indiana.
Back as far as 1775 there We're lodges
for women all over Europe especially
in France but of a social or frivolous
nature as their names would indicate.
Perseverance, knights and Ladies of
Joy, Daughters of Penelope and the
like, they were full of nonsense. When
a man was going through their de-
grees. it was the age "to love-" and
maiden, ''to be loved" All sorts of
fancifuI names were applied to their
regalia and paraphernalia. A glass
was called a lamp. Fill your glass
was to fill your lamp. Water was call
ed oil; wine, red oil, and a person to
be initiated was marched around the
hall with chains of iron around his
neck in search of the Temple of Love
or Garden of Eden, and when he found
that Temple the chains were replaced
by garlands of roses.
Now the Rebekahs of today, while we
go in for social pleasure, that is not
all we think about Not one of US but
would cancel any social pleasure to do
a kind act or deed. Who were more
ardent at the time of the Spanish
American war, when the soldiers were
pouring in upon US. sick and dying?
Who put forth their whole energies,
heart and hand, to relieve their ne
Perhaps only to write a let
ter for them. but what good came of
it we perhaps shall never know.
One sister who has deserted US, was
full of kind acts and deeds, she let not
her left hand know what her right did.
1 never went to her for counsel or adj
wise but it was freely given and Of the
right sort. I make special mention of
her because when come into this hall,
I think of the vacant chair, but our
ship must sail on, though we've lost
some of our good crew. might men
ton many more good works of the
We have another brother
and sister, who have stood by the ship,
perhaps unlike the sister I have just
spoken of in disposition, yet alike in
performing good deeds and kind acts,
who threw open their hearts and their
home to admit a sick and dying Re
bekah, and her grave today Will not
be forgotten, whereas if the Odd Fell
lows did not exist she might be for
saken and alone. Indeed our works
may be best described in a few lines.
Brothers and sisters I shall soon be