The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-07-12

cruel hand of man.
| He was my friend. MANY were the
times he came to me and unbosomed
in my sympathetic ears the various
perpleXitleS that come into every
mans life; | had learned to love him.
and great was the shock when the
message came, but how weak and
puerile in comparison with the stu
pendOus sorrow that fell on her-the
bride of few brief NOTWITHSTANDING
here now in her place of sorrow and
trappings and habilimentS of woe.
Only the merciful God of heaven can
ever know the bitterness of that cup
that would not pass. Never again
will his strong arm encircle her: new
en- again will his sunny smile light
her pathway; never again will his
words of love cheer and console her
Shall she tread the wine press alone?
No! WOOdmen, behold your sister:
cherish and protect her in her hours
of need and sorrow as you would that
the dear one who leans on you should
be cherished when that sad day comes.
My heart bleeds for that little help
less infant who will never know
fathers protecting care, can never sit
who will miss his guiding words of
love that should be the heritage of
every tender girl. There will be no
daddy to hear the, lisp of her first
prattling words-words caught from
angels tongues. Woodmen, l con-
sign her to your love. Guard her
with jealous care. Teach her that
though she possess not wealth, nor
beauty, nor power, that
"It is only noble to be good:
That kind hearts are more than
cOrOnets,
And simple faith than Norman blood.
How often have we seen the grim
reaper cut down more than the hus-
band; the family is left desOlate, the
home is gone: the treasured possess
siOns are swept away as a feeting
mirage; the acquisitions of a brief life
are carried into the maelstrOm of in
satiabie debit then our brotherhood
proves the ministering angel which
drives the ravenOus wolf of want from
the door and covers the defenseless
family with the unstained escutcheOn
of our order, restores the home, gives
back the treasured possessions,
brightens the lives of the bereft ones,
and adorns with the beautiful flowers
of hope the desolate darkness of wan
ton despair.
1t is the principles of our order to
scatter some of the flowers of appreci- |
alton along the rugged and dusty
pathway of life and not wait until
death has ended all. If you have
mead of praise present it to the living
lips; if you have song of love sing
it to the listening ears: if you have
words of commentator that will up
lift the soul and bear it on to Joy say
them while life holds carnival over
the mortal frame; if with facile brush
YOU can delineate in living colOrs pic
lures OF heavenly hope paint them be-
fore the eyes are blurred in death.
This great order bears within itself
the attributes of heavenly love. When
the golden bowl is broken and life has
ebbed away, when the home is left des
Olate and the tower of strength has
fallen. when the strong right arm is no
longer capable of shielding the wife
and babe from the fierce storms of adj |
versity that beat pitilessly and I'M
ceasingly upon the unprotected head
of helpless innocence, then it is that
fraternalism shines over them--a pill |
lar of cloud by day and of fire by
their weary feet may be
led into the promised land. 1t covers
the helpless with the shadow of its
wing and holds them in the hollow of
it's hand; it fathers the orphan and
wipes away the tears of its sorrow; it |
husbands the widow and supplies her
wants.
1t stands at the cradle with its pan
Oply and shield above it; it closes
the grave with its cyprus and wraps
the folds of its Oriflamme about it: it
briphtens the humble home and brings
the grace of sweet content to weary
life; while planting flowers upon the
graves of the dead it scatters them
in the pathway Of the living; it bears
within its bosom something akin to
mothers love, that tender, unsleeping
affection that twines itself about its
offspring and guards it with its life,
and follows it to the very valley and
shadow of death.
Fraternalism is a sentiment implant-
ed within the hearts of mankind that
the world. sin-cursed, might be made
better: it is the love of Damon and
Pvthias. of Jonathan and David, and
Of all true men for their brothers com
bined, and thus illustrates the most
glorious conceptions of the human
mind.
1t links men together as they unite
in the noble endeavOr to uplift their
friends with bonds as soft as yOn
aeeting cloud, but as strong as the
heart of those towering oaks which
bear within their bosoms the earned
strength of cycles of winters rains
and summers sunshine.
There may be prouder themes for
The eulogist than this; the successful
statesman as he sits in the seat of
place and power, the mighty warrior
like bosom of despair carrying death
and devastation in his sangulnary
course may furnish more splendid top
les for ambitious elOquence, but when
that statesman is gone and forgotten
and Others sit in his place and the sol
der lies Wondering in the dust with