The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-03-04
Tie Order Of the Eastern Star.

A~OsAa
plete, in that it could not be shared by
the women of their families. and that
it had become necessary to have some
secret signs and other work whereby
the women might make themselves
known throughout the domain of Ma
sonry as entitled to its protection. Such
an organization wa perfected over fifty
years ago by the Hon. Robert Morris,
OF Clarkson, KY. He took the Star of
the East for his guide, the star known
in Masonry as the Pentalpha, because
by the union of three triangles five
points are made, the exact shape of the
first letter of the Greek alphabet, and
we have the five Alphas, or the Pent-
alpha. This star leads to the City of
the New Jerusalem "that city not
made with hands, eternal in the heav-
ems and ause us to answer when
the question arises, "What is the Or
der of the Eastern Start" at is a
company of select souls who have seen
His star in the East and have come to
worship, to initiate Him who went
about doing good; who have caught in
a measure the spirit of love, self-sacri-
flee and devotion that has illumined the
nineteen centuries of history since the
wise men followed the star from Arabia
to Bethlehem"
MIR. Morris wished the five points Of
the star to represent five heroines of
the Bible-~wCmen noted throughout
Ineir lives for their deeds of love, de-
votion and charity, and whose lives
were examples worthy of the emula-
ton of the women of all ages. He
searched the Bible through and through.
In the Old Testament he found three,
in the New Testament two.
The first point Of the star is Adah,
the daughter of Jeptha, who freely
sacrificed her life to preserve her faith
er's honor. Adah types a class of wo-
men numbered today by the thousands,
women who value honor above every
thing in life.
The second is Ruth, the widow of
Mahlon, the son of Naomi. Ruth left
home, friends and kindred and a life of
plenty to follow Naomi to a land of
strangers and a home of poverty and
become an humble cleaner in the field
of Boaz, because of her devotion to
duty. She leads a company of CLEAN
ers who are gathering in wealth greater
than that of the Rothschilds and As
tors, and of more value than rubies and
diamonds.
The third point of the star is Esther,
the noble Jewish queen who risked life
itself to save her people from exter-
mination, and who trod with stately
step the royal palaces, having no
thought of inferiority on account of
lowliness of birth.
The fourth is Martha, the sister of
Lazarus and Mary, and through all her
life the devoted friend of Jesus, whose
mission was one of service in material
things to those she loved.
The fifth is Electa, or, as John SAYS,
'The Elect Lady" The Bible tells us
nothing about her, but Masonic tradi-
ton teaches that she was the wife of a
Grand Master in Masonry, and in her
acts of kindness and charity a mother
10 the surrounding country of Judea.
These are grouped around a central
Pentagon, the five sides Of which rep
resent five noted Masons of ancient
times-Solomon, King of Israel; Hi
ram, King of Tyre; %Zerubable, who re-
built the temple; John the Baptist and
John the notwithstanding the Masons
that around them are gathered, their
wives, daughters, mothers, widows and
sisters dependent upon them for protec-
ton and support, giving to them the
same love and devotion that character
lied the five heroines Of the Order.
The Order is now very popular all
over the United States, and justly so,
for its teachings are moral and relig-
ious, it's deeds charitable and bencvo-
lent, and all its works are good. 1t
visits the sick, relieves the hungry and
distressed and cares for the widow and
orphan. 1t is the largest and oldest
woman's organization in the world, with
a membership of nearly 400, 900 scat
tered around the world in many coun-
tries and many climes, and wherever
n member meets another the bond is
recognized that renders people brother
and sister in eternal love and friend
ship.
In many States of the Union the Or
der of the Eastern Star has built and is
maintaining orphan homes of it's own,
and in others actively assisting the Ma
sonic brother in the building and sup
port of his. In South Carolina it ex-
poets to do all it can to help that work
that is now being advanced by Masons.
That help will necessarily be small at
first, but such as it can it will freely
give. The Order is as perfect in its
organization as the Ancient Free Ma
sons, its national constitution is pat
termed after the constitution Of the
United States, and during the present
session of Congress the General Grand
Chapter petitions for incorporation. All
its rulings are under the care and guild
ance of the Masons, a brother being
always at the left hand of the sister in
authority, to advise her upon all sub
jects on which 'she needs advice. The
~nnccihiEtinu &c fIn ,uOx1x o,o 90 .aoI