The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-07

Following is the minatory. but ten der aplogy delivered by Rev E. J. Craft at the Elks Memorial ceremon- les, Sunday night a
 Tonight you are holding Lodge or Sorrow a commenloratfon service TOT your absent brethren
 That phrase. a Lodge of Sorrow IS one which appeals powerfully to the imagination. and quickens IL to paint q thought picture of its meaning.
 It suggests the great lodge rooms m the solemn dignity of stately masslSe furniture and adornings, draped m tne sOmbera hues of grief
 Al faint fiitteing light dimly reveal ing the forms of the officers seated at their stations, and those of the pretn- rem in their appointed places
 Into the silence and the dimness, Sort minor music is breathed by unseen in- st-uments and voices. music which In tone and word, tells zof the beauty of friendship and the sorrows of .separa- tic,s and which dies away into softer notes and words of blessed hope
 linen there is silence. broken for the moment by deep voice calling name to which there is no response Then silence-in which each memory calls back the absent form. the incidents or frateriaI lffe-the character and quail ties of the departed-contempfa the deeper meanings of life-learns the les sons of it's true values
 Soone by one the roll is called and from earh memory and meditation. each brothers soul is born into a new and higher life
 Then the soft chime Deals out the departed dsx. annthers dawning- Then the lights blsze out. symbolic of the confidence which must. triumphant IL lun1hne. each living heart in. the Hgnt and life of that lodge they cannot see with feshiy 'eyhs. t5A4s
 Thea standfn,< upon their feet. while music tharders forth the note CT 1oy; with eyes -uplifted. eyes made glad with the afision of immortality. they 1 silerf toast the absent brother, not as one wh1s lives in some grim tomb deaI to all words of fricndship. insensioie 70 all pFtns tokens: but as one who mas but -been exalted to~ the eminences of fratefrial life. who has been called rom their rnfdst. and conducted by q mes ngerS up some winding stair to an upper lodge room whose door is with in their sight from which they see him pause to listen to their applause ard god speeds. and hearing and seeing smiles back in love upon them ana waves.c his greeting and benediction uponFthose who soon shah follow.
 Such q memorial as this indicates moro strpngly than words the principe 1pon which this and all kindred orders are founded friendship. brotherhood. and the necessity of them to human nature
 Man is a social being We were made for each other. The heart de- mands sympathy and affection social life. as the body demands food Men tally. and affectionally. we starve in isolation It is written in all human experience that humanity is the path upon which man must tread to reach the heights of his being expression The intellectual. mof1l and spiritual glory of a life is made possible by the exfstance of and our relations with the world of men It is high instinct therefore which prompts men to band together in brotherhoods in which close relations love may do her perfect and r,arfacfiug work tThe-e aim of the church and the lodge is in this respect identical The object of the Christ was to make men not only 1riends This Is the ideal he set before t@> world. sIh6h shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and thy neigh | bor as thyseh The sermon on the !, mount s but the exposition of that E conduct which is necessary to love and friendship- The regeneration of hu- man soTiety and of the individual was to be Accomplished as man lived like son of God 3ssith his fellow man
 He gave "a new meaning of religion to fr5ehdsi1ip. He gaxe the meaning of ffiendshfp 10 religion He declared that it does mot consist in the observ ance of forms and ceremonies only but in irstieesand Judgment and mercy, in ministry. to those who have need
 We ought andSw do recognize all frate-nal Organizations which are striving for this Ideal as co-workers with the church. not as fulfilling her complete mission. but as needed help CTS in her work universal brother hood. and we bid them God speed as they strive. to exemplify that high frierdship. by which tre race shall be redeeThedS. "A
 And what is Fraternity2 1t is in- te-est in anothers life. manifested by afrectionate sympathy. No truer word was ever uttered than this No man liveth to himseif-s Man is dependant. No man is self, made. The power to acconplfshe and to endure depends up- on the interest and sympathy we re- ceive from our fellows The divine nature is not indenendent of it. Hair splitting metaphysicians may declare God to be without body. parts of pas sions. but such a God would. be stone Not only is God a necessity of the hu- man nature. but man is necessary to the divine nature love is passional and God is love Jesus felt the need of the interest and sympathy of his friends Even He seems to dread Gethsemene with it's conflict, without the inspiration of their presence The consciousness that loving friends are noting our successes and failures. re- 5oicing in our triumphs and grieving with our griefs, robs sorrow of its sharpest pang and steels the will to perSevere-
 Conjure up from the imarination the saddest picture of human life.the deep est abandonment. One lost In a des- ert the burning sands the brazen sky. the thirst the patn- vultures- IT pales into nothing beside the picture or friendless soul. The most ter lying word in all human language. is this i"ALONE.', And friendship is helpful ness
 It is not meeriy the passive interest of the spectator who is emotionslly moved by. the ever changing interests of the drama of human life, but that of one sF1e desires supremely his brothers good and by personal effort aids hfnlf in the upward struggle for character.- Tt iss that interest (which all that makes for lifes purpose which is moral and spiritual
 Friendship. is the hand preventing from the dread pitfalls the unwary feet. Friendship is the unwearied lift ing up. of. those who fall Friendship is the finger pointing upwards to the and god dweIIs it is the supporting arm on the path the cheering word: