The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-06
ELk'S SERVICES IN MEMORIAM Annual Lodge of Sorrow
 is Held. ADDRESS BY RABBI EHRENREICH Touching Tribute Paid to Memory of W. E. VandiYer. stage Setting is BenutifuI and Artis- tic and Program, Centainine Several Speeches and Music Numbers of Sympathetic Qualities, Is Interest-
 ing One.
 

Qualities, Is Interest-
 iag One.
 Gathering in solemn conc,ave at the Grand. Theator. Sunday afternoon. the members of the local Elk Lodge held their annual lodge of sorrow in trib- ute to those of the order who have c. Ehrenreich. chaplain of the local lodge, made the memorial address. Previous to the service. the local Elks marched in a body from thcir home on Bibb Street to the thcatcr. which was well filled.
 As the orchestra played the over Aure, "Stradella," tho curtain went up and q beautiful picture was presented. It was dark at first, then diffused light showed some of the members of the lodge seated in a semi-circie around the stage. The background was large United States flag and the nenterpiece was an immense elk head surmountcd ty flowers. The stage
 was tastefully decorated with flowers and palms.
 In keeping with the ceremony. q program was carried out. Rev. H.
 M. Edmonds. pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, pronounced the invocation. June Pierce gave vocal solo. Calvary" Miss Nellie Wolff and Rudolph Lindcr gave violin and flute number. Following the address of tho afternoon. Mrs. Hugh Brown sang Row Down Thine Ear"
 E. T. Meyer, who presided. an.
 nounced tho numbers on the program and introduced the speakers. He said that the Elks had gathered to hailnw the memories of those who had gone away. We feel that we have your
 sympathy by your presence and ws
 welcome you to our service he com cluded.
 Judge M. H Screws. in his address on the Good of the Order" told how I true Eikdom began and that the pur- pose of the order was to inculcate charity, brotherly love, justice and fi- delity. He told how sad hearts had | been cheered and dark homes made bright by the charity of tho order, and | hc said one of tho principles of the l lodge was to promote the happiness and welfare of mankind. He also
 spoke of the ministering and sympa-
 thctic aid of tho women
 | Memorial Address.
 Rabbi Ehrenreich. in his address.
 said:
 "Is life worth living? I heard one ask a few days ago. This is but q repetition of the momentary pessim. l ism of the royal philosopher in Israel who said similarly: Vanity of vani. ties, all Is vanity At times when ths hand of despair seizes hold of us. W, gre inclined to agree with both thes, emotions that find life vapid void I Whom we look about us and finc | wretchedness and misery, trouble ana
 sorrcw. mingling and aomnningling, ws
 arc led to believe that it is indeed q
 vain attempt on our part to keep ur l the struggle seeing that 1t ends ir
 nothing but the grave. After years oi contest with adverse conditions oi I life, we are confronted by the grim reaper who knows neither wealth nor station, nor occupation nor place. to demand his toll. He collects 1t amid the sorrow and the heartache oi gricving family and friends Millions | have paid 1t. and millions will con tlnue to pay 1t. It is the decree of heaven. Hut even these reflections should not cause us to sink into de-
 spair and relinQuish hope, for there is | reality to life and an earnestness l to every shade of 1t.
 ''To the modern qucstioner. I would
 answer lifa is indeed worth the living.
 if fer no other reason than for the
 sake of living. for the sakeo the flower
 and the blossom. for the sake of the joys that we receive from intimates and l family. for the sake of the children whose little arms entwine themselves | lovingly about our necks. For answer | to the royal philosopher. would refer | you to the original text in which the l thought is expressed. I will permit myself tho use of an old form of recog-
 nixed exegesis. Read not Vanity oi vanities. all is vanity but Is all van | ity?' True there are many things ir | the world that are not worth half the
 struggle that we put into life in order to obtain them. yet we, in our lack oi judgment think these things the all. important. Stop awhile and think ever as the text reads and you will soon f1nt that amid all the vanities that are, yo, 1 will soon come to the conclusion.
 "Is all vanity? Among the thing, that are not vain are that each of ui
 leaves his Impress upon the generation in which he lived. It may not be ar eternal individuality, but 1t still is real
 The smallest as well as the greatest all of them together help to shape an(
 to form the thought and the policy ot the generations that are to follow. Al in the great organ there are stops ant keys and combinations of both. somt of them of little consequence. others l of more marked importance, so in life there is no being so inconsequentia l that he is not required in order to leave his mark upon the generation in which
 he lived.
 Harmony of World.
 ITO produce the grand harmony that we find in the world. the grass Is need
 ed as much as the rose, and the storm
 as we'll as the sunshine. So, too, as in
 the organ, the discord is frequently em-
 ployed to help the melody. and finish | the harmony, must we needs have the
 strain of life as well as its joy. the
 pain as well as the pleasure. The same 1 holds true of human kind, all of us are
 of importance even though. we with ouI finite minds cannot discern their use-
 fulness. In truth, there Is much of
 vanity, but is 1t all vanity?
 | "The great brotherhood of Elks Is 1 this evening assembled to give testi-
 mony to this truth. Established as we are on the broadest principles of hu-
 manity, philanthropy and fidelity. we
 seal our testimony this day with the statement that all of us are brethren and that when the least of us passes into the great beyond link Is broken I in the chain that held us closely to-
 gether. The harmony of the organiza- l tion though not impaired, Is yet ap- palled. To honor the memory of those who have stood with us shoulder to | shoulder in our work of uplift and of
 relief and who have helped us if even l only in small fashion to more closely