Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-26
-Four Ideal ? Bodies At
tend Divine Worship,
Able Sermon Preached by
I Rev. Leroy v, Coons.
Church Auditorium Filled With
Odd Fellows and Friends.

Members of Asylum Lodge, No. TO-
Jephtha Encampment, No. 3, Canton
Augusta, No. 8, and r. B. Capen Re-
bellah Lodge, No. az, /. 0. o. F. to the
| number of $50 in all, assembled at The
Winthrop Street Universalist church
| Sunday morning to listen to sermon
| upon the principles OF the order by
Rev Leroy w. Coons. The auditorium
of the church was crowded to the ut
most seating capacity and the pews on
either side of the main aisle We're &C
cupied by the odd Fellows and Re-
bekahs. Harry w. Reid acted as mar
shall for the four bodies and was as
sisted by Noble Grand d. w. I,ovcjoy
of Asylum Lodge, Chief Patriarch 0.
E. Farnham of Jephtha Encampmenr,
Captain w. p. Tabor of Canton Angus
ia and Noble Grand Carrie Spearin of
r. B. Capen Rebekah Lodge.
The subject of Mr.. COOns' able and
practical discourse was, THE Unbrok-
en- Links and his text, "These three,
but the greatest of these is love- AT
the opening of his discourse Mr.. Coons
presented some figures showing thu
remarkable growth of the order, which
now numbers more than 100000 of
men with whom are associated more
than 100000 women in common aims:
and hopes. .a r.. -,-t 18Th
'HThe number of members in the Staten
E;yaf:E |, 1909 were 24,S39; number Of
brothers relieved, 263S; number of
widowed families relieved, SO; number
fof brothers buried, 1928; number Of
hGnpfitS
paid. 2S,369; amount paid for relief
$69, 395.74; amount paid to widowed
families, s4Os.59; amount paid for edu
cation of orphans and special relief
$157525; amount paid for purying the
dead, ST., 597.7S; total amount paid for
relief, $1SS,597.7S.
The number of members shown OH
the books of Asylum Lodge, Dec. 81,
1908 was 1903; number of brothers re-
lieved 80; number of weeks benefits
paid 263; amount paid for relief OF
brothers, $601; amount paid for bury
ing the dead, $704; amount paid for
watching with sick, s22S; amount paid
for special relief, $100; total amount
paid for relief, $16SS5.
Continuing Mr.. nGodns said: What
is peculiar in your order lies in the
fact that you have taken the old prin-
ciples of friendship, love and truth and
made them incarnate, made them
realities. Friendship, love and truth
with you represent acts to be done,
lives to be lived, duties to be mani
tested before the men and women OF
the world. XII
This world is onet in which you Will
find a great deal Of suffering and sor-
row, but it is good world after all.
Robert Ingersoll could never see that
this was a good world. He was
great orator, but he missed his whole
mark by his Interpretation of life. He
was accustomed to say that if he had
made the world he would have made
health catching as we'll as disease.
Health is contagious. one person in a
roomsull With q Healthy, hearty smile
will soon have the Whole crowd snil-
ing l am sure that this is. good
world even il there is suffering and
care in it.
This is a sane world. If there We're
no suffering and care we would not
have cause for the expression OF the
nobler side of our nature. The quail
ties of love and friendship would not
be developed and the germs of noble
manhood and womanhood would re-
main undeveloped for want of oppor-
tunity of expression. Suffering is an
appeal to express friendship, and every
time you seize an opportunity or take
advantage of an occasion to express
the qualities of love and friendship
the more your nobler side is developed.
i rTruth is not merely what a church
OH. creed, or political party or group
Jdf men hold. Truth is what has been
demonstrated by experience! to be USE 4
ful and desirable There are thoughts
in the Bible, which the experience OF
the world tells us is not true; nor best:
Take for example Pauls instruction in
regard to the return of runaway slaves.
The test of truth is the matter of ex-
perence What is the experience If
your order in regard to the two great
truths, which Odd Fellowship has dis
covered. the truth of Gods fatherhood
and the truth of mans brotherhood?
Take the truth of the fatherhood or
God. That is not only the last word
but the latest word in regard to God,
the message that you and l are the
children of an infinite parent. All are
brothers. We are all bound UP in
great human brotherhood and must
either rise or fall together
Friendship, truth, love, but the
greatest of these is love, simply be-
cause it is the heart Of the whole mat
ter"