The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1910-12-08

our own American Indians who still
believe in their happy hunting
grounds, prepared their dead by fur
nishing them means of carriage,
weapons and food for the journey
thither. this idea has ever existed.
And with us of this late day, with
all the knowledge of the centuries
at our command with our belief in
the great truths of Christianity, with
our chuches and our creeds based
on these truths, we do not hesitate to
answer with all the sincerity of our
natures, that it is not all of life to
live and all of death to die that
mans life is not a circle, begun and
ended here, whose limits prescribe
and define the sum total of the rea.
sons for his existence; but that the
mind, the soul, is indestructible and
continues its existence in another
sphere.
1t has successfully withstood their
attacks and while based only on faith
in God and hope in future, 1t is so
deeply imprinted in the very heart
of man that Ingersoll, the greatest
of modern agnostics, at the grave
of his brother forgot his skeptcism
Tor the moment and uttered the hope
that has ever been the lone star of
humanity when he said that from the
voiceless lips of the unreplying dead
there comes no word, but in the night
Of death hope sees a star and listen
ing love can here the rustic of
wing" If there be no hereafter
whence comes the hope and from
whence but the spirit land could come
The ustel of a wing. But in his state
.nent expresses beautifully the feel
ings OF practically all men. The sen
iment robs death of all its pain and
lelieyes the grief and desolatiOn Of
he parting. The hope OF meeting
gain in a brighter happier land be
yond the dark river has been the
oasis Of more good than can be esti-
mated easily, and it is in true accord
With the sentiment growing out of
this feeling and out of the causes
which eugender 1t, that the order of
.lks was formed
The belief in God, the spirit of
fraternity and the desire to give to
ach one an opportunity to exercise
ihcse feelings, are the foundation
stones Of the order. Not every good
man belongs to the order of Elks,
gut no man who becomes Il member
nd lives up to the principles TO which
e pledged adherence in joining can
ay that he has not been broadened
nd elevated by reason of his mem
5ership or that the spirit of frater-
iity and charity exercised herein, has
uot made q better man and a better
.itizen. His belief in our common
latherhood and our common broth
rhood makes him ever ready to eX-
,rcise that charity which is emble-
matte of our order not only in rem
dering financial assistance, but in do
ilg what means very much moro at
,mes-in rendering moral assistan
10 those in need,
Many disheartened, detected,
down cast brother has through their
kindly words and proffered sympathy
been encouraged to struggle on until
the clouds rolled by and the sun
shone again. And those not of the
order who have been benefited at
various. times by its charities are le-
gion. For this we claim no credit
It is only the carrying out of what
We know to be our duty and our OBJ
legation to our fellow men. And not
only do we extend the hand of broth
crhood and exercise charity toward
our brothers in life, but when the
cold hand Of death he's removed them
rom our midst We bring our laurel
Wreaths to place upon their tombs
And so today in every lodge of Elks,
wherever situated memorial services
are being held in honor of the mem
ories of our dead brothers, Did we
believe that death was the end of all
We should have inferred them and
forgotten them. There would then
be no longing "for the touch of a
vanished hand or the sound of voice
that is still" But our thoughts fol.
low them through the realms of space
and We know that on some sunny isle
beyond the darkness we shall meet
and know them again. And when
the camel kneels at our door" when
The last page in tie book is being
turned and time the destroyer" loads
our footsteps down the narrow path.
way from the sunlit slopes which we
occupy today to the valley of the
shadow and the darkness, we may go
without fear of the dreams that may
come in the sleep that is to follow
and which the knowledge that though
We will waken in the splendors of an
eternal dawn, we win not be forgot
ten here
To those who are left to carry
on our work and to mourn our de
parture we will send this message
given by Azan the Arab to those nhc
made his grave
tsr,t- tYx.Il g..s. 4