The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1910-12-17
History sosie.,. and ~..4..

glorious. THE faults Of our brothers
we write upon the sands, their vir-
tues on the tablets OF love and men,
! ory." This Is wei. 1t embraces the
best Of thousand dogmas It is the
essence Of unnumbered creeds 1t is
rule of life. If we live up to 1t.
that will make our earthly careers
sublime.
The Elks order teaches us to take
life az we find it. but the Elk does
| not believe 1t is the mission of man
to sit forever in the sun dreaming
rapturous visions. but never doing.
Neither does he 9 ieve that we should
sit by the rivers Of sorrow, amid the
ashes OF d ISOLATION. and weep unavail-
ing tears. The true believer In the
principles of this glorious and emin-
e ltly practical order knows that while
1T is his duty to celebrate the vic
tories of the successful in lifes battle
he should never forget to bind up the
wounds of those who have fallen
from the ranks. orer-borne by the foe.
He knows the path of life leads
through sun and shade as it winds on
up to the higher levels Of earthly
triumphs.
The heart OF the ideal Elk is as
open. and his countenance as CHEEKY
as the light Of morn. His sympathy
/ and intellect are ever in perfect har-
mony and accord. Suffering. what
ever form it takes. is resistless In
It's appeal. and oppression, however
imposing in its force, will never see
him quail before 1t. He is knight
errant OF the Curious cause Of human
ity, ever seeking for the work his
hands can do Instead OF leaving the
great highway of suffering and sor-
row, to avoid the appeals OF the In
jured and distressed, the Elk 10 for
ever In search Of objects upon which
TO exercise his cheerful benevolence
and inspiring kindness. His thoughts
are lifted by the exercise of his
duties. as a member of this order.
from the selfish grooves to a high
er and purer atmosphere, where the
dictates of our Letter natures are su-
preme. Under the gentle influence Of
the orders precept and example, he
is taught that none Of US can stand
alone or be without influence. for good
or III. upon those we meet IN our
daily walk. He learns that when our
bark d.:fts out upon the shoreless
ocean 1t does not bear away all the
life that is ended, but that into NOR
tai hands is given precious legacy
of glorious memories. He realizes thai
1T Is not the whole of life to live.
nor all of death to die"
A life without mistakes is life
without memories. He who wears
laurel crown may be fair to look upon
but twine few sad cypress leaves
about his brow, and new and added
beauty is given by that consecrated
coronet of sorrow that wins the sym
pathy of the heart. Crowns of roses
wither; crowns of thorns endure to
challenge the clemency of the world.
OF all of life's sad hours, the sad
dest of all is that in which we stand
listening at the portals Of the tomb,
knowing that never again will the ia
miliar voice fall upon our ears until
the tones welcome us when the mar
row stream Is crossed at the close OF
life.
If there is one ray of consolation to
fall from the dark heavens of sorrow
beside a grave, it comes when we re-
fleet that those who have passed away
had their full share of love and affec-
ton from us while on earth. We may
come to the side of the solemn bier
with our hands filled with fragrant
flowers, but 1t is too late then to
make them understand. We may pour
forth words of eulogy until our utter
ance is choked with our sobs of grief,
but the voiceless clay cannot reply
Regrets for the fond words that were
never uttered and tardy tributes or
affection cannot penetrate to the re-
gions beyond the boundaries OF ex'
istence Massive bronze and storied
marble. enduring monuments ard glow
ing epitaphs cannot bridge the gult
between us and the vast and silent
spaces to which the dead have gone.
The book is closed, the seals are
set. and to them time can bring no
change. Though our hearts should
break with sorrow, we cannot enrich
them with the affection we withheld
before they passed into the great
Beyond.
So from the sacred ceremonies OF
this day, let us learn as an alien
during lesson of life, that one bright
flower of affection and good Will