The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-06-17
ODD FELLOWS AT MEMORIAL.
Service Was Held at the Universalis
Church Yesterday Morning.

| Snurcn yesterday morning,
Members of Hiawatha lodge, No. 20
|. 0. 0. F., some fifty in number. and
thirty members of Bright Star Rebekah
| lodge, No. Is, marched in body to
the Universalist church Sunday morning
at 1890 o'clock, when the pastor, Rev,
John b. Reardon, delivered sermon
appropriate to the memory of brothers
and sisters of the affiliated orders who
| have died within the year past. The
usual order of morning worship was fol-
lowed, music being furnished by the
Orpheus male quartet. While the Odd
Fellows and Rebekahs were marching
into the church, Prof. w. A. Wheaton,
played an organ professional
The pastor chose the text of his memo
rial discourse from the first chapter Of
James, 9th vs., which reads: Pure re-
ligion and undeiiled before God and the
Father is, To visit the fatherless ami
the widows in their affection, and to
keep himself unspotted from the world. =
He said in part:
1T seems to me goodly and prop
er thing for the living to remember the
dead. at least once a year, and it seems
a kind and loving thing to mark this
remembrance with sweet flowers. As
people we are not very emotional, and
if there is any way in which we can
bring our kindness to the surface it
should be done, and so the encourage
ment of the day, sacred to the memory
of those, who, while living, were bound
to us by the tender ties of friendship.
love and truth, although now departed
from our immediate presence and com
panionship. they are not forgotten.
What is Odd Fellowship | can
best answer the question By quoting
the words of the Sovereign Grand Lodge:
To visit the sick, clothe the naked.
relieve the distressed, assist the widow
and educate the orphan. ] think that
comes pretty near what James laws
down in our text as constituting pure
religion Odd Fellows, as members OF
the great human family, feel an inter
est in the well-being Of each other and
are bound by all means to promote that
which is highest and best in the lives
of Gods children. They are march
ing million strong under the ban
ner of friendship, love and truth, hav-
ing for our inspiration the best i'm
pulses of the human heart, knowing
no tongue, no creed, no race.
"Of the three great principles for |
which the order stands, the first is
1t is said that "A man that |
hath friends must show himself friend |
w. This is precisely what Odd Fell
lows do in their relationship with each |
other. 1t is their friendship, combined |
with love, the second great cardinal prin- |
'iple of Odd Fellowship, that has led |
TO the adoption and observance of a
Memorial day for our dead.
Turning to view the second prin. /
'ipe of the order, love, where shall we
begin, or where end. Too many sup
,ose that love once confessed and con-
olidated needs never more expression.
NO greater erro, and none more
disastrous to happiness, can exist.
friendship and love need as much care
% keep alive as does the greenhouse
lower, or the business which lives by
mans exertions and dies by his neglect.
And this is the true significance of this
Memorial Sunday. Brothers and sisters
re moved to come together by these
ender and holy ties of friendship.
What good does it do that one man
'lunges into flood or fire to save the
life of anotherY There is no money i'm
but everyone who witnessed the deed
r hears of it, feels more like man
nd a hero himself. What good did ii
o that for his love of truth-and here
We have the third great cardinal prin-
iple of Odd Fellowship, truth,--what
God did it do that for his love of
ruth man was burned at the stake i?
o what purpose the waste of life that
right have acquired wealth and honor
{ made truth dearer than ever to hui
ian hearts. To what purpose does the
Dung man in time of danger. go from
is home to the front? Love of country
a mere sentiment, but what is there
obler
brothers and sisters, as YOU visit
ne resting places of the earthly remains
your loved ones. your feelings are
luch as was that of the mother, who
Inhibited as the fondest of her treasures,
little faded wisp of yellow hair and
few broken playthings of her dead
hid. Human language is not adequate
, express them, but actions are more
lpressive than language could possibly
=. "As you visit their last resting
ace, do not for their sake forget what
Du should do for the living Let not
le shadow of their loss darken the
nth of the living, but let the memories
their past still cheer and help you.'
l. -.I | 4