Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-26
FUNERAL SERVICES HELD
FOR v. ". RICHARDSON
EuIogy by Newspaper Friend
and Masonic Ritual at
the Grave.

the services and a brief eulogy was pro-
nounced by William H. Landvoigt, per-
sonal friend and newspaper associate OF
Mr.. Richardson The pallbearers were c.
Fred Cook, Charles NJ. Shinn, Mayo Dud-
ley and Howard Fisk, friends and asso-
ciates of Mr.. Richardson of The Star;
j. Frank Little and DR.. Garden +. War
ner The Masonic ritual at the grave in
Oak Hill cemetery. Georgetown, was con-
Quoted by members of Bethesda Lodge,
A. F. and A. NJ.
Mr.. Landvoigt's Tribute.
Mr.. Landvoigt in his tribute said:
Awoke in the night from deep dream OF peace
And saw within the moonlight of his room,
Making it rich and like lily In bloom,
An angel, writing in book Of gold.
Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold.
And the in the he its
And with q look made Of all sweet accord
Answered The names of those who love the
And is mine one:' asked Abou. ''Nay not so,"
Replied the angel Abou spoke more low,
But cheerily. and said, Il pray thee then
Write me as one that loves his feowmen.''
The angel wrote and vanished The next n ght
1t came again with a great awakening light
And showed the names whom love OF God had
And 10. Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.
THE sentiment Of this beautiful little
poem is the soul of real Freemasonry.
He who sleeps before us and now no
longer suffers loved Freemasonry. More
than that, he tried to be real Mason
and there are those of us who know he
was.
HE was not given to self-revelation.
What concerned him and his he held
sacred for his own fireside His upper
most beauty of character was his love
for his wife and boy and his home. He
could not keep the knowledge of that
from any one who knew him. And 1t Is
that great, pure love that is going to be
always the surest solace to their saddened
hearts. as it will always keep his MEM
DRY green in the hearts of his friends.
His Love and Loyalty.
1.-The heart and mind that gave this love
and loyalty to his own were broad and
deep and generous enough to be good and
just and true to his fellow-men. His char
ity knew no creed. His kindness knew
no color. He was not a man of make
believe. He made no vain pretenses.
Strong in character, brilliant in intel
lect and unimpeachable in integrity. the
truth at all times was simply natural to
| him. Brave Of heart, even when racked
| with pain, he never complained. He bore
| his burden without a murmur.
His keen wit that never carried a
| sting, his kindly humor. his brilliant
salIies, ever a source of pleasure to his
| friends, We're, with his cheerful disposi-
| ton, always heralds prOclaiming the man
was there, undaunted by lesser things,
no matter how severe.
Courage of His Manhood.
Even the grief that saddened his heart
at saying goodbye never weakened the
courage of his manhood. AS he met life
and its trials and obstacles without fear
| or faltering so he turned his face to the
mystery of the wreat unknown and weak
ened not.
eff 1 may be permitted to paraphrase
| the poet that thought as he felt, he so
lived that when the summons came he
| bravely answered the call, and. wrapping
| the drapery of his couch about him, he
sank to everlasting slunber peacefully
| confident of the dreams that might come
| in the hereafter. We have no need to
| feel sorry for him, but for ourselves we
shall be always and always sorry.
'.He was real man, a real Mason, and
we loved him.