Norwich bulletin., 1913-12-08
THE MEMORY OF ABSENT BROTHERS
Revered by Norwich Lodge of Es in Annual Memorial Ser vces-Davs Theatre Filled With Lodge Members and Their Friends-Two Impressive Addresses by William w. Beckwih and Richard P. Freeman Excellent Mu sical Programme.

throughout the eagth and breadth of this country thousands upon thou sands of Elks are assembling around their altars to freshen with the dew of their remembrance the tender flower of love.
 Another twelve months of mingled happiness and sorrow, success and fail- ure, smiles and tears, have been allot- ted us. and yet to most of us the in terval seems so short that we involup- tarily think of such words as Time is feeting," Time flies" But my broth CTS, these expressions are but figures of speech.
 Time goes, you say? An, no!
 Time stays. We gol"
 In art, time is always represented as hoary and aged with silvery locks and snowy beard. His frame is always and stoical. Fitting symbolization of the only thing that endures, for time truly is old, yes, centuries old.
 But while time here rolls on forever and forever, remorsely destroying, alt- devouring, the members of our order are taught to believe that there is d better land where the hours are dead and time is bound;" a land where no deepening shadows ever fall. where there is always glorious dawn. There we trust our absent brothers whom the world calls dead may still be living,
 
 them should be tonight our al-prevail- ing thought.
 Time a Reality.
 We are living in a world the light of which, for us, leSSens with every day that passes. For us, time is a reality, a force whose power and value we never fully recognize, although perhaps we are nearest to an adequate recOgni- tion of it when we stand in the actual presence of death, or when we have assembled on such solemn occasion as this, with thoughts of our departed brothers uppermoSt in our minds. Let this occasion serve to impress upon us that it is not yet too late to make the most of time, to use its golden mo- ments in seeking out the highest good, not only for ourselves but for others. Let us realize that it is of the utmost import tance to place ourselves in touch with influences that help us to achieve that which is good, and to that end and purpose was created the BeneVo- lent and Protective Order of Elks.
 We have banded ourselves together for a common purpose, the common veal; the good of one being the good of all, and the good of the whole the good of the individual. As Elks it is our duty to bring hope to the despond- ent, help to the unfortunate, aid to the needy, and in all possible ways to be a blessing rather than bane, that the world may be the better for our order having lived and labored in it. As Elks we should stand ever ready to smooth the brow of suffering with the tender hand of mercy and to dry with sympathy the tear of grief upon the cheek of sorrow.
 Love of FeIIownan.
 Love of our fellowman is the great religious test of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and we should ever remember that on the sec ond visit of the angel with the list of those whom love of God had blest, that Abou Ben Adams name led all the rest, because he had asked to be written as one who loved his fellow men.
 Love of our fellowman is love of God. The two great commandments, Love thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind" and Love thy neighbor as thy self" are like unto each other, and upon tEem it is written hang all the law and the prophets. The virtues of Charity, Justice, Fidelity and Brother ly Love, which our order seeks to in culcate, are comprehended and sum- med up in the Golden Rule, which is the foundation and groundwork of our order. If we would fit ourselves to meet our absent brothers, if
 Some day. some time our eyes would
 see
 The faces kept in memory" then let us ever Do unto others as we would others should do unto us.' If we would but live obedient to the cardinal principle of our order, then none of us need ever fear to die. We may even welcome death as one who comes to take us ready and all pre- pared from this imperfect lodge into that au-perfect, glorious and celesti Il