The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-04-26

by five men, following published call
the evening Of April 26. 1919. This H.
stitution recognizes man as a constt-
tuent Of one universal brotherhood.
gratitude to God, patriotism, and
ciples of the Independent Order OF
Odd Fellows are the Fatherhood OF
God and the brotherhood Of man, and
notices, "In God We trust" and
object of the order is to teach man
that as he came from the hand of 4
common parent he is bound to cherish
the duty of an Odd Fellow to visit the
sick, relieve the distressed, bury tho
dead, and educate the orphan, but
the high aim of the order Is to improve
and elevate character Undue with
proper conceptions of capabilities for
goods enlighten the mind. enlarge 'tho
sphere of affection. and lead to cu!.
tivation of the true fraternal relation
designed by the author of mans being.
In David and Jonathan we have the
most ancient as well as the most true
and beautiful example Of this Sfraternal
|relation and of true friendship. IN
Saul we have one of the most con-
|spfcuous examples of envy, the malic-
ious foe to virtue, friendship, and fra
ternity. He could not even initiate,
much less surpass, the virtue of David,
and so possessed of envy, the vice OF
the weak and the vain and the weapon
of an ignoble mind. he set about to de-
stroy him. He is thus an example OF
Iselfshness, and O. the proneness Of
man to live for, himself. In his isola-
ton he had no sympathy with his fel-
bowman. So also is 1t with many in
our day.
Lofty Motives.
But there is a divinity in man that
weds him to lofty motives and honor.
able and upright deeds. The good
have an affinity for each other which
grows into confidence and affection.
So 1t was with David and Jonathan,
for the soul Of Jonathan was knit
with the soul of David, and Jonathan
loved him as his own soul. Then
Jonathan and David made q covenant,
and Jonathan stripped himself Of his
robe that was upon him, and gave II
to David, and his garments, even to
his sword, and to his bow, and to his
girdle," In confirmation of the bond,
the covenant of friendship, Jonathan
gave David first his robe. the ordinary
dress of the wealthy, and then his
military dress.
In primitive times men would enter
Into the closest, the most enduring,
and the most sacred compact, as
friends and brothers, through the iu-
Iter-comingling of their blood, by means
of its mutual tasting or of it's inter
TRANSMISSION. A Syrian tells the follow
ing incident as coming under his OBJ
known each other. and had been in
innate friends for years, called their
neighbors and relative together iG
the open place before the village foun-
tain in an eastern land to witness the
sealing of the contract of friendship.
The young men publicly announced
their purpose and their reasons for 1t.
Their declarations were written down,
in duplicate-one for each frfend-aa
signed by themselves and by several
witnesses. One of the friends took a
sharp lancet and opened a vein in the
others arm. Into the opening thus
made, he inserted a quill, through
which he sucked the living blood
The lancet blade was carefully wiped
On one of the duplicate covenant-pa-
pers, and then it was taken by the
other friend, who made a like incis-
ion in its first users arm, and drank
his blood through the quill, wiptng
the lancet blade on the duplicate
covenant-paper. The two friends de-
clared together, 1--WE are brothers in
a covenant made before God: who de.
cieves the other. him will God de-
ceiye." Each blood-marked covenant
paper was then folded carefully, to be
sewed up in small leathern case