Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-05-19

tBy EiDefL HuDDaru)
 "The faults of our brothers we will
 write on the sands;
 "Their virtues on the tablets of love
 and memory"
 l am not d jiner, but If Jlne the liners, 1 will begin with the Elks, and pobably end there.
 Without any special written code or creed the Elks stand for certain standard of intellect and ethics.
 The man with an EIk's tooth on his watch chain or the antlers in his but tonhole has no quarrel with God. He accepts life and finds it good. He may not be so very wise nor so very good, but since he knows that he IS not wise and is ready to admit that he is not so very good, he is wiser than he knows and better than he kill ack- nowledge.
 The true Elk does not condemn, disparage, nor rip regulations up the back. Realizing his own limitations, he is lenient in his judgment toward those who have been tempted by fate beyond their power to resist. This quality of mercy, l have noticed; is strongly implanted in Elk nature. Your Elk does not weep over his own trouble, but for the stricken souls on earth his tears of pity are near the surface. The Elk loves children, re- spects old age, and so far as 1 have seen, doesn't incline especially to- ward indifference to feminine charms. In many instances 1 have imagined the Elks revealed just appreciation of the elevated spheroid. Yet in all your life you never saw one of these sons of Elkdom going off alone and cutting into the grape; his irritation is all in the line of good fellowship. And his worst fault lies right here in this line of conviviality; he some times overdoes it. But 1 believe this will hold No little pismire of man ever joined the Elks; he would not feel at home among them. To be an Elk you must have faith in other men, faith in yourself and faith in the uni verse.
 Never Grow Old.
 The Elks all look alike and are all of one, age Just what the age is l have not yet made out; it lies some where between 30 and 50. No Elk is more than 50, no matter how long he has lived, and none weighs more than 200 pounds. They all have the joy ous, bubbling heart of youth and no whiskers. Lilacs are out of their lives and Glaways are tabooed. never saw an Elk who was very rich excepting in kindness and good cheer, nor did 1 ever see one circumnavigat- ing on his uppers. They have all the money they need, even if net all they want. They make money and they spend it, and the more they spend the more they make. "Keep the change" is the remark the Elk always has in electrotypc. l have been occasionally pained by hearing Elks relate stories that were slightly .gamboge,, tained on the edges, but although these tales of persiflage had Neufehatel flavor, yet there were always attic supplies to redeem the mass from mortifying mi crobes. The Elk is not troubled about saving his soul. In fact, he is not troubled about anything. Perhaps this is one distinguishing feature; he does not worry nor shake the red rag of wordy theological warfare. He be- lieves that everything is all right, or nearly SO, anu lildI HlS IdSh lS CO uU his work right.
 Elks Not Cutters.
 The Elks stay right in the game. never heard of one retiring from busi- ness. When death calls an Elk the Elk is apt first to sell him bill of goods and then shake the dice to see who pays Charon's toll The Elk does not seek to pry into the future, for he realizes perfectly well that if he waits he'll know all about it. And for a similar reason he does not chase after women, for he knows if he doesn't women will chase after him. And they do. There seems to be little danger that this fraternity will evolve into a religion. Most religious people take their religion seriously, but the Elk takes his seltzer He knows that truth is the point of view; that all is relative; that nothing is final or abso- ute, nor can it be in world where nothinp is permanent but change. So