Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-12-06

w. r. SGHRY
Augusta Elks, in common with
| their brethren of the entire country,
on Sunday afternoon held the annual
memorial service of the order, recall
ing at that time the many excellent
qualities of their brothers who had
departed this life and pausing for a
moment to pay tribute to those who
no longer grace the local lodge by
their presence.
The Augusta lodge deviated from
the custom of the past several years
to make this impressive service one
which might be attended by the gen.
eral public as well as by members.
their families and the widows of the
departed members. To this end they
had secured the Augusta Opera
House, through the courtesy of Will
! liam B. Williamson a member of the
local organization, and the stage was
! transformed into lodge room.
wherein the beautiful service was
conducted.
District Deputy w. P. Perry. a
| Lodge. presided in the absence of Ell
| mer E. Bradbury, and a most i'm
| pressive program was carried out.
| The feature was the address by Hon.
! Lewis A. Burleigh. who took for his
theme that beautiful poem of William
Cullen Bryant, "Thanatopsis".
The program was as follows:
Music
! Opening-Augusta Lodge 964
BY w. P. Perry, District Deputy
| Prayer
| Music
| Roll Call
The Vacant Chair-Quartet
| J. Frank Dyer, Earle +. hayes
J. Frank Bilodeau, Charles f.
4 Bilodeau
Solo Earte n; iia 80,
Aud Lang Syne
Chaplain
Mr.. Burleigh said in part:
! "There are certain facts ana GER
| tain conceptions which are funoa-
mental to humanity. When such
fact ia clothed with such a concep-
tion. it wears the garb of eternal
truth. If, in addition. some master
of the brush, or chisel or pen, IN
vests it with beauty, it is stralghtWas
transformed into masterpiece VI
art or of literature.
/ zone hundred and fourteen years
go a youth of Is, with the lnspireo
touch of genius, took the iuhoa'
mental fact of death, clothed II Wltr
tho conception of inevitable human
destiny, and made OF TINS eteria
truth a thing of beauty. The result
mo ma sterpiece was the '"Thanatop.
sis'' of William Cullen Bryant
Though it deals with mortality 1t II
itself immortal. Wherever Elks are
assembled on this memorial day
some. at least. of it's beautiful lines
will be recited.
"rhanatopsis' is all-inclusive anc
alI.peryasive. It has no limitations
Of time, space, race, or creed. Il
NAV help us to. visualize Its under'
living theme If you will Journey WITH
me in thought, to other lands. Ihefe
we NAV push aside the curtain o.
antiouity. and view the RESTING
nJaces of the dead of other ages. Al
every step we shall recall, OFTEN ns
way of pleasing contrast, the slmpi !,
dignity and tenderness with "hlcE
we Law away to rest our loved ones III
America.
present we then shall place PIC.
ture. It's background SHAH pc ..n1
past which we have thus envisageu
sometimes dark and torpiouins
sometimes glittering with pretentlous
sr1endor sometimes sombre, some
times softly beautiful, sometime
disturbing, sometimes uplifting. Bu'
in the radiant foreground OF our pic,
ture shall be placed the sous o.
those we honor here today. Ane
Ger II all shall 'Thanatops1s' sheo
soft, revealing light. 5s
THE speaker in glowing WoruS
then painted q word picture OF tile
| final resting places of great meg u
all times-Seville, Spain, Where les
the hody of Christopher Columbus,
Granada. where in the Alhampra,
former palace of Moorish Kings
slumber ferdinand and lsabeliai
Constantinople, and the turneh ~ ~
mausoleum of Sultan senm -
where sleep the Sultan, his 1aVori.e
wife. three daughters ana nve SUI
with "a children of his succe1su,
sultan Mourad III; Jerusaieiin u
where one may see the sepei1 Gi,r,st
which was laid the body OF ILL., II,
Egypt, where the ancient hin Pone
in magnificent splenoor, oata
wbare are found the extensive Gaia
combs excavated by the early Cnrls,
fans. ST. Peters, Pompeii, Paris ano
the tomb Of Napoleon, the American
cemeteries in France, St. Paul
cathedral in London and nnally
Westminster Abbey, the halioii'''
Valhalla or Temple of Fame.
He continued: We
"Our little journey is ended. we
have visited the sepulchre ol ~.
Saviour. and we have seen the restiiis
nIaces of some of the earth's great
Let us turn now to Thanatopsis, Win
it's wider survey of all who sleep III
the silent halls of death. .,;s
Il After quoting extensively from 'A'@
immortal poem, he said: ,r,.
such, then, is the theme OF lna aaa.
tonsis,-that death is the common uus
tinv. that we shall share it WITH .na
- xrood of all the ages past dii''