Year: 1873

" n IL IN IL OOON0 j
Masonic 20 Occasionally we meet
with an article in the papers of the
day stating that Lodge of Sorrow !
was celebrated under the auspices
Of the ancient and accepted Rite of
Masonry. For the interest of some
of our readers, we present the BEL
low a sketch of one lately held in
New York City, from which an idea
can be obtained of the ceremo-
nies: @


A Sublime Lodge of Sorrow was
celebrated in Irving Hall Dec. 9th,
1872, under the auspices of the An
cient and Accepted Rite of Mason
ry of New York and Brooklyn. The
hall was handsomely decorated
Against the wall on each side were
suspended scarlet silk gmdons, EN-
blszoned in gold with the symbols
of Masonry. The gallery facade
was draped in black, looped into
festoons edged with white fringe,
and ribbon of evergreens was
hung. in scollops below the blacks
The platform, on which were seats
for the officers, were decorated in
same manner. In the centre of the
hall was the catafalqua, upon the
upper tier of which was placed a
coffin. The catafalqua was wreath
ed with acacia sprays and laurel;
cypress and other plants were
placed at the corner of the dais, at
the foot of pillars bearing candele-
bra


After various interesting cere-
monies the Grand Master declared
the Lodge of Sorrow opened. He
said that four years ago in the hall
their last Sorrow Lodge was held,
Since then death had been very
busy, and they had again come to-
gether to do honor to the memory
of their departed brothers. He
then introduced the orator of the
evening, Past Grand Master John
w. Simons, who made a very ap-
propriate and feeling address, of
which we regret that our limited
space will not admit of our giving
but a brief resume. He said that
it was especially appropriate that
on an occasion of this kind, when
they were invited to assemble in
honor of an institution of which
they knew nothing, that the cere-
monies should be understood, in
order that they might see that what
was done in public was an exempi-
fication of what was done at other
times. They were assembled in
their capacity as members of the
/ Ancient and Accepted Rite to pay
honor to those who had preceded
us across the shining river to the
land of hope. They were not there
ty bury their departed brothers,
but to pray for them Not as mourn
ers around an open grave, but rath-
er having buried our brothers we
come together to recollect their
virtues and all the kindly acts in
! which they particidated on earth
not to bury them, not to stand
around their graves, but to call to
mind their goodness, tell it, and
profit by it. It was not new form
From the earliest ages of the world
men had been given to do this.
Looking back to the earliest recol-
] lections of the world, to Egypt, we
see the Pyramids. To commence
rate the virtues of their brothers,
other nations, the Greeks and the
Ph9nicians did the same, and 9th
ers had tried to commemorate the
dead and their virtues in endearing
form. We would do the same. Do
we not look with love and affection
upon any remembrance of our de
parted relatives? Stone and brass
will melt, and thus we feel as did
some of the ancient nations that in
the arcana of nature we should
find the restorative. They strewed
flowers on the graves of the depart
ed. Those who looked upon the
Pyramids, were astonished at their
magnifcence, but when child was
followed to it's grave and flowers
were strewn upon it the heart was
touched. See now, why we her.
present around the emblamatic bod,
ofour brother, surround it with ever
green which never dies, and we hop,
the influence of the good may ris,
and bloom as everlasting as that
Those present were asked to com,
that they might unite in mourning
for the brothers who had gone
They may not have known them
but their living brothers did, an6
they were good men with warn
hearts and open purses The cere
mony was but a formality. Their,
was in those who had gone before
q part that does not die, which i
always with us, joining our sorrow
and our joys, asleep or awake. A
home or abroad the spirit Of som
of those who had gone before, SUI
rounded and watched over us. Whel
q last we shall have finished here
when the veil Of the Temple is rent
and we pass to the Great Archi
tect's Home, to hear s.Well done
good and faithful servant W,
shall find our brothers. Be pre-
pared for the messenger.


The ceremonies throughout, wer


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