 | Lines in Pleasant Places |  |
52
JUBILEE RHYMES.
Sublime the principle that hither brings
So many happy souls in one together;
To sit beneath our Order's tree, that flings
Its branches proudly wide this April weather;—
So many happy souls in one together;
To sit beneath our Order's tree, that flings
Its branches proudly wide this April weather;—
Whose shoots extend out far o'er land and sea;
Whose shadow, calm, refreshes, cheers, and blesses,
And the grand province of whose ministry
The heart of man in gratitude confesses.
Whose shadow, calm, refreshes, cheers, and blesses,
And the grand province of whose ministry
The heart of man in gratitude confesses.
Its fruits divine of Friendship, Love, and Truth,
Hang on the bough in ripe luxuriance growing,
Whose taste shall give the heart perpetual youth—
The antepast of heavenly pleasures knowing.
Hang on the bough in ripe luxuriance growing,
Whose taste shall give the heart perpetual youth—
The antepast of heavenly pleasures knowing.
[OMITTED]
Friendship!—By what immunity claim we
A patent o'er the world of friendship purer?
Men use it, as pretended, constantly,
And are we in its promises securer?
A patent o'er the world of friendship purer?
Men use it, as pretended, constantly,
And are we in its promises securer?
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The friendship of the world is selfishness,
Cemented sordidly by base attraction;
That flees us in the hour of our distress,—
If prosperous, is greedy in exaction.
Cemented sordidly by base attraction;
That flees us in the hour of our distress,—
If prosperous, is greedy in exaction.
Who is it gets his name upon your note?
Who backbites, vilifies, defrauds, belies you?
Who steals your wife, your purse, your Sunday coat?
Your friend, of course, and after that defies you.
Who backbites, vilifies, defrauds, belies you?
Who steals your wife, your purse, your Sunday coat?
Your friend, of course, and after that defies you.
Our friendship here is based upon a rock—
The ezel stone of solemn obligation;
That stands a citadel against the shock
Of mercenary or profane temptation.
The ezel stone of solemn obligation;
That stands a citadel against the shock
Of mercenary or profane temptation.
The word once given, the hand in hand once placed,
The compact lives, and no contingent swindle
E'er mars the strength of obligations traced,
Or tends the faith of Brotherhood to dwindle.
The compact lives, and no contingent swindle
E'er mars the strength of obligations traced,
Or tends the faith of Brotherhood to dwindle.
This is the rule—exceptions rare occur
Of friendship lost in unredeeming treason;
As rare as porcine tendency to fur,
Or hyacinths in huckleberry season.
Of friendship lost in unredeeming treason;
As rare as porcine tendency to fur,
Or hyacinths in huckleberry season.
Love!—world-abused—here has a special home;
A love that's just, and pure, and wise, and human,
No spasm of an hour to rave and foam,
Crazing the heads of spoony man and woman.
A love that's just, and pure, and wise, and human,
No spasm of an hour to rave and foam,
Crazing the heads of spoony man and woman.
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To vent in sighs, and pine away and mope,
And in the gloom of hope despondent languish;
To see upon a beam a pendent rope,
To end the throes of love's tempestuous anguish;
And in the gloom of hope despondent languish;
To see upon a beam a pendent rope,
To end the throes of love's tempestuous anguish;
That raves in jealous pangs, and storms, and tears,
And weeps and shoots, as fitful as the weather—
As if pure Love, that suffers and forbears,
Could live with Hate in harmony together!
And weeps and shoots, as fitful as the weather—
As if pure Love, that suffers and forbears,
Could live with Hate in harmony together!
But, in the guise of Charity divine,
Love sweetly stands, beneficence bestowing;
Around her brow celestial glories shine,
As radiant as the day her features glowing.
Love sweetly stands, beneficence bestowing;
Around her brow celestial glories shine,
As radiant as the day her features glowing.
She seeks the scene where Poverty prevails,
She pours the balm of heavenly consolation;
She cheers the heart that Misery assails,
She elevates by holy impartation.
She pours the balm of heavenly consolation;
She cheers the heart that Misery assails,
She elevates by holy impartation.
The greatest, best of all the exalted train,
Of gifts to man for his improvement given;
Hers is the star whose glory shall remain
When fade away the orbs of stellar heaven.
Of gifts to man for his improvement given;
Hers is the star whose glory shall remain
When fade away the orbs of stellar heaven.
The claim of Truth was ne'er more plainly shown
By the Jew leader unto King Darius,
Than it appears in tenets that we own,
Which are, or ought to be, kept sacred by us.
By the Jew leader unto King Darius,
Than it appears in tenets that we own,
Which are, or ought to be, kept sacred by us.
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The truth, in dealing betwixt man and man,
Is made incumbent by our rule's exaction;
And he who lies, at once lies under ban,
Amenable, so held, for law's infraction.
Is made incumbent by our rule's exaction;
And he who lies, at once lies under ban,
Amenable, so held, for law's infraction.
Some may have slips—the truth comes hard to some—
And lying is so easy and so ready!
They're just like topers giving up their rum,
And must relapse before they get quite steady.
And lying is so easy and so ready!
They're just like topers giving up their rum,
And must relapse before they get quite steady.
The Truth should be the Truth, wherever found,
But 'tis so rare, outside, we seldom find it;
And what seems true within the worldly round,
Nine times in ten a lie lies hid behind it.
But 'tis so rare, outside, we seldom find it;
And what seems true within the worldly round,
Nine times in ten a lie lies hid behind it.
Our creed is broad, and acts upon the life,
Too high at points polemical to cavil;
We shun the courts of fierce sectarian strife,
As roads to Jordan—far too hard to travel.
Too high at points polemical to cavil;
We shun the courts of fierce sectarian strife,
As roads to Jordan—far too hard to travel.
As citizens, we point them to our acts;
Ask the collector what return we make him;
We feel the burden, but accept the facts,
And meet the issue like a Mohawk sachem.
Ask the collector what return we make him;
We feel the burden, but accept the facts,
And meet the issue like a Mohawk sachem.
Beyond the links that bind us all as one,
We have no “rings” for cheating or deceiving;
Whiskey through our enclosure does not run—
No actions rest 'gainst us for genteel thieving.
We have no “rings” for cheating or deceiving;
Whiskey through our enclosure does not run—
No actions rest 'gainst us for genteel thieving.
56
In this we're very Odd, as we behold,
On every hand, such swindling operation;
'Twould seem the land to fraud and wrong were sold,
Involving it in one grand condemnation.
On every hand, such swindling operation;
'Twould seem the land to fraud and wrong were sold,
Involving it in one grand condemnation.
It may, as in the days of Sodom, be,
When judgment threatens with its doom impending.
Odd Fellowship, in its integrity,
Will interpose to turn the blade descending.
When judgment threatens with its doom impending.
Odd Fellowship, in its integrity,
Will interpose to turn the blade descending.
[OMITTED]
By deeds, not years, we count an active life,
And fifty years of such supreme devotion,
With principle and love of duty rife,
Are more than centuries by common notion.
And fifty years of such supreme devotion,
With principle and love of duty rife,
Are more than centuries by common notion.
And good to come takes promise from to-day—
Based on the Past, so full of truth and vigor;
Though but our spring-time, yet the vernal ray
Dispels all fear of any chilling rigor.
Based on the Past, so full of truth and vigor;
Though but our spring-time, yet the vernal ray
Dispels all fear of any chilling rigor.
The sun and rain shall give the glad increase,
And crowded wains of benefits accruing,
Shall crown the harvest-home with sheaves of peace,
To bless the workers for their faithful doing.
And crowded wains of benefits accruing,
Shall crown the harvest-home with sheaves of peace,
To bless the workers for their faithful doing.
That Future!—to its destiny we turn,
And see it rayed with grandest coruscation;
Its altar-fires on every hilt-top burn,
And tenfold light impart throughout the nation.
And see it rayed with grandest coruscation;
Its altar-fires on every hilt-top burn,
And tenfold light impart throughout the nation.
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Its ministry subserves the cause of Peace,
Remembered war in loving kindness merging;
Bidding the bitterness of hate to cease,
And holding back all hostile billows surging;
Remembered war in loving kindness merging;
Bidding the bitterness of hate to cease,
And holding back all hostile billows surging;
Adding the charm of dignity and grace
To sanctify and consecrate all labor;
Giving to virtue higher rank and place,
And demonstrating who is the true “neighbor.”
To sanctify and consecrate all labor;
Giving to virtue higher rank and place,
And demonstrating who is the true “neighbor.”
[OMITTED]
We're not perfection,—far from it, indeed,—
And long may be the time ere we attain it;
A tree grows not instanter from the seed,
And strength accrues from effort made to gain it.
And long may be the time ere we attain it;
A tree grows not instanter from the seed,
And strength accrues from effort made to gain it.
And we, united in a purpose true,
Will prove, beyond all sceptical denying,
What Brotherhood, in compact firm, can do,
Upon the anvil of incessant trying.
Will prove, beyond all sceptical denying,
What Brotherhood, in compact firm, can do,
Upon the anvil of incessant trying.
| Lines in Pleasant Places | |