He is the victim of a bondage from which death alone releases.

Listen to the cry of one poor subject of that grim King, Poverty:

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To be out of work and poor, means to gradually sell or pawn the few sticks of furniture which convert the single room into a home; to blister the feet in walking in search of work, while hope deferred makes the heart sick, and want of nourishment enfeebles the frame; to see your wife sinking for lack of food, and send your children to school without breakfast; to know that, as you grow each day more gaunt in face, more shabby in appearance, more emaciated in physique, there is less and less chance of obtaining employment; to return, faint and footsore, after a long day's tramp, and hear those you love best on earth crying for food; to ponder, in cold and hunger, whether the theft which would save your family from starvation is a crime or a duty; to be restrained from suicide only by the certainty that your death must drive your helpless daughters to swell the ghastly army of degraded womanhood; to feel drawing ever nearer the day when you will be driven alone into the living tomb of the workhouse; to feel through all this that you have done nothing to deserve it, that is what it means to be poor and out of work."

Certainly, good friends, ancient annals of cruelty contain few darker pictures,

and this is the unexaggerated record of many a man's experience here in proud America.

Is it not time that we were all converted to the blessed gospel of Fraternity? Ought not the next forward step of civilization to be one grand crusade against the needless poverty that shames our Christian name? We have abolished tyranny in government, and slavery in the republic; let us now abolish

"This deep, dark, underworld of woe

That underlies life's shining surfaces."

་་

Sir Knights, my interest in your noble order, and in all similar organizations, is just this: In the midst of a society given over to cruel competition, you have cleared a little space for yourselves, and have dedicated it to the principles of Fraternity. You have opened your

doors to decent men, with the invitation, "Come, all of you, and enjoy the blessings of our Brotherhood." In prosperity you propose to cultivate the grace of friendship. In adversity you extend sympathy and assistance; and when

(G)

sickness robs the home of its breadwinner, you have sworn that to the sorrows of death shall not be added the sting of poverty.

It is a gracious and God-like mission. Yours is the gospel of good-will to men, and I had rather far belong to a Lodge dedicated to Friendship and Fraternity, than to a cold, exclusive, Christless Church.

But

Brothers, the hour is passing. one word more. The future belongs to the fraternal principle, and to fraternal It is God's first truth touching us all, that we are brothers. This truth is primal, central, eternal.

men.

You have heard, doubtless, of the Thracian brothers who, separated in early youth, were trained trained by their Roman masters for the arena. In distant cities they each attained proud preeminence as brave and skillful gladiators. At length they were called to Rome to do battle for the victor's prize, a prize conferred by Cæsar in the presence of the lords and ladies of the empire.

With proud step, and amid the cheers of the vast assembly, they approach for mortal conflict. At signal word the heavy blows rain fast, until from brow of one falls the protecting mask.

The other, who might, by quick thrust, have won the prize in blood, stands with uncovered head, motionless and dumb. The coliseum echoes to the murmur of the crowd. The Emperor, rising angrily from his seat, demands, "Why do you not do battle?"

Hand in hand the warriors approach the throne. "Emperor, we cannot fight, for we are brothers."

Some day the masks of selfishness and hate shall fall from before the eyes of men, and they shall say, "Behold, we are not enemies, but friends and brothers."

V.

THE SCHOLAR AND THE STATE.

[A COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS, PUBLISHED IN GRATE

FUL RECOGNITION OF THE MANNER AND SPIRIT
IN WHICH IT HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY GRADU-
ATING CLASSES IN BATTLE CREEK, UNION CITY,
VICKSBURG, STURGIS AND GALESBURG, MICH.]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

No

O anniversary can possibly surpass in interest this recurring festival of our free school. An import and a charm, all its own, belongs to Commencement Day; for upon this day the future addresses the present, and youth speaks to age. We who are older, and deem ourselves wiser, are, for once, generous. Graduates, you cannot move us to envy. We rejoice that you are young, ambitious, hopeful. In the trying procession of the years may no high dream fade, no worthy purpose fail. So runs our prayer.

Here gathered we recall a day as fair to us as this has been to you. We were