the issues of life and death. We come to Thee, in this hour of
sorrow, and ask that we may so learn the lessons of this hour, that
when it shall be our turn to lay aside our mortality, that we may do
it with trustful faith in Thee and hope of a glorious immortality.
We pray Thee to look with tender compassion upon these Thy children,
whose household has been broken by this providence. May they lie
passive in the arms of Thy chastening love, and realize that there
is wisdom and goodness in all Thy appointments. Sanctify this
bereavement to the good of us all. May it be the means of drawing us
closer to Thee, and of our loving and serving Thee forever. And as
it has pleased Thee to call from the toils of earth the soul of our
beloved sister, we commit her remains to the silent tomb. Earth to
earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, hopefully looking to a joyful
reunion with her, in that land where separation and death are known
no more, forever. AMEN.
_Response._ So may it ever be.
SINGING.
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
Ev'n though it be a cross
That raiseth me!
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
Though like a wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone,
Yet in my dreams I'd be
Nearer, My God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
Or, if on joyful wing
Cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot,
Upward I fly,
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer, My God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.
Forms.
PETITION FOR DEGREES.
_To the Worthy Matron, Officers, and Members of ...... Chapter, No.
......, Order of the Eastern Star_:
_The undersigned respectfully petitions to receive the Degrees of the
Order of the Eastern Star, and become a member of your Chapter._
_If accepted, ... he pledges .... self to a cheerful obedience to the
laws of the Order._
_Residence_ ...........
_Signed_ .................
_Recommended by_ ..............
_of_ ..............
................ _of_ ...... _Lodge_,
_F. & A. M. of_ ............
PETITION FOR AFFILIATION.
_To the Worthy Matron, Officers, and Members of ...... Chapter, No.
......, Order of the Eastern Star_:
_The undersigned, late a member of ........ Chapter, No. ......, of
............., solicits Affiliation with your Chapter._
_If this Petition shall be granted, .. he pledges .... self to a
cheerful obedience to the laws of the Order._
_Residence_ ............
_Signed_ ................
_Recommended by_ ................
....... ........
[_The Petition must be accompanied by a Dimit from the Chapter of which
the Petitioner was last a Member, or its absence satisfactorily
explained._]
DIMIT.
_To all Members of the Order of the Eastern Star_:
_This Dimit witnesseth,_
_That ..............., whose name appears in the margin of this
instrument, was received into .......... Chapter, No. ......, of
......... ........ 18... And that having paid all Dues, and being free
from all charges, .. he is at .... own request lawfully dismissed from
Membership therein._
_Given under my hand and the Seal of the Chapter, this ...... day of
........., ..._
.................... _Secret y._
Transcriber's Notes:
Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected.
Typographical errors were silently corrected.
Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent only when a
predominant form was found in this book.
Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).
End of Project Gutenberg's Ritual of the Order of the Eastern Star, by Various