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The plainest Lodge room in the land was over Simpkins' store,
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Where Friendship Lodge had met each month for fifty' years or more.
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When o'er the earth the moon full-orbed, had cast her brightest beams,
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The Brethren came from miles around on horseback and In teams,
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And 0! what heavy grasp of hand, what welcome met them there,
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As mingling with the waiting groups they slowly mount the stair,
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Exchanging fragmentary news or prophecies of crop,
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Until they reach the Tyler's room and current topics drop,
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To turn their thoughts to nobler themes they cherish and adore,
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And which were heard on meeting night up over Simpkins' Store.
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To city eyes, a cheerless room, long usage had defaced,
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The tell-tale lines of lath and beam on wall and ceiling traced.
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The light from oil-fed lamps was dim and yellow in its hue,
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The carpet once could pattern boast though now 'twas lost to view
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The altar and the pedestals that marked the stations three,
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The gate-post pillars topped with balls, the rude-carved Letter G,
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Were village joiner's clumsy work, with many things beside,
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Where beauty's lines were all effaced and ornament denied.
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There could be left no lingering doubt if doubt there was before,
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The plainest Lodge room in the land was over Simpkins' Store.
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While musing thus on outward form the meeting time drew near
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And we had glimpse of inner life through watchful eye and ear.
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When Lodge convened at gavel's sound with officers in place,
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We looked for strange, conglomerate work, but could no errors trace.
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The more we saw the more we heard, the greater our amaze,
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To find those country Brethren there so skilled in Masons' ways.
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But greater marvels were to come before the night was through,
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Where unity was not mere name, but fell on hearts like dew
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Where tenets had the mind imbued, and truths rich fruitage bore,
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In plainest Lodge room in the land, up over Simpkins' Store.
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To hear the record of their acts was music to the ear
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We sing of deeds unwritten which on angel's scroll appear;
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A widow's case 4 our helpless ones Lodge funds were running low
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A dozen Brethren sprang to feet and offers were not slow
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Food, raiment things of needful sort while one gave load of wood,
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Another shoes for little ones, for each gave what he could.
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Then spoke the last 'I haven't things like these to give out then,
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Some ready money may help out;-and he laid down a ten.
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Were Brother cast on darkest square upon life's checkered floor
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A beacon light to reach the white-was over Simpkins' Store.
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Like scoffer who remained to pray, impressed by sight and sound,
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The faded carpet 'neath our feet was now like holy ground.
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The walls that had such a dingy look turned celestial blue,
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The ceiling changed to canopy where stars were shining through.
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Bright tongues of flame from altar leaped, the G was vivid blaze,
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All common things seemed glorified by heaven's reflected rays.
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0! wondrous transformation wrought through ministry of love- Behold the Lodge Room Beautiful! fair type of that above,
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The vision fades-the lesson lives! and taught as ne'er before,
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In plainest Lodge room in the land-up over Simpkins' Store.
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November 19,1898
