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