SWEET COLUMBINE BY ADELBERT CLARK. Sweet columbine of olden days, You bring to mind sweet pleasures. And many songs and happy lays You bring to me a host of friends, You speak to me and bless the way You fill my soul with love and peace And every day these joys increase Sweet columbine of olden days, Help me to live the patient life, And bless me with your beauty, That I may conquer every strife And wear the crown of duty! Notice. Communications intended for publication in the Ladies Department of the Magazine should in all cases be addressed to the Editress, Mrs. Agnes G. Strong, 527 Green street, Boone, Iowa. Matters for the Grand President should be addressed to Mrs. Georgie M. Sargent, 2815 Fourteenth street, N. W., Washington, D. C., and that for the Grand Secretary and Treasurer to Mrs. Mary E. DuBois, 711 Story street, Boone, Iowa. Our Magazine. Each month the loyal messenger comes to our home, bearing its well-filled pages of greetings from our sisters and brothers throughout the whole United States, Canada and Mexico, the Canal Zone, England and sometimes still farther away, until over the entire world, wherever a heart beats in unison with the Ladies Society and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, our faithful Magazine is the connecting link in the family tie. With the knowledge that comes through an acquaintance of eighteen years I may state it is one of the best and most up-todate journals of information for the railroad man of today and should be found in the home within easy reach of every man interested along that line. The articles pertaining to the daily affairs of modern transportation and the like are of the very best material that Bro. John F. McNamee can procure; the illustrations are notable for their clearness and are most pleasing to the eye. The advertising matter is far enough into the background that it does not offend the reader, and yet inserted in a manner that gives the advertising patrons a fair and honest chance to display their various forms through its pages. Surely too much praise can not be given Bro. McNamee for his successful work in connection with our Magazine. In our own department, donated so generously to us by the brothers, little by little, step by step it has been nourished. at first by the proficient hand of Sister Josephine Watts, and later by Sister Agnes G. Strong, under whose excellent management we find it in its present strength. It is of great interest to us, in that it is the official organ of the Ladies Society and keeps us in close communication with the work being done by the different lodges, and especially dear to us because, guided by the skillful pen of our beloved editress, Sister Agnes G. Strong, each issue breathes out its loving cheerfulness and good will towards all and with malice towards none. A backward glance among the columns Shandy's Dream. of letters from many brothers during those eighteen years, and a perusal of the death and disability claims show us that a large number of those writers have answered to the "rap" of the "silent caller" and have gone out upon that last "long trip" from whence none ever returns and only those tender little missives are left to remind us of a replacing sometimes of all of life's broken links. Those who were in the St. Paul convention will be specially interested in the poem "Shandy's Dream," as it is the one he recited before the delegates and for which many made inquiries in order that they might take a copy of it home to their lodges. I am very glad to be enabled to publish it as a courtesy from Bro. P. Fennell, and I am sure you will appreciate it doubly when you know that he sends it at a time when he is barely able to hold the pen and has been in such miserable health since last October. I know I voice the sentiment of our readers when I bespeak for them our sincere wishes for a speedy return to health and happiness for our Bro. Fennell, and may he be spared for many years to his family and friends. The poem is as follows: Among the present writers the beautiful poems of Mr. Adelbert Clark impress us with their great desire to teach all mankind to see and to understand the wonderful sweetness of our Heavenly Father's care, and Shandy Maguire, that grand old poet whose humorous lines tell us that "while he has not really found the 'pot of gold' at the foot of the rainbow yet, he has found that to hand out a bit of a laugh sometimes to a fellow mortal often does more good than all the tonics T'other night to enjoy a few hours of rethat a pot of gold' could procure." Another, too, is Mrs. Henry B. Jones"Mother Jones," those of us who know her best love to call her-may she be spared to write for us for many years, as every sentence that falls from her pen bears the fruitage of time with all its pathos, humor and stern reality combined. Also, Sisters Alice Peacher, Louie Stoddard, Antoinette Van and a score of others, all of them earnest workers who are surely "making good." That there is still plenty of undiscovered talent among the brothers and sisters who have never written a word for the Magazine I am sure. Brush up your ideas, boys and girls, and send them to Brother McNamee and Sister Strong, who will receive them gladly, for they may contain just the right little message for some one who, reading, may take heart again and with renewed determination strive to weed out the mistakes and sorrows of yesterday, encouraged by the knowledge that whatever the grievance may be there are others who have likewise borne it through the same troubled waters and the ship that carried them safely to port may still be used again. We are all God's children struggling beneath the heavy crosses of life— "We share our mutual woes pose, I coiled myself up in the bed 'neath the Oblivious alike of my friends or my foes. I dreamt that old Charon had ferried me His subjects he ordered to march in review, Oh, many were there, in my lifetime I knew, Who couldn't be bribed with position or gold Here every dog has his day." Jovial companions, I saw 'mongst them, His Majesty's pipe I returned and said, too, And bachelors mostly I spied. How is it," said I, "there's few Bene dicts here?" Pluto replied with a wink and a leer, "Poor souls, they all soar to a happier sphere, "There's many an honest man toiling for bread, Who'll better his fortune when once he is dead." I tickled the Governor there. "If this is the region of brimstone and fire, They atoned for their sins ere they You'll find a good subject in Shandy Madied." Engineers were but few, as the column pass'd by. guire." After my wants he began to inquire, And spoke to me candid and fair: The good-natured phiz of "Square" Blake "Now, Shandy. you always worked faith I did spy, He gave me a glance of his brotherly eye, And asked for the news from above. I answered, "Your sweethearts I tried to console When you died, but their grief was beyond my control; Together we prayed for repose of your soul." Quoth Bill, "That was brotherly love." Railroad directors were there in galore, Presidents, also, a plentiful store; Superintendents I saw by the score Pluto had caught them at last. There they were shackled, both safe and secure, Placarded "tyrants on earth to the poor." Those "ten per cent. off" boys I couldn't endure, I turned until they had passed. I also discern'd some traitors were thereA sorrowful, heartrending look of despair All of those double-dyed villians did wear, My pity for them was sincere. "Your Majesty," then I began, "I would fain Have you ease those poor wretches of part of their pain." From a good, hearty laugh Pluto couldn't refrain, And he whispered, "last fall" in my ear. A rollicking, frollicking, musical throng, "Who are they, your Majesty, pray?" "Why, Shandy, a few of the boys I enroll'd, To see that the traitors don't suffer with cold, Our Largest Lodges. Below is given the membership of the eleven largest lodges of the Ladies Society of the B. of L. F. and E., as reported June 1, 1911: 101 98 90 86 1. No. 3, Hazel, Peoria, Ill...... 136 2. No. 142, Empire, Buffalo, N. Y. 116 3. No. 113, Ft. Orange, Albany, N. Y. 4. No. 60, Pride, Harrisburg, Pa. 5. No. 125, Charity, Jackson, Mich. 6. No. 103, Co-Ed, Galesburg, Ill.. 7. No. 58, Sisters of 99, Rochester, N. Y. S. No. 70, Holly, Buffalo, N. Y... 9. No. 151, Missouri, St. Louis, Mo. 10. No. 146, Virginia, Chicago, Ill.. 11. No. 10, Helpmate, Elkhart, Ind. New Lodges Organized. 84 84 84 75 75 Pride of 88 Lodge 307, Evanston, Wyoming, was organized May 6, 1911, with seven charter members. Organizer Clarabell Bowman of Evanston, Wyo. Twin City Lodge 314, Carbondale, Ill., was organized May 21, 1911, with twenty charter members. Organizer M. Collins, Murphysboro, Ill. Acknowledgment. Bro. C. W. Weidner wishes to acknowledge receipt of insurance claim for his wife, Ida Weidner, and thanks the L. S. for the prompt payment of same. (Our heart goes out to this brother and his four children who are bereft of a wife and mother's care and love.) We frequently receive a letter saying "We do not see anything from our lodge, or from our State." We will gladly publish items from all if only the sisters or brothers will send them. Now that the days are lengthening, the thoughts of the members will turn to the outdoor pleasures and they will begin to plan for picnics as a feature of the "good old summer time." In planning, why not arrange for the gathering of several nearby lodges for an all-day outing? Think of the pleasure of having several lodges join in the sport! A short program could be arranged for and this would give added The Frank P. Sargent Monument Fund. Thinking perhaps the readers of the Magazine would like to know how the Frank P. Sargent monument fund was progressing, I thought best to give an accurate account of the lodges and the amounts contributed by each. Many lodges have not responded as yet, but we hope to receive their contributions soon. The lodges having contributed and the amount given are as follows: Lodges 191, $3.00; 128, $3.60; 178. $2.10; 76, $2.00; 21, $0.60; 42, $2.00; 56. $10.00; 105, $3.00; 28, $1.00; 221. $2.00; 69, $0.70; 198, $1.50; 245, $1.20 ; 4. $5.00; 139, $1.70; 79, $3.50; 3, $13.50: 113, $10.00; 144, $2.80; 121, $2.80; 184. $1.00; 45, $1.80; 164, $1.90; 35, $3.00: 207, $2.90; 47, $3.00; 277, $2.00; 266, $1.10; 241, $1.00; 8, $0.90; 53, $3.40; 34, $2.30; 298, $1.30; 44, $0.90; 243, $2.70; 33, $2.50; 83, $5.00; 279, $2.30; 62, $2.60; 253, $1.40; 66, $1.20; 100, $2.50; 61, $3.00; 1, $2.00; 39, $2.00; 186, $1.20; 177, $2.30; 117, $1.40; 230, $1.50; 197, $1.00; 32, $1.70; 250, $1.00; 7, $0.80; 260, $3.00; 127, $0.70; 175, $1.80; 168, $1.40; 148, $1.50; 286, $2.00; 43, $1.00; 16, $6.85; 199, $2.05; 273, $1.30. Black Hawk Lodge 304 Organized. Black Hawk Lodge 304 was organized at Rock Island, Ill., with fifteen charter members by Sister Ada Ragless of Elkhart, Ind. We all are taking a great interest in our work and hope to make a success of it. The brothers of Twin City Lodge 39 also are taking interest in us and helping us along, for which we are very thankful. We gave a grand ball on April 20th, which proved a success. We expect three new members at our next meeting, and we are working hard to try and secure more -the more the "merrier." VIOLA E. MINER, Silvis, Ill. New Lodge Organized. Twin City Lodge 314 of the Ladies Society of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen was organized in Carbondale, Ill., May 28, 1911, by Mrs. |