THE
ANTE-ROOM - Testimony
by Bro. Arthur Nash
The
Master Mason - January 1926
TO MOST people the great
illuminating experiences of their lives come in some way through
the church, but the new vision of life, the illumination of my
soul, came to me, not at the altar of the church, but while I
was going through the Degrees of Masonry; especially the higher
Degrees of York and Scottish Rite Masonry. It was while the
great lessons of Masonry were being taught me that the real
vision of the universal Fatherhood of God and the universal
brotherhood of man illumined my soul. Much has been said
about my establishing brotherhood and co-operation in the
industrial relations with the workers in our factory. All of
this has simply been an honest effort to translate the great
spiritual teachings of Masonry into the actions of my life as I
contacted with my fellow-workers in our factory, but before you
can fully understand why Masonry is a little dearer, a little
sweeter, to me than anything else, I will have to tell you
something more that it has done for me. It was during the
World War period that I took the higher degrees of Masonry, and,
as many of you know, my oldest son went over into Canada and
enlisted and went across with the Canadians in 1915. He fell
wounded at Vimy, Ridge on April 9, 1917, at the very moment that
our own country was entering that great conflict. They were not
so prepared then to take care of their wounded as they were
after we got well into the struggle. All trace of him was lost
for many weeks after we received the first cablegram that he was
wounded in action. After we located him in a hospital in
England, when he was hanging between life and death, they
seemed to be doing all that was in their power for him, and
yet he was not getting the attention that he needed, and we
were unable to get any action when we tried to get him
returned to this country. IT WAS then that I went to
Brother Clore, who was then the Grand Master of the State of
Ohio, and who had signed my petition for the higher degrees of
Masonry, and laid the whole case before him. Together we framed
up a letter in which we made the appeal for help for the
"Widow's Son" and forwarded it to my boy in the hospital in
England, requesting that he find some Mason and show him the
letter. After writing this letter, and before mailing it, I
came in contact with William B. Melish, who is Past "Everything"
in Masonry, and who had only recently returned from a trip to
England and knew personally many of the Masons of England.
He read the letter and told me he would take immediate action. I
do not know what was done. I cannot tell you, but I do know that
about the time I thought the letter would reach my son in
England, I received word that he was on his way home and, that
all his wants were being abundantly taken care of. I think every
one of you can begin to see now something of why Masonry means
so much to me. Since that time I have tried to go into
the depths of the mysteries of the great spiritual teachings of
Masonry. I have just finished reading Bro. Joseph Fort Newton's
great book, The Men's House. I like to go back to the very roots
of our noble Order and talk about the Men's House of ancient
times and of the Guilds of the Middle Ages; the history of
Operating Masonry and the birth of Free and Accepted
Masonry. But, as illustrious and glorious as the history
of Masonry is, it is not the great or important thing of our
time. The one great need of the world today is that the spirit
of fraternalism, brotherhood, and love that is in Masonry shall
be made universal. To this cause I have consecrated and devoted
my life. THERE are no words that can tell you how much I
appreciate this privilege of giving to the best of my ability a
tribute and a personal testimony to the beauty, the grandeur,
the height and depth, the length and breadth of Masonry. May
God give us wisdom, strength, humility, and courage to carry its
blessings to the benighted world of our day. back to top
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