Page 78 - Cornelius Hedges Story

65 The Cornelius Hedges Story

There were many facets of charity which were important to
Cornelius, and each of them will be examined briefly. First of all,
he was convinced that personal charity practiced daily as the need
of others arose was much more effective than the efforts of large
institutional charities.

Secondly, a charity to be most effective must promote usefulness
in the lives of the recipients. He also felt that if charity is not
cheerfully and inconspicuously given, then the purpose of the charity
is all but defeated. And finally he believed in what could be called
“total charity” this is the charity of not only material possessions
and money, but the charity of all the intangibles that a person has at
his command, or the general giving of one’s time and talents.

In a speech as Worthy Grand Patron before the Grand Chapter
of the Order of Eastern Star in 1893, Cornelius Hedges expressed it
this way:

“Rituals, ceremonies, regalia and such are good in their place,
but while you pay tithes of these lesser things, forget not the
weightier matters of the law. Study and practice charity; charity
of thought, judgment and speech, as well as in acts of feeding
the hungry and clothing the naked. The field is everywhere.
There are objects of charity in palaces as well as hovels. It is
not money or meat that is needed half as much as kind words of
advice and encouragement. Your treasuries will never be empty
if your hearts are full. Be fruitful in good works and never wait
for a more convenient season.”234
And another time, he wrote:
“Not only disease and evil habits are contagious, but happily
this is true of bright examples of high and noble living, giving,
and doing. The more one does, the more he sees to do; the
more one gives, the more one is disposed to give and finds
means to give and the good Lord, who “loves a cheerful giver”
never fails to observe and reward such a giver. None are so
poor but that they can give something if it be only a word of
cheer, comfort, sympathy, or counsel. No one was ever poorer
for giving to a worthy brother or sister in distress.”235