FUNERAL OF THE LATE JAMES HOPCRAFT.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3141, 13 March 1879, Page 2

FUNERAL OF THE LATE JAMES HOPCRAFT.

Yesterday alter noon the last sad offices were paid to the remains of the late James Hopcraft. The funeral; procession left his late residence on the Beach, Shortland, at 3 o'clock p.m., and was largely attended by the general public, as well as by the brethren of the Masonic order. The Masonic Lodges having arrlfec^ took up their stations on i,h| fgotpith, the Lodge.of Light close up- to the residence of the deceased. The W. faster, JBro. Climo,and his offioerlatottcetoplt|jharse of the body, whieh^s^orne &6m the house by the pall bearers^-t^ members from each Lodge—shoulder high to the hearse. The coffin passing through the open lines of the Masonic brethren, was immediately r followed,; JbyJ the: chief mourners—l. £. Vialoa (father-in-law of the deceased),, Wm. McCullough (Mayor of the; fbstnes), F.v Vialou, and S. Young; ; v3 Jtn re v W." #asterj officers, an<i members'of thjp Lodge of Light, closing tbcir^nks, followed, and the brethren of T Wa^er H«ott and the Corinthian' did' lil^y^ « r fco'^M the mournful processipn fMuJ!wl,i^r<Migb, the general public doting tj^e r Jof jrj^ac. In this orderj the,! body.* Kf^e^ttjpEearse, where -it* was deposited, .)t)}%j|j(Mqffjnoiir* pets and otherifriend* f&Qmhasim**triages. The Masonic bflhwAflrffeg taken up the usual position, proseedthg tht'body, the Corinthian Lodge.Tteingltl&ybiingest, taking the lead of tiw'prooesßidn, which was in the following order: as* >!•-?:; €f

'STEWARDS WITH WHMgllWfc' SEp^TABXAND TEJUfIUHW. ; j ; SENIOR /m JtTKIfIW WiB»BWI %ITH ■-: ■■'■' '*"''' "■ rnf,TTiiiinl-I^' V'tm'W-....,.-.7 '.a RiSl , o(^t( ]4Hffiß%| Bl ,. l<tn - THB: HOLT WBlJWe»'<ar-t^OV«IIIfi«iTXBXO ■. WITH ;JBLiOk^CW^; r Jieitii^l3rt;i(^OM or thb oi&wb Mtma&a Wtmb .lODGB. ' *" ' ' JHB MASTKBB BTTPPOETEEI) BY TW,O DEACOKB. . the o?Figi4rpra, oißMinuir.

The Lodge oi tLight,rihe;ldd^B i6f 1irhich deceased was a member, being immediately before the hearse. Closing the procession of the above lodge, which observed the same order as given above, was Pasi'Mas,te,r, A. Brodie, 8.W.. Senior Warden W the Provincial Grand Lodge of Neir Zealand North, S.C.and on this occasion by. the authority,of the, Provincial Grand Mister, Bra; F.Wnitaker^ representing him and the Provincial Grand Lodge. This order was maintained till St. George's Church was reached, arriving at.jrhich the Masonic brotnla opened (Jut* their ranks. f) The bodibeing taken Jit the pallbearers from the nea'rse Wai Bone into the church, f and w** mot.at.the gate by the Bey.'V. Lush, wfid "commenced the, ,be^|a^Sern^-J|(s the Dead, of the Church of England. The coffin was pitted upon trestles in the centre of the church, the mourners and friends taking seats aronnd, aftfflr; which the service proceeded, the choir singing the 90th psalm. The portion of Holy Writ appointed: was then read, and the chpir iahg: a fhyiutf IWr*fcttt| jppa the f av|- • * ■ - + ~> ••.'.!*. t 1 I §k«a #1 fa* ' "Lord lrt kno* my end And tM number «f my days." The body tai^in<«ak%o tnWcedin the hearse, and the procession reformed as before, slowlyf took ittTwly'to Tararu Cemetery. 'AJfrttjjs eqtltuce lo the cemetery the Be?, -V. Lush commenced the concluding /portion 6f the buriit service, whioh was onlyjended when the body was placed inr-ifcr la-Bl; resting place. The W. Maeterf of theJ^dEejOf jtight then read the impjTffUYg Mwoqicf and gave an exhjOetat^pn fcpm which we take the following^xtciupt,:^--Tiie solemn notes that betoken tb«^U<^lutK)n of this earthly tabernacle,, have ;tojiij» alarmed 'our outer door, and, anothif 'spirit has been summoned to where our filthers have gone before us. <,Again *•;«(» oalled to assemble among the habii»*|fn of the dead to behold the " narrow home ap. pointed for all liviog.": There, around us in that peace/which the world cannot' give, sleep the unnumbered dead. The gentle breerefans theijrferdant covering, they heed not; tßlsutoshftie ana the storm pass over them, and they are not disturbed; .slones/ •n.drrjejtejred monuments symbolize the affection' of surviving friends, yet no sound proceeds from them, save that silent but thrilling admonition, " Seek v* the narrow path and the straight gate that leads unto eternal life." ' We ?re again called upon to consider the uncertainty of life, the inevitable certainty of death, and the vanity of all human pursuits. Decrepitude and decay are written upon every living thing;" The cradle and the coffin stand in juxtaposition to each other, and it is a melancholy truth, that so soon as we begin to Jive that moment also we begin tadie. It is passing strange, chat notwithstanding the daily mementos of mortality that-cross our path; notwithstanding the funeral bell so often tolls in our ears, and the "mournful procession" gaabput our streets, that we will not more : seriously consider our approaching fate. We go on from d< sign to design, and hope to hope, and lay out plans for the employment of years, until

we are suddenly alarmed at the approach of the Messenger of Death, at_ a moment when we least expect him, and which we probably conclude tc> be the meridian of our existence." During the address the Master deposited the white apron—the emblem of innocence in the grave, and the brethren east in their evergreens—the emblem of faith in the immortality of the soul. The exhortation being ended, a choir of sweet roices sung the following hymn, which, after the grand honors of the Order wero given, concluded the ceremony :—

Brother-thou art gone to rest, we will not weep lor thee, For thou art now where oft on earth thy spirit longed to bs. Brother, thou are gone to rest, thy toils and cares are o'er, And sorrow, pain and suffering, now, shall ne'er dictress thee more. Brother thou art gone to rest, and this shall be our prayer— That when we reach our journey's end, thy glory we shall share. When those wo love are snatched away by death's relentless hand, Our hearts the mournM tribute pay that friendship must demand. While pity prompts the rising sigh, with awful power impresssd, May this dread truth, " I too must die," sink desp in every breast. Brother thou art gone to rest, &c. Let this vain world allure no more, behold the opening tomb! It bids us use the present hour—to-morrow death may come. The voice of th's instructive Bcene may every heart obey, Nor be the faithful warning vain, which calls to watch and pray. Brother thou art gone to rest, &c.

The Master of the Lodge of Light, previous to the assembled brethren leaving the Masonic Hall, gave an address to the brethren, of which the following is an extract:—" Brethren, —We are called upon by the imperious mandate of the dread messenger of Death, against whose free entrance within the circle of our fraternity, the barred doors and tyler's weapon offer no impediments. We are assembled here this day to pay the last sad office of respect to departed merit, and to mourn the loss of a dearly-beloved brother. Brother Hopcraft, whose loss we so deeply deplore, was initiated, passed, and raised into the mysteries of Free Masonry in the. Lodge Kilwinning, S.C., at Dunedin. He was affiliated to this lodge in August, 1870, shortly after the lodge was founded. He soon became conspicuous among his brethren for his zeal in Masonry, and was elected J.W. the following December. The next term he became S.W., and in December, 1871, be obtained the highest honor which could be given him by the members of this lodge, namely, that of W. M. Many ot the brethren present can bear witness with me that he carried out the numerous duties of those high and important offices with honor to himself, and credit to his lodge. In carrying out the duties of the various offices which he held he made himself universally beloved by all his brethren. Since the time of h Bro. Hopcraft's leaving the chair, owing to bis professional duties we have not had the pleasure of his company so often at our lodge meetings as we had formerly. As trustee of this hall, and as a member of the Hall Committee, Bro. Hoporaft always worked zealously and faithfully for the welfare of this lodge, seldom missing an opportunity of being present at our meetings. Our deceased brother was a true specimen of what ' a good and worthy Mason' ought to be. He was benevolent and condescending, and universally respected and beloved by the fraternity. His natural sweetness of temper made an indelible impression on every heart, and his amiable manners produced a quiet influence which he exercised for the general benefit of the craft. Life being uncertain, and all earthly pursuits vain, let us no longer postpone the important concern of preparing for eternity, but embrace the happy moment, while time and opportunity offer, to provide against that great change when all the world shall cease to delight, and reflections of a virtuous conduct yield the only comfort and consolation. Our expectations will not be frustrated; nor shall we jbe hurried unprepared into the presence of an all-wise- and powerful Judge, to whom the secrets of all hearts are known, and from whose dread tribunal no culprit can escape. Brethren, let us with feelings of brotherly love express a wish (hat the spirit of our departed brother has ascended to that Grand Lodge above, where the world's Great Architect lives and reigns for evermore."