The Festival Of The Boys' School

esteem nnd love of the members of his Province , and any good work to which he applies himself is sure to receive tho sympathy and support of his dish-id , which it must be conceded , has nobly done its duty

for the Charities in the past , bufc particularl y so for the Boys' School Festival of 1893 .

Tho following summary will show tlio amounts col Ice-tod by each Province : — £ s d Essex 2235 0 0 Kent H 77 •' .- 6

Derbyshire ... ... 1000 0 0 Sussex 9-13 v > fi Surrey ... •••030 16 G Yorkshire ( Weal ) ... ... 430 10 0 •Middlesex 4-12 7 0

Hertfordshire ... ... 378 10 0 Leicestershire and . Rut lam' ... 307 10 0 Staffordshire ... 332 7 0 Warwick-shin * - ... ... 327 13 0

Yorkshire ( North unci K \ n > i ) ... 323 0 0 Hants and Isle oi * Wight .,. 311 ! . !¦ 0 "'•¦ North Wales ... ... 203 5 0 Suffolk ... ... 277 7 d Jersey ... ... ... 203 0 0

Lancashire ( Wist division ) ... Y . H 8 7 0 Corn wall .. ... 22 / 3 lo v Berkshire ... ... ... 21 •!•5 ' . '* Devonshire ... ... 170 11 ' . '• Somersetshire ... ... 174 0 . '

Buckinghamshire ... ... 1 / 0 2 J Dorsetshire ... ... 150 lo 0 Lancashire ( East , Division ) ... 146 11 0 Oxfordshire ... .. 123 1 0 Durham ... ... 115 10 0

Foreign Stations ... ... 105 0 0 Wiltshire ... .... 102 5 fi Gloucester ... ... 8-10 0 dumber-land and Westmorland ... 63 5 0 Cambridgeshire ... ... 63 0 0

Worcestershire ... ... 6 ' ^ 0 0 Shropshire ... ... GO 18 0 Bedfordshire ... ... 50 0 0

Northanfcs and Hunts ... < hl 2 0 Isieof Man ... ... 30 18 0 Cheshire ... ... 21 0 0 South Wales ( Kasfc Division ) ...

Masonry's Excellence.

MASONRY'S EXCELLENCE .

Fixtracts from , the annual address of Bro . John S . Davidson , Grand Master to the Grand Lodgi' of Gcoraia , 26 th October 1892 .

MASONRY A BENISOiN . AMID the rolling waters of the sea is a wonderful river forming a part of and yet distinct from the billows through which ifc flows . Beginning beneath the warm rays of a tropical sun , ifc gathers the heat which , with rare benignity , it distributes throughout the world ,

changing artic climates to almost temperate zone ;* , and bearing everywhere the genial touch of warmth and life . It meets the ice-bearing currents of the frigid North and overcomes them . Hero and thero the content between warmth and cold is visible iu fogs and chilling vapor-- * ,

dangerous to mariners aud destructive to commerce . Hut the contest is a small one , for fcho great warm currents finally triumph , the fogs recede from view , tbo sun appeal s and the lordly ships ride in safety ihe dancing waves which keep rhythmic motion to tbe play of sunshine . In volume

exceeding a thousand times the Father of Waters , it-, office is to carry life to climes , which , without it , would ba cold and dead , aud , in the performance of this duty pufc

upon it by fche Creator of the Universe , it knows neither halt nor weariness . Storms , which sweep tho face of the restless Atlantic , disturb nofc its even flow . The ruthless winds thafc wifch wild rush and desiructive breath bear life and property beyond all reach of safety , buffet it in vain . Ita course is unchanged by either enemy , its mission

Masonry's Excellence.

unaffected by either influence . Gently , calmly , constantly ifc Hows ou without- change < v shadow of turning , an 1 has be <* -n most eloquently nai . i-. il 'The Wandering Summer of the Sea . " There is uo laud of all earth ' s surfai e which docs not feel , to some exl-. Mil * , the hem fits it . carries ia ils

b .-. som—no people \\] io are not , to a gioiler or less degree , affected by its happy distributions . With it life is made possible where , without ifc , do ith would e unc . Wifch if , fruits and flowers and waving trees flourish and rejoice , when , without it , desolation would hold permanent place

and power . With it , soft airs and gonial breezes fan fcho cheeks and make existence a delight , when , without it , the b ! a-ts would be ice-laden , and their very touch chill and

destroy . T ; ke it away from the great ocein through which it Hows and the whole face of nature would bo changed , and health and wealth , and even life itself , would soon languish , and languishing die .

To me , this institution of Freemasonry , in its duty . and its mission , has often seemed like the great GuT Stream . In tho ages far agone it was divinely appointed to perform suoh trusts as would change the coldness of humanity into the warmth of fraternal conduct—to carry its tender

message of universal brotherhood into every clime , and bring the distant and frigid nature into close association with those near aud warm . It was intended to develop in - ; oiis appnro-. tly so ba-ren that naught save tho thistle could flourish there , a growth of sweetest flowers to pleaso

' he , eye with their beaut y and the seni-os with their perfume Ifc was intended fco create in man the knowledge *; .:: * ' - . without assistance from other hands and sympathy iVem ot'ir * ' hearts he needs rnu-t suffer the very coldness of

death for want of warm and loving associations . Agstin hke this same Gulf Stream , Masonry everywhere lib . di-s . When toe waters of li'c nr" cold , we find it warminy them with its touch . Wheu the air of life is

chill , we find its breath driving off tho icy influence and when the sod is barien , wo discover its warmth giving vigour and vitality to the heavy clods . Like this same Gulf Stream it is the Wandering Summer of existence . Never still , never idle , never satisfied , ifc winders every where that

man may have the blessings of its influence and receive the benefactions ifc carries for all humanity . And in its labours it is so gentle , so solicitous of his well-being , so tender in its ministrations , thafc it may well be designated as the Summer of all effort for the alleviation of sorrow

and fche perfecting of mm in every work thafc is good . And , finally , like that same great stream , after all its hibouis covering every clime and ' mingling with every people , if is still ftili of warmth and sunshine , the blessed expression of unchanging and universal benevolence .

NOTABLU F VI I . ) UNCUS OF PltOGRFSS . There is nothing which , to the student of Masonic practice and life , is most , attractive and full of instruction than the story of tlie Craft as it presents itself in thc labours of the different Grand Bodies with which wo areiu

fraternal volutions . It is 1 kc tho knowledge which comes to the t-avc Her in distant parts . The views are broadened , the aspirations arc lifted , the comprehension is enlarged , nor is the love of homo and its blessrd associations thereby

lc * s * ned . Bnt often times wc have , as a result , not only a kinder feeling i ' ov the world afc large , bufc a deeper lovo for our own , because , by contrast and comparison , we often find merits which constant association had concealed from

our . Every year the range of our Masonic vision is extended , fche number of our brethren increased , and fche opportunities for tho exercise of those virtues which Masonry inculcates are more frequently presented .

We behold how earnest many of these Grand Bodies aro in ilie discharge of their duties , how they have , by splendid charities and public services , won from even unwilling lips lhcul . ter . inee of c miaicndafcion , and when wo look upon the Masonic structure .- , whose very walls are eloquent of

AIu * uim * , mil whoso carefully guarded p rrtals aro fcho beautiful gateways through whioh tho orphan pisses from the waste and want of life to restoration and fullneis of plenty , we , even we , wonder while we praise . Within some of tin ; jurisdictions of our brethren , to be an orphan

is to have a thousand fathers all intent upon promoting thc best interests and securing the largest benefactions to thoso whoso caie they have assumed . In other parts , to bo afflicted with the burden and grief of widowhood is to be husbanded by those whose highest pleasure is to reconcile fco a fate they could not avarfc aud free from tears the eyes