District Of Columbia.

sustained by the Lodge . This was done to prevent the too oftei repeated objections of spiteful Cr . ftsmen in onr midst a .. inst goo ( and valuable material which has beon laid upon the scaffolds of on > Temple , and which said objectors only desire to have "kicked ove among the rubbish . " Almost every Lodge is cursed by some of suet fellows , who delight in keeping out good men against whom thev

have " run foul " and been " hurt . " The 22 nd June being Sunday , and so near the natal day of " Johr Baptist , " the brethren of Stansbm-y Lodgo , No . 21 , of this jurisdiction , determined to revive the good old Masonic custom of celebratim thatday by attending church , and listening to a sermon . Stansbnrj Lodge holds its communication afc Ilri . htwood , a " hamlet" about

three and a half miles north of Washington City , and within the boundary lines of this District . Not very far from Brightwood , ancl immediately adjacent to the grounds of tho "Soldier ' s Homo , " is the Eock Creek Cemetery ; and within the ( . rounds of that cemetery ia the old historic Rock Crock Church sitnated on the " summit of a delicious slope . " At this church , on 22 nd June , Stansbnrv Lod _ c

assembled in goodly nnmber of her own membership , with the Most Worshipfnl Grand Master Myron M . Parker and Righfc VVorshiofnl Grand Secretary W . R . Singleton , of tho Grand Lodgo , and Most Excellent Grand Hierh Priest , Burton R . Ross , of tho Grand Chapter of the District of Columbia , with a largo number of brethren from various other Lodges in tho city . Tho services were

conducted by the rector of the chnrch , Brother tho Rev . J . B . Bock , assisted by Brother the Rev . Dr . William A . Harris 33 , lately rector of St . Andrew ' s Church in Washington , and formerly the rector of Rock Creek Chnrch . Tho sermon was on tbe sabject of John fche Baptist , and although qnito short was an e _ cell * nfc exposition of the character of that celebrated forerunner of

the Divine Master . The Lodse was in charge of its Officers : — Bros . P G . Alexander Worshipful Master , T . M . F . Dowling Senior Warden . William E . Nally Past Master and Junior Warden , B . D . Carpenter Past Master and Secretary , and G . W . Balloch P . M . Past Junior Grand Warden Treisnrer . A select number of brethren of fine musical talent and cultivation , from the city Lodges , assisted several of the members of the Lodge in

rendering the sacred mnsto of the Episcopal Service . Rook Creek Chnrch is the oldest church building in the district of Columbia , and also of this part of Maryland . General Washinaton , when President and residing in Washington , attended this church . The church had been beautifully dressed with flowers ; particularly the chancel , in the middle of which , in front , was a magnificent " flower cross , " quite three feet in hoiorht , and its base surrounded with flowers . This reminded ns of Hood in his Ode to Rae Wilson * . —

" Hard by the wayside I found a cross , Thafc made rae breathe a prayer upon the spot , While nature of herself , as if to trace The emblem ' s nse , had trailed around its base The blue significant 'forget-me-not . ' Methought fche claims of CHARIT , to urge More forcibly , along with FAITH and HO ? K , _ .

The pious choice had pitched upon the verge Of a delicious slope , Giving the eye much variegated scope ; Look round , ifc whispered , on that prospect rare , Those vales so verdant , and those hills so blue ! Enjoy tho sunny world so fresh and fair , Bnt —( how tbe simple legend pierced me through !) " Pries pour les Malheurieux—pray for tho unfortunate . "

The three principal rounds of Jacob ' s ladder , mentioned in this ode so very beautifully and gracefully , come in very appropriately for this Masonic occasion ; but the most striking allusion is in the ' * forget-me-not , " which flower should be remembered by all present , particularly by the Masons , who will bear in mind their first "Patron ; " as in the origin of Masonry in Europe John the Baptist ,

was their firsfc Patron ; and to complete the " lines parallel John the Evangelist was sometime thereafter added ; and 'he winter Solstitial festival became such to Masons to be matched with the ofcher . The baptismal font was also beautifully adorned with flowers . Of all tbe beautiful objects of creation , the ALMIGHTY has not made anymore beautiful than flowers ; nor is there anything more

enjoyed by the cultivated , than those delicious blessings when so gracefully and tastefully offered in the house of fche ALMIGHTY GIVER of them . " Consider the lilies of the field , how they grow , * they toil not , neither do they spin ; and yet I say unto you tbat even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these ; " and thus the thought occurred to ns as we there enjoyed , not , only the solemn

worship and interesting services of the sanctuary , but onr hearts went np in grateful thankfulness , and our eyes were delighted with fche exquisite play and mingling of the brilliant colours and the manifold kaleidoscopes presented in tho various groups of flowers and graceful foliations . The air was deliciously pervaded with tbe

mingled perfumes distilled from these laboratories of nature , wnch ascended as incense from grateful liearta to tho LORD GOD ALMWITY , the Giver of every good and perfect blessing . Trul y it is good to praise the LOKD , for His mercy endureth forever . Amen and Amen ' .--Voice of Masonry .

Laying Corner-Stones.

LAYING CORNER-STONES .

IT lias been asked , " Why the Masonic Fraternity is selected , above all other societies , to lay the cornerstones of public edifices in this country . " Our an _ we ¦•* _ , ior two reasons : Firsfc , because it has become a common Jaw practice fche world ovev ; the adoption of a cnstori so ancient , thafc the memory of man runneth not to the con-

Laying Corner-Stones.

trary ; a custom winch prevailed centuries before modem secret societies were tlio uo-hfc of . Secondly , because the Masonry of the present day is but ancient operative Masonry , with the operative portion dropped , and the speculative retained . And as oar ancient

brethren erected the grand old works of architecture that adorn the cities of the world , and which have come down to us covered with the mould and moss of centuries , or lie in ruins , silent data , so ancient thafc history fails to reach back

to the distant point—so , in a speculative sense , the Masonic Fraternity of the present age aro called upon to erect tho magnificent works of modern architecture , by laying the foundation-stone thereof .

The first published account of the public laying of a corner stone in this country , of which wo at present have any knowledge , was thafc of the laying of the corner-stone of the capitol of the United States , 18 th Sept . 17 D 3 , by Washington , acting as Grand Master pro tern ; and who

was also afc the time President ot the United States . The account describes ifc as " one of the grandest Masonic processions which ever took placo in the United States ;" from which wo infer it was nofc the firsfc . —Sunday Times , New York .

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