Ten Minutes With Thyself.

you to banish sleep and accompany him dowa to th- ** - gloomy caves of memory ? Did you ever consent in n retrospect of the past , and aside with thafc solemn

o-isfcndian , peruse the pages ] in the book of memory ? Did you ever stand wifch beating henrfc and listen , •¦< ¦ conscience turned the rnsty key in the long closed door of tbe " skeleton closet" and heard the wcu-rls ,

grate m the long unused lock ? Did you ever gaze , with half averted eye , upon the contents of that closet , as the door swung open and displayed the treasured relics of folly and blunders marking your past life ? Did yon over take each up , piece by piece , and read the story of that

long pasfc time , in the souvenirs you clasp ? Did you ever turn away from the Pandora box of your own treasured follies , after vainly seeking at tbe bottom for Hope ? Did you again return to the mill of your ( now ) existence , where the ruthless hand of time still turns the crank ,

grinding out your minutes , hours , days , months , years ? Did you ever glance into the hopper of that mill , and realise tbat yonr grist would soon bo ground ? Did you ever honesty take a look in your mirror , and note that the once fair , brown , or black locks , were changing to gray wifch the accumulated

snows of years ; that crow-feet were traced about the eyes ; thafc the grinders were becoming fewer in number ; that the pillars of fche house now trembled ; thafc tbey that look ont of the windows were becoming darkened ? Did you everwith Cardinal Wolsey—sum up all in the sad sad refrain .

" I have lived long enough ; my way of life , Is fallen into the sere and yellow leaf ; And thafc which should accompany old age—Aa honour , love , ohedienoe , trcopa of friends , I tnnsfc not look to have . "

Ifc is a brave man who can thus coolly retrospect his past . It does not of necessity follow thafc thafc past mnst be punctuated by actual crime . This sin of omission is even greater than tbat of commission—and which regret can never condone . When a man has lived

out hia day of usefulness , opportunity never returns to obviate tbe consequences of a mistake . Life ' s battle is not fought without grievous wonndings . When we are at firsfc marching to the field to meet the enemy the regimentals are new , the arms bright and the

hope of victory strong . We return from tho conflict , mutilated , with armour dented and broken , but possibly with victory perched upon our ragged banners . Then all is well and it matters little what the condition of the soldier

be if he can but say : " I have fought tbe fight , I have finished my course , I have kept my faith . " Bufc if , on fcho contrary , life , in retrospection , shows but a succession of defeats , then it is that man is but a superfluous incumbrance and the quicker he falls to the rear of oblivion the better .

Now this retrospection is not fche result of a bilious disposition , nor a "blue" coloured spleen . It is simply what all should honestly do , in summing up life ' s endeavour . Rest assured , however much we may seek to ignore tho fact , a man's life is too long when he outlives

his character , his health , and his estate . It is then that he finds similitudes in the metaphors used in our opening interrogations . He is a scissors tbat has lost its rivet ; a watch with a broken main-spring ; a hilt from which the blade has been broken , a steamless engine ; a rudderless

ship ; a windless organ ; a headless drum ; a letter stampless . All through the endless range or metaphor and similitude he can find for himself a synonym . The thesau rus

of life surrounds him with things which portray to him the fact , he is a derelect on the ocean of time . His song is found with Byron , who at thirty-five could voice his disappointment in saying : —

" I ' m in the sere and yellow leaf—The love , the hope of life is gone ; The worm , the canker and the grief , Are mine alone ;" and more bitter still he finds his portrait in the twelfth

chapter of Ecclesiaates , verses 1 to 7 , while with the writer thereof he can truthfully exclaim , " vanity of vanities ; all is vanity . " Now , all this has been produced

by hearing a man say—what is said by thousands— " We have only one life to live , so let us enjoy it . " But ah ! when the enjoyment is past and fche harvest is gathered , what shall ifc be ? Never were truer words uttered than

these : " Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap . " Let us bufc add to this gloomy retrospection one gleam of encouragement in saying ; fruitless is sorrow for having done amiss , if it issue not in a resolution to do so no more . —American Tyler .

Masonic Literature.

MASONIC LITERATURE .

MpHERE is a narrow and a broad view of the literature JL designated aa Masonic . By the firsfc named estimate the literature of Freemasonry is supposed to include only the rituals and lectures of the Craft degrees , the histoiy of the institution , and whatever record there may he of tho expression of its outward life in respect to numerical and

financial growth , the administration of its Charities , and other matters of related interest , Iu the common and limited survey of Masonic literature these are the topics which fix attention , and concerning which the judgment of Masonic writers is sought by the average Craftsman . By

broadening the lines a little there comes into view much that has been written relating to the ceremonies of Freemasonry , the mear ' ng of symbols and practices connected with such ceremonies , with descriptions of ancient rites supposed to have a relation more or less intimate wifch tho

modern Craft system . It is in a broader range of obser ration , however , thafc the ampler field of Masonic literature is revealed . In the justly extended sweep of vision it is seen thafc what is technical , bearing upon the work of the degrees , the

enactment of a varied and i 3 autiful ceremonial , and the precise lessons thereby taught , constitutes bufc a small part of tho literature to which the name Masonic can be properly applied . The Monitor or hand-book of the Craft has its value , as does any authoritative description of ritual , forms of procedure ,

& e ., but these aids ; iL li-. u boat constitute only a primer for the use of brethren who would become well versed in Masonic lore . Beyond these first things—tho elementary teaching regarding work , ceremonies , emblems , —and

beyond the historic statements showing tho rise and progress of Freemasomy , both as a system and as an organization , stretches the inviting fields of a literature identified with the institution in ways apparent to every close observer—evei / intelligent student .

We only repeat what has been stated in substance over and over again , when we say that the literature of Freemasonry includes ib separate departments of science , philosophy , sociology , ethics , and religion . It works along some peculiar lines iu explaining these great subjects , and

puts its own stamp upon certain principles and truths which are connected therewith . In history and biography its literature reaches over to many events and characters besides those enumerated under its own distinctive titles ,

while there is a sense in which it adapts tbe history of humanity to itself and utilizes tbe constantly changing phases of human thought and feeling in their correspondence to some truth shown or lessons taught by theMasonic System . The connections of Masonic literature are still more

broadly inclusive , for , incidentally , ifc maintains an interest in all the researches of wisdom—in all the accumulations of learning and truth . It goes backward along an inviting way to study classic myths and impressive symbols of nature and life . It gathers up the threads of tradition

and reliable annals as they connect the world of the present with the distant pasfc , as they point the way—often an obscure one—among ancient peoples , civilizations and institutions , to the most distant sources of intellectual and moral productiveness . Nothing less than this is therange of Masonic literature to the quickened vision ofthoughtful Craftsmen .

We havo been led to tbe setting forth of these truisms for two reasons : First , to suggest to the ardent brother , who has just entered the Fraternity , that he should not expect to find in a single volume all there is of Masonic lore , or think to compass by a few hours study tho height and

depth , the length and breadth of Freemasonry , as shown in the publications bearing its name , or directly related to its ceremonial aod principles . To grasp and assimilate tbe literature of the institution is the work of years . In the second place we desire to express our thought that in

gathering a Masonic library , whether for individual or Lodge use , a provision should be made for other works besides those that are specifically designated as relating to the Fraternity . There are standard books dealing with questions bearing upon related life—the humanities and the

Charities shown by civilized man—which belong to every such well selected stock of Masonic literature . Chivalry , romance , patriotism , friendship , piety , have been discoursed upou by great v . riters in all ages , and something that these

authors have written on stick themes should be included in every Masonic library . Only thns will the collection represent the extent of Freemasonry in its character and principles . —Freemasons' Repository .