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I offer my sympathy with the members of No . G 97 on their conviotion for an offence their judges admit they had little or no share in oommittmg . Yours fraternally , ON THE ROAD .

30 th May 1892 . MASONIC "TOMFOOLERY . "

To the Editor of the "Leighton Buzzard Observer . SIR—In yonr last report of the doings of the Local Board I see that ono of ifc-s members went out of his way to attack the ceremonies of tho Freemasons by speaking of them as " tomfoolery . " As the gentleman in question is not a Freemason he can know nothing of the and it is most to the initiated to learn

doings of Freemnsons , amusiug what curious and erroneous ideas outsiders have of the Craft . I do not wish to defend Masonry in this letter ; but , as unsupported state , inents are often misleading , I should like to furnish a few proofs of the " tom-foolery " of Masonry , so that when our local Demosthenes . ~« ; n anont-a in rmhlin his remarks ma , v be snoDorted bv real

knowledge , ne should know that the Prince of Wales is the head of this " tom-foolery ; " that the Dukes of Connanght and Fife and tho chief of the aristocracy in the couutry are " torn-fools" of the game degree ; that this , "tom-foolery" embraces tens of thousands of members in all pnrts of the world , and tho number is increasing . He should judge of this " tom-foolery " by its actions . It has a set

or almshouses for the aged poor " tom-fools , " another set for tho a <* ed widows of " tom-fools , " and two large schools where the sons and daughters of these "tom-fools" are educated , boardod , and olothed . He should know that £ 67 , 000 were subscribed by these " tom-fools , " last April , at one meeting , for the support of the aged ; £ 9 , 253 at the last meeting for the Boys' School ; and this month—only last Wednesday— £ 10 , 000 were collected for the

Girls' School . If he shonld like to know what the "tom-fools " are doing locally , let him call on me , and I will Bhow him a most substantial proof of the good the " tom-fools " have done . Real Masons always express the pleasure it gives them to belong to the Order , and subscribe to its Charities ; but such remarks as " Masonio tomfoolery" can be regarded in no other light than the jealous expression of Fayne . HENRr POYNTEB . Liuslade .

" THE POPE , FRIENDLY SOCIETIES , AND MASONS . "

To the Editor of " The Speaker . " Sin , —The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin has published a correspondence between himself and a lady which has a curious bearing upon your recent article and letters on this snbj « cfc . A lady has asked the Archbishop to give or lend her a signed photograph of himself , to place by the side of a signed portrait of the Pope which she had already received from a Catholic gentleman for the portrait

gallery at a Masonic fete ; and the Archbishop replied that the gentleman , by what he had done , had encouraged Masonio proceedings and inourred the penalty of excommunication . It may possibly be wise for the Roman Catholic Churoh to stand aloof from Freemasonry in Roman Catholic countries , but , surely , to apply similar principles in so portentous a fashion to British and Colonial Freemasonry is ludicrousl y absurd ; yet it saems , after all , that this at the present moment is abill done . S . W .

WHAT IS FREEMASONRY ?

To the Editor of the Gloucester Journal . Slit , —I have read with much interest and a considerable sense of pnzzlodom yonr account of the " Masonic Ball" recently held iu Gloucester , and the ceremony of "Consecration of a new Lodge , " which followed so closely afterwards . I mnsfc confess to

having , hitherto , in regard to Masonry and its mysteries , had a sort of sympath y with the little boy who , when he was whipped for Dot learning his alphabet observed that he hardl y thought it was worth while going through so much to learn so little . But I begin to doubt

whether I have not been living in error—venial , I trust—and whether under the apparent guise of n society which , to an unsympathetic observer , seems organised mainly for the promotion of " banquets , " there may not lurk some generally unknown form of religion .

J . hat Masonry—at any rate the Mark branch of it—is a form of religion I gather from the fact that the new Lodge was consecrated " with the accompaniment of hymn , anthem , prayer and so emn music . But then I am greatly puzzled at the curious

topsy-turveydom of the function when compared with that of similar ceremonies in other religious bodies . One would have thought that , as a Lnaplain was present , he , as a religious official would have periormeu the function of consecration . But no , he only delivered " an " l , B ' " ™ I presume is masonese for " sermon ; " it was the flooieij , vv . Bro . Lord Euston who so appropriately discharpsd that eminentl y piona office . b

obvinL llrel , S , 0 U 8 DBfcuro of the function becomes still more con ecratTon » i ,- l \ u ° f the iDCeil 9 in S of the " elements of conBecrat . on ; which , I observe , include wine as "tho emblem of « Mowin " U , Y p , CtDreS t 0 ° aeseIf fche aco , yt 9 with *» ' 3 thurible ^ hlZK ^ fL u \ maS T ° f Veave UHquot , aDd wonders rcredoflS abstainer * ' " ^ ted , ' as the French say , at this thi ? ° wCtES 3 ?! m ° re tb r a 11 aboat thi 3 little bn 3 ! a <* 8 ™ Whether total abstainers , who can scarcely join in venerating

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an element which they are sworn to execrate , are exolnde I from Masonry or not , I do not know ; but I do know that Jews are not , because I have known at lea 9 t one estimable Hebrew who has gone through the ceremony of initiation as a Mason . If , then , Masonry be a form of religion , as I assume it must be , how admirably oatholio it must be to include in its broad limits not only

all sections of Christianity but even the " unohristian descendant of Moses , and perhaps also tho " unspeakable" Turk , the pious infidel , and the agnostic heretic . But if these good people can thus agree to meet under the sacrod a ) gis of Masonry , and laying aside for once all envy , hatred , malice , and uncharit ^ bleness , can combine to worship some common , but , to vulgar outsiders like myself , unknown

God , will they not , in mercy to us benighted heathens , cease any longer to veil the mysteries of the modern Isis whom they so retioently cultivate and explain to us what it all means ; and why , if they can so amiably combine in prayer and praise under the " tiles " of a Lodge , they should so persistently agree to differ about all sorts of trumpery details of doctrine directly they get outside it ? I must , for my own part , admit that I feel somewhat "drawn "

—I think that is the oorreot phrase—towards a religion which can so comfortably sandwich its solemn functions between a ball on one side and a banquet on the other . Pray , Sir , do persuade the S . W . Brother , or the Chaplain , or any oue eke who is " in the swim , " to lighten the darkness on this subject of every one who , like myself , is— NOT A MASON .

The Theatres. &C.

THE THEATRES . & c .

Mr . Herberto-Basing announces the production at tho Princess ' s , on Whit-Monday , the 6 th instant , of an entirely new and original modern Irish drama , entitled " Strathlogan , " by Messrs . Charles

Overton and Hngh Moss , in which a powerful company will appear , including Mesdames Olga Brandon , Louise Litta , Ada Ferrar , and Dorothy Dorr ; Messrs . H . Reeves Smith , John Beauchamp , Herbert Flemming , Henry Bedford , Wilfred E . Shine , J . Crawford , Stephen Caffrey , Dan Fitzgerald , T . P . Haynes , and Herbert Waring .

A matinee will be given next Tuesday afternoon , the 7 th inst ., when will be produced a play in three aots , entitled " Marriage , " by Messrs . Brandon Thomas and Henry Keeling . The following ladies and gentlemen will appear , by kind permission of Mr . Arthur Chud . leigh : —Miss Gertrude Kingston , Miss Ellaline Terriss , Messrs . Elliott , C . P . Little , and Brandon Thomas .

On Thursday , 9 th inst ., a speoial matinee will bo given at the Haymarket , in aid of the Extension Fund of the St . Mary ' s Hospital . The programme will include "Nance Oldfield , " the second act of

" Beau Austin , " the third aot of " Lady Windermere s Fan , " a scene from " The Taming of the Shrew , " a new dance by Miss Sylvia Grey , a selection from "The Mountebanks , " & o . Seats may now be booked .

Mr . J . R . Crauford announces a benefit matinoe on Friday , the 17 th inst . ; when a new comedy will be produced , called " They were Married , " adapted from Mr . Walter Besant ' s story of that name , by his permission and approval . The following ladies and gentlemon

have most kindly given their services : —Mesdames Bella Patoman , Georgie Esmond , Alice Ingram , Margaret Wallace ; Messrs . C . W . Somerset , Gerald Maxwell , Philip Cunningham , Stephen Caffroy , H , De Lange . Mr . M . B . Spurr , humourist , has also consented to give some zither selections , a recital , and a musical sketch .

We have great p leasure in calling attention to Beringer's spectacle of Egypt in its grandeur , now open at Niagara Hall , Westminster . The scene at " Egypt" in London is beautiful at any time—even on the dullest day—but now that summer has arrived , the view is positively enchanting . There is so much to be seen that one vis ; t

rarely suffices , even for those who have lived or travelled in the Land of the Pharaohs ; and it is not surprising to know that all who journey to Niagara Hall are desirous of making a prolonged stay . It is a great mistake to suppose that the cyclorama consists of a c iollection of colossal statues and mummies . On the contrary we see

the cloudless sky , and miles of beautiful scenery , including the Nile , with palui-covered islets , and villas surrounded by choice plants and dowers ; and as to the human element , it may safely be asserted

t bat no phase of Egyptian city life is unrepresented , la the front hall , which represents a street in Cairo , there is a comfortable lounge and restaurant , and Eastern bazaar , and the entire cost to BOB the exhibition—which is open from 10 to 10—is only one shilling .

A meeting of Past Masters was held on Saturday afternoon , in the Masonic Hall , Douglas , Islo of Man , Bro . T . H . Neabitt Deputy Provincial Grand Mastor , presiding . After some discussion , it was resolved , on the motion of Bro . John A . Brown , seconded by Bro . Geo . C . Heron , that

if 30 promises could be obtained , a Past Masters Lodge bo formed ; and that after the first year , so that all preliminary expenses mig ht be discharged , two-thirds of the annual susbcription be devoted to charity . So soon as the replies are obtained another meeting will be held .

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