Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of the writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

THE EIGHTS OP PEOVINCIAL GEAND OFFICEES .

To the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —The point raised by " M . M . " in your issue of , the 19 th ult . is , I think , a by no means new one . I fancy it has been discussed in print before , but even if it has not been so considered it is certainly one that often causes discussion at Lodge meetings , when it happens the name of a Provincial Officer is coupled with the toast of the

Grand Officers , only to be criticised or objected to by some of those present , who rightly , I think , express the opinion that a Provincial Grand Officer is not entitled to respond to the toast of the Grand Officers of England . I think I may go further and say that a Provincial Grand Officer ( except the actual heads of the Provinces or Districts ) has no special position or honour outside his own Province .

The Book of Constitutions should settle the question , and I think it does so , effectually , as a reference to Rule 6 will show . That Rule settles the rank and precedence of the members of the Grand Lodge , and in the list given there is no notice of Provincial Officers ( with the one exception I havo just mentioned ) , so that I presume Provincial Grand Officers are included in the final qualification , which includes the Master , Past Masters and

Wardens of Private Lodges , that is to say , such Brethren must attend Grand Lodge by virtue of rank in a Private Lodge and not by reason of preferment in a Provincial one , a line of reasoning almost compulsory when one bears in mind that a Brother may be appointed to Provincial Office without holding any rank in a Private Lodge , and although such preferment is perhaps unusual at the present time I do not think one would have to go

far back to find many illustrations of it . Another part of the Constitutions that seems to bear on the subject is the programme of the ceremony of laying a foundation stone , & c , by the M . W . Grand Master , where I take it Provincial Officers would be included among the " Visiting Brethren , " but as I take it these Visiting Brethren

would be ranged in some sort of seniority I am afraid this latest reference of mine takes the whole question back to the start again , as I am certainly of opinion that some sort of preference would be shown tho wearers of Provincial purple . I should like to see the question further considered in this light . Yours , & c . OBSERVER .

Distribution Of Lodge Work.

DISTRIBUTION OF LODGE WORK .

To the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have often been struck by the references in your Lodge reports , notably those in the Manchester district , I think , to the distribution of work that is practised in some of the Provincial Lodges , where a candidate is Initiated , Passed or Raised by the Worshipful Master—up to a certain point , the charge , working tools , lecture or some other part of the

work being given by some one of the Fast Masters , and I have often thought such an arrangement must be far better than the custom in the metropolis , and round about , I think I may also say , where the one Brother does all the talking . I am aware you have at different times expressed opinions in favour of a division of labour , and I fully agree with you that such a course is desirable , as productive of that " variety " which is " charming , " but the

question is , how can we in London bring about so desirable an end ? The craze of the present day among Worshipful Masters seems to be to do everything , from the investiture of their Officers to the installation of their successor—a very laudable ambition , it is true , but really one can have too much of a good thing , and for a member of a busy Lodge to have to listen to

the voice of his W . M . throughout the Lodge work and for the greater part of the time at the banquet table for the whole of one year , is somewhat monotonous , to say the least of it , especially when , as sometimes happens , the Master has not the best of deliveries , or is not " letter perfect" in the ritual .

Of course there are some men whose utterances it is a ploasure to listen to , and I would respectfully suggest to some of our best workers the desirability of shifting some of the work on to tho shoulders of others ; they could not be accused of incompetency or laziness , and they would set an example that might be followed by others less favourably circumstanced . I

can see the objeotion under existing conditions of a Worshipful Master of medium ability delegating some of his work to others—he would be thought incompetent , and lose caste as a consequence , but if some of the best men would set the example this feeling would be obviated , and advantage would result to many Brethren , among others to Yours , & c . A LISTENER .

A member of the Masonio Fraternity relates a rather novel , but altogether mouldy experience in this month's " Craftsman . " One day he was walking through a forest and got into the hollow trunk of a tree to shelter himself from a downpour of rain . He stayed there for some time , but upon attempting to get out found the wood had swollen , and ho was fast becoming a tight

fixture . Thinking his last hour was not far off his past rose before him , and especially those incidents in his life which gave him least pleasure to reflect upon . Among other things , he reflected with regret that for the last six

months , instead of buying his own copy of the " Craftsman " and paying for it like a man , he had borrowed from his Masonic friends . As he tnought of this the recollection of it made him feel so small that he extricated himself with ease I

REPRESENTATIVES WANTED for tho FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE , in every town of England . Liberal Commission on Subscriptions , & c . Address the Publisher , Fleet Works , New Barnet .

The Freemason's Alphabet.

THE FREEMASON'S ALPHABET .

WE have pleasure in reproducing the following " Alphabet , ' compiled by Bro . W . Bland , a member of the All Saint ' s Lodge , No . 1716 : /\ for the Accepted Freemasons here , The Ancient , Allegorical , Art we revere . B for the Board of Benevolence Blest ,

By Brothers dependent , and others distrest . C for the Charity Masons extend , To Cheer up the needy and their Cause befriend . D for the Dangers we have all safely passed , Which remind us that Death will claim us ' at last .

E for the East where roigned knowledge profound , And the Temple was built without metallic sound . F for the Fraternity known Far and wide , Where Freedom , Fidelity , Faith do abide . G for the Great Architect , Governor , Lord , Tho Grand Geometrician we hail with accord .

H for the Honours bestowed on the Craft , By Kings , Princes , Rulers , for aye may they last . | for the Initiation all Masons pass through , In " helpless Indigence " for Brethren to view .

J for the Joy o'er Jerusalem shed , When the Temple was finished and consecrated . K for tho King who for wisdom was famed , " As Successors to Solomon " all Masters are named .

L for the Lodge , the Level , the Laws , Which admit of a Lewis : and govern our cause . M jfor the Master all Masons obey , And Most cheerfully welcomo on Installing day . |\| for the Number to all Lodges given ,

Save the " Grand Lodge above " which all Craftsmen call Heaven . O for the Oaths we are called on to take , And the " Great Obligation " no Brother dare break . P for the Penalties , Posture , and Prayer , The " Profit and Pleasure " wo all wish to share .

Q for the Questions before each Degree , Which show what our Qualifications should be . , R for the Ritual , Rich , and Resplendent , Ripe with those truths which alone bring contentment . S for the Skirret , the Sections , the Square , To Sooth Brothers afflicted and thoir Sorrows to Share .

\ for the Tyler who " close tyles " the door , And allows none to enter , unless properly vouched for . U for the Universe , God ' s temple so grand , Who created Unveiled for Us sea , sky , and land . V for the Volume of His sacred law ,

In the pages of which He does His mercies outpour . W for the Warrant all Lodges Work under , Whose Well-being Wakens the Wide World to Wonder . X for the Exceedingly Sublime Exhortation , Expressed in the " Raising " of every Freemason .

Y for the Years through which our Order has stood , A monument noble of all that is good . Z for the Zeal which we Brethren show , To render this earth more an Eden below ; May our efforts prove fruitful ; our vows bo kept true , Until a " boundless Eternity bursts on our view . "

More Women Freemasons.

MORE WOMEN FREEMASONS .

To the Editor cf the " Sunday Times . " MADAM , —I havo had a number of letters from different women who wan to join my Lodge , all of which I have forwarded to headquarters . We limit our numbers and are generally full , but I hope there may be room for those who have applied through mo . Yours , & c , VIOLET TWEEDALK . Milton Hall , Cambs .

A Cambridgeshire lady has determined to start a Lodgo of Freemasons on her own account , and she states that the number of applications she has received from sisters anxious to become acquainted with the ancient secrets of the mystic Order testify to an earnest desire on the part of many women to assist men in the working of the Craft . From what quarter she is to receive her Warrant does not appear . Moreover , the Master of every Masonic

Lodge is , according to popular tradition as known among outsiders , a representative of King Solomon , who presided over the building of the Temple , when Freemasonry was founded ; but bow could a mistress-Mason be that ? The Salic Law is very strict in Freemasonry . She might say she represented the Queen of Sheba , but the ancient Order would regard that as an " over the left" branch of tho mystic Brotherhood . Female Freemasonry is a

daring innovation , and women who embrace it hardly know the dangers they run . It is true that a portion of thpm enjoyed some of the pleasures of Masonry on Saturday night , when numbers of the Gallery Lod ^ e—the trysting po . nt for Brethren engaged in Press work—gave what they call a " Ladies Night , " but there the f lir visitors did not attempt to pry into the

secrets of the Craft by hiding in cupboards or grandfather-clocks while their aproned husbands were hard at work with mallet , chisel , and plumb-line . They patiently wnited until the call from labour to refreshment had been given , and then dinr-d jojously with the Ma « ons , under the presidency of the Master , Bro . C . Lock , and were afterwaids treated to a concert of excellent music . — "Daily Telegraph . "