Essay By Bro. Dr. Millman.

of virtue , honour , and truth , until he attains a certain knowledge of the practical working of Masonry . It is a great mistake to allow him to grope along alone and

unaided amid the comparative darkness with which he is more or less surrounded . Teach him to practise the glorious principles of the Order ; teach him to be firm to his faith , true to himself , and true to his fellow Masons .

In the unwritten laws of Masonry there is the command , attend to your Lodgo . It is most important that every Mason should regularly go to his Lodge and take part in the proceedings . No Mason can know or care much for Freemasonry who fails to take an interest in the Lodge

and its doings . The yonnger members should be there to learn , and those that have experience and wisdom should be there to teach . It is matter of regret that the majority of the

members of St . George ' s ( and I believe that the same may be said of most Lodges ) make it a practice not to attend the meetings , and thus nofc only disobey the command of their Lodge , bnt deliberately ignore their solemn obligation .

Our Lodge has a membership of one hundred and fifteen , and of which nearly one hundred live within a cable tow of this place of meeting , bnt out of that number we very seldom have twenty present . The largest attendance is on the night for election of officers , when there may be

as many as thirty-five on the register . There might be many explanations for this non attendance . One is , the brethren may not have been sincere when they said they joined the Order from the preconceived good opinion they

had of it , and a desire to be of further assistance to their fellow creatures , but rather joined from curiosity , and that curiosity very soon exhausted itself ; or , possibly , joined owing to the solicitation of some over-zealous , but very unwise brother .

Another explanation is , they may have been quite sincere , but found , after being a member for a short time , thafc fche preconceived idea they had formed was a mistaken one , and also found the meetings very monotonous and uninteresting . This , however , will not excuse them . They

should remember the solemn promise they made , " I will ever afterwards act and abide by the ancient usages and established customs of fche Order ; " and one of the ancient usages and customs is , all members must attend their Lodgo when they possibly can . Other reasons for

nonattendance migbt be cited , but the above will suffice . Now , if the meetings are monotonous and uninteresting who is to blame , but the members themselves , and more

especially the officers . And here we come to a very important point . As a rule , we meet-, open Lodge , read minntes , pass accounts , and close , barely doing anything else . Sometimes we have some work to do . then we

appear so anxious to get through with it , that we call emergency meetings in order to expedite matters . At these meetings we congratulate ourselves on our prosperity .

True , we are adding new material , but where is the old ? Many Lodges are conferring ' degrees almost every meeting night , and on thafc account are considered very successful . With them there is too much work and very little

recreation . Masons , like other men , enjoy sociality , and when a Lodge becomes nothing more than a manufactory for making Masons , the thing becomes very tedious . I say that Lodge that shows the largest attendance is the most successful . There , in all likelihood the brethren are alive

to their obligation , and the programme of the evening is such , that , instead of becoming monotonous , it is attractive and entertaining . There are many ways in wbicb the few hours we are together each month could be made pleasant ; and , if we will

onl y put our shoulder to the wheel , I am satisfied we shall not only have an increased attendance of onr own members , but will be honoured by the attendance of many from our sister Lodges . If our Worshipful Masters , who are placed in the East 0

en" > ploy and instruct the brethren , have nofc time to get np the lectures of the different tracing boards , perhaps some or our Past Masters would be prepared to favour us . If D ° fc , then let portions of the lectures be read , and by way ot instruction let the members be catechized thereon . They

. * * hns become acquainted with the meaning of the many S ] gns and symbols , of the major number of which , most of tts are ignorant . J- would like to ask how many of our members could asil

y -work their way into another Lodge . I am sure it ° nld bother some , and yet our Lodge does nofc appear to a , nt ) lu . ' ^ ' evening be spent very profitably now « then , in having , in open Lodge , two or tbree brothers

Essay By Bro. Dr. Millman.

undergo an examination on tho questions asked Masons visiting strange Lodges ? Let one brother answer tbe questions for the first degree , another those of the second , and a third those of tho third degree . Then , again , good practice wonld be for tho officers to vacate their chairs and

have them filled by other brothers , allowing them to go through the opening and closing of the different degrees . To have success in getting tho members to attend regularly , I believe they must be employed , and while so

employed will not only bo Masons in name , but become so in deed and act , and soon will tako a lively interest in the Order , and will have a desiro to get a better knowledge of its mysteries .

I must refer to one other point , and thafc is the practice of canvassing for office for yourself or your friends . It is absolutely bad , and is quite contrary to the teachings of Masonry . No man can advocate his own cause or that of another , without saving something disparaging of others ,

and although he may think he is not doing so , he is actually doing an uncharitable act . Rather let him , no matter how anxious he may be for the office , bo i * eady to compromise ; and I think where there are several brothers eligible for the chair and willing to take it , if elected , let the senior be

chosen . If every one detested canvassing as much as I do I am satisfied no wire puller or canvasser would ever be elected . Let each one stand on his own merit , and the right man will be chosen . We have only to look to the political status of the country to see that canvassing is utterly and fearfully demoralizing .

I shall now close witb an extract from tbe pen of a brother Mason : — The object of every Mason should be to raise the standard of Freemasonry ; to make the Fraternity what it should be , a Brotherhood in the highest sense o £ the word , of honourable , true and upright

men . We are presumed to be engaged in a sacred work , and if we are derelect in our duties and careless with regard to our responsibilities , we have forgotten the principles that wo promised to sup . port , and negligent of those important lessons that if should be our pride to teach and our glory to practise . The earnest Craftsman

never obtains sufficient light in Masonry to satisfy the hungry cravings of the sonl for more knowledge . It is this eager desire to leirn more , to penetrate deeper into the hidden character of our mys . teriea , that possess such a charm for the delver in the mines . The Mason who loves hisart is constantly discovering something new .

something fresb , something to cause stndy aud thought . It is this invisible , intangible something that is the real charm that is so irresistible to the faithful Craftsman . We cannot bo too careful in training , iu educating tho candidate that seeks moro light in our mysteries , so that ho may be r . blo iu timo to instinct others in the true service of

the Craft ; but whilst ; we aro diligent in so doing , how very necessary it is that we should be wise in thought , cautions in word , and prudent in action—iu truth , that wo should ho true to ourselves . Our efforts should ever bo to advance tho interests of our race , to teach mankind to be better and purer , and to bo faithful to the doctrines

lncnloated iu the Lodge-room by practising them in our daily course of life . Thus should wo uphold Masonry , and thus should Masonry exalt us . Let not one of us ever he ashamed to avow our principles in thoso noble tenets of our Order which have been handed down to

us through countless generations , and which are all based on the glorious , heaven-inspirwl doctrine of a belief in the Fatherhood of Ood and Brotherhood of Man . Brethreu , be true to yourselves and faithful to the Craft .

Obituary.

Obituary .

—XHBRO . CHARLES MANBY , F . R . S . THE death took place , on Thursday evening , of Bro . Charles Manby , F . R . S ., Hon . Secretary of the Institution of Civil Engineers . The lato Bro . Manby was born in 1804 , and was the son t f Aaron Manby , ironmaster , who built the first seagoing steamship made of iron , and which , named after its constructor , caused much interest by making the journey direct from London to Paris . On this occasion Bro . Manby , then a lad of seventeen , had charge of the engines , the

vessel being commanded by Sir Charles Napier . Some time afterwards Bro . Manby became connected with the firm of Manby , Wilson and Co ., who originated the Paris Gas Compan y , and largo ironworks at Charenton , and he also reorganised tho great ironworks at Creusot . Bro . Manby was entrusted by Sir Robert Peel with a portion of the preliminaries for ths Great Exhibition of 1851 , and to

bim was duo the idea of a guarantee-fund for the construction of the building . Ho was one of the International Scientific Commission held at Paris in 185 G on the subject of the Suez Canal . He was also thu orignator of the organisation known as the Engineer and Eailway Volunteer Staff Corps . Iu 1876 , a testimonial , consisting of a purse

of £ 4 , 000 and a silver salver , engraved with the names of the subscribers ' , was presented to Bro . Manby on behalf of the membera of the Institntion of Civil Engineers , to mark their sense of his services as Honorary Secretary for twenty years . This office he retained until his death . Tho late Bro . Manby was greatl y respected by a large circle of Masonic Mends .