Substance And Shadow, Word And Spirit.

SUBSTANCE AND SHADOW , WORD AND SPIRIT .

NO one will dispute that ritualism in Masonry is a necessity , and no one can dispute the fact that the ritual is only the shell in which are incased the higher and greater values of the Craft . The ritual , the forms and ceremonies of initiations are

the beautiful word paintings to impress upon the mind of the candidates the force of our teachings and the worth of the truth therein contained ; add to this word-painting the dramatic effect of our ritual , and an impression is made upon the mind of even a dull or indifferent person which is never effaced . Is there a man who will ever forget the ceremony of the third

degree ? Rightly understood , will he ever forget the lesson taught by the beautiful allegory ? Was there ever a Mason who was exalted to the august degree of the Royal Arch who can ever forget the ceremony ? None . Ritualism in Masonry is intended to add force to the sublime teachings , and it is he who learns these lessons well and treasures them in the mind and

embodies them in his everyday life that may be called a true Mason . And yet a Master may take the degree of Entered Apprentice and learn every word of the lecture , so that he could repeat it all at will , bright as far as the ritual is concerned , but may know absolutely nothing of the spirit of it . He might

learn , parrothke , the lessons of temperance and yet be a drunkard ; be bright as to the words , but lustreless as to the spirit and practice . Ritualists are an absolute necessity . The effects of the degrees may be ruined by bad elocution , by frivolous or undignified action . Stumbling over the words in the

ceremonies detracts greatly from the impressiveness of the work . Speaking the lines " like a town crier" makes one wish he had never heard them . The way and manner of delivering the different lectures are undoubtedly of the utmost importance , and tend more to make the initiate reverence the lessons of the

ceremony than most anything else . But , after all , Brethren , the true Mason is not merely a parrot , a machine , and Masonry does not consist of a knowledge of words only , of a knowledge of the work in the several degrees , or of the power to speak them well , but rather in the possession

of the moral qualities that should recommend a man for the high distinction conferred upon him by giving him the right to wear the " emblem of innocence , " or when you elected him to the chair once so " ably filled by Solomon , King of Israel , " you have a right to expect something more from him than the

repetition of mere words only . And , furthermore , you cannot bind down a man of brains or a man of education to a parrotlike repetition of the same lines night after night . He tires of it , and will substitute a word here and a phrase there , and use his own brush for his word-painting , and will colour as his active and

trained mind may dictate at the moment . For the illiterate , for the busy man of affairs , a " ready made" ritual is a blessing , a necessity , and to every Mason the essentials in the ceremony should be sacred and inviolate . But do not place the shell above the kernel , the word above the spirit . The lessons , the truths ,

the teachings , are above all else . Our duty to our God , our neighbours and ourselves must ever be held above the mere words of any ritual . The true Mason must not forget the lessons of charity , of Brotherly love , and be a Mason without as well as within the Lodge Room . Let our Ritualists shine forth in our work , shine as the sun in its full glory , and let their aim

be mainly to impress the novitiate with the importance of being bright Masons in practice and in deed . The bright light of the glorious orb is dazzling to the eye , but the rays of its warmth enter the heart ; it gives growth to the plants , and is life giving to everthiug on earth . So let the ritual dazzle at first si ght , but let the rays of truth , of honest sincerity , enter and penetrate the heart of your novitiate . — " New York Tribune . "

A Square.

A SQUARE .

HPlHIS is one of the most important and significant symbols _ I _ in Freemasonry , and as such it is proper that its true form should be preserved . Our French Brethren have almost universally given it with one leg longer than the other ( as was frequently the case in this country in the last century ) , thus

making it a carpenter ' s square . It is also often unnecessarily marked with inches , as an instrument for measuring , which it is not . It is simply the trying square of a stonemason , and has a plain surface , the sides or legs embracing an angle of ninety degrees , and is intended only to test the accuracy of the sides of a stone and to see that its edges subtend the same angle . In

Freemasonry it is a symbol of morality . This is its general signification , and is applied in several ways . ( 1 ) It presents itself to the Neophyte as one of the three great lights ; ( 2 ) to the F . C . as one of his working tools ; ^ 3 ) to the M . M . as the official jewel of the Master of the Lodge . Everywhere it inculcates the same lesson of morality , ot truthfulness , and honesty . So universally accepted is the symbolism that it has

A Square.

gone outside of our Order , and is found in colloquial language communicating the same idea . As a Masonic symbol it is of very ancient date , and was familiar to the operative Masons . In the year 1830 the architect ( Brother Payne ) in rebuilding a very ancient bridge , called Baal ' s Bridge , near Limerick , in Ireland , found under the foundation an old brass square much corroded ,

containing on its two surfaces the inscription , " I will striue to Hue with loue and care vpon the leuel by the sqvare , " with the date 1517 . This discovery , therefore , proves , if proof were necessary , that the teaching of our old operative Brethren was identical with the speculative application of the working tools of the Modern Craft . — " A Past Master , " in the " Minstrel . "

How To Succeed.

HOW TO SUCCEED .

rin HE only way to succeed in Masonic work and interest is to I make work and interest possible . First , elect only capable and efficient men to office ; Officers who will sacrifice time and care for the Order . Second , have no private quarrels or piques , and no " gangs" to run things . Third , see that the

diamond in the shirt stud sparkles with no greater Masonic lustre than a pearl button on the breast of a poor man . Fourth , make the meetings sociable and companionable . Fifth , never rob a candidate by " throwing him" through the degrees , but with

every care , accessory and perfect work , make the candidate and Companions see the beauties in the degrees . This beautiful and square work is " The Orient ' s " prescription for success of Masonic Lodges and Royal Arch Chapters , and it accomplishes that object .

Time , patience , and perseverance are great' elements of success . Few of us realise how much time is wasted that might be employed in doing good to somebody . We fritter away the moments of daylight in imagined labour , and when the shades of evening fall softly and gently upon the earth we find the real

work , the duty we should have performed , has been only half done , and in an impatient manner have we deluded ourselves into the belief that we have been at work . The reward we receive for what we do is in many instances a full recompense . If we do a good turn to a needy Brother we are fully paid for the

slight sacrifice we make in the smile that lights up his face , and in the hopefulness that beams in his eye . A new life enters into his soul , and he sees beauties where he did not know they existed . He realises a kinship in humanity that he never knew

before . If we spend our time and energy in having a selfish " good time , " wearing out the hours of night in dissipation and sleeplessness , we reap the fruit of our sowing in a weary body and an aching head in the morning . — " New York Dispatch . "

The Grand Lodge of Minnesota recently expressed disapprobation of the growing evil of giving publicity to the transactions of Masonic bodies and the business of the Fraternity through the medium of the public press , and condemned " the same as absolutely un-Masonic .

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ROYAL Masonic Institution for Girls , ST . JOHN'S HILL , BATTEBSEA RISE , S . W . INSTITUTED 1788 . Chief Patroness : HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN . Grand Patron and President : His Royal Highness THE PRINCE OF WALES , K . G ., & c , M . W . G . M . Grand Patroness : Her- Royal Highness THE PRINCESS OF WALES . The 108 th ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL WILD TAKE PLACE ON WEDNESDAY , THE 13 TH MAY 1896 , THE RT . HON . THE EARL OF YARBOROUGH Bight Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of Lincolnshire , in the Chair . Brethren willing to act as Stewards on this important occasion are most earnestly solicited to send in their names to the Secretary as early as convenient . Stewards are greatly needed , and their services will be very gratefully received . ~~~~~~~~~~~ F . B . W . HEDGES , Secretary . 5 Freemasons' Hall , London , W . O .