The Week's Doings.

happy life "—though we fear he occasionally makes acquaintance with not a few " cares" and not a little " strife , " but much of this is his own fault .

The committee of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys met on Saturday , 5 th June , at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen-street , Bro . John Symonds P . G . D . in the chair . Bro . F . Binckes , secretary , read the minutes of the former meeting , also the report of the House Committee , which were

confirmed . Five petitions were accepted . The election for brethren to serve on the House Committee took place , and the following were duly elected : —Brothers Henry Browse P . G . D ., J . Giles Chancellor , Henry Dubosc sen ., Benj . Head , Benj . Mallam , W . F . C . Moutrie , W . Paas , W . it .

Pullen P . G . D ., William Roebuck , Sigismund Rosenthal , R . W . Stewart P . G . S . B ., John Wordsworth . The following brethren , nominated on 1 st May 1875 , being the number required , became this day duly elected without ballot , to serve on the audit committee : —Bros . John Boyd

P . G . P ., J . W . Dosell , Benjamin Head P . G . D ., W . Mann

D . W . Pearse , W . H . Pullen P . G . S . B ., James Terry , Jesse Turner , R . B . Webster . Bros . T . Cubitt P . G . P ., Webster , Jardine and Diaper were appointed Scrutineers . Votes of thanks to the Chairman and Scrutineers were unanimously

accorded , and the meeting adjourned . We beg to state that the Right W . Bro . Lord Balfour of Burleigh P . G . S . W . will distribute the prizes on the 30 th June , in place of the M . W . Earl of Carnarvon Pro G . M .

The regular meeting of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution was held on Wednesday , the 9 th instant , at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen Street , Bro . Major Creaton P . G . D . V . P . in the chair . Bro . Jas . Terry , secretary , read the minutes of the former meeting , and the report of the House

Committee , which was received and adopted . The Finance Committee was appointed , viz ., Bro . Major Creaton P . G . D ., J . Hervey G . S ., H . G . Warren and W . Hale . The House Committee was re-elected , Bros . Major Creaton , B . Head , J . Smith , R . W . Stewart and J . A . Farnfield . The

resignation of Mr . Jones , a junior clerk m the office , was accepted . There were also present Bros . Rawson , J . Nunn , J . A . Farnfield , T . Cubitt , G . Bolton , J . Smith , J . Stevens , J . M . Stedwell , W . Hale , L . Stean , W . Hall , H . G . Warren , A . W . Tattershall , Robert Went worth Little , J . Bellerby , H . M . Levy , & c .

Bro . Sir Frederick Perkins , M . P . has been appointed by the R . W . the Earl of Limerick , M . W . G . M . Grand Mark Lodge , as Senior Grand Warden .

At the forthcoming election of Sheriffs for the City of London it is understood that Bro . Alderman Knight ( Grand Master ' s Lodge , No . 1 ) is willing to accept office , if elected .

The Right Hon the Lord Mayor , Bro . D . H . Stone G . J . W ., has nominated Mr . G . Hamilton Fletcher , of 34 Leadenhall Street , ship owner , who is a freeman of the Fishmongers' Company .

With regret we have to announce the death of Bro Sidney Spencer , late Proprietor of the Terminus Hotel , and of the Cliftonville Hotel , Margate , which took place at Shottendane , Margate , in the 49 th vear of his one . He was

a member of the Lion and Lamb and William Preston Lodges . The funeral takes place at Maidstone , this day ( Saturday . )

Answers To Correspondents.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS .

All Letters and communications must be addressed to the Editor of THE FKEEMASOVS CnitoivicxE , G 7 Barbican , London , E . G . SE . YIOK —Many thanks for yonr kind offer . The suggestion shall be well considered .

W . W . —Our journal was established to promote the be 3 fc principles of Freemasonry ; to follow the course yon advocate wonld be in direct opposition to those principles . A . B . G . OTOEUS . —We cannot undertake to reply to anonymous correspondents .

DB LA RUB ' S IKIEBNAIIOHAI , PLATING CABDS . —Portraits of the Royalty of Europe . Post free , 2 a ed . W . W . Morgan , 07 Barbican , London , B . C .

The Drama.

THE DRAMA .

" Heartsease " at the Princess ' s Theatre— "The Zoo " at the St . James ' s . T A Dame aim Camelias is hardly an immoral drama , indeed it ought to be considered moral , inasmuch , as the chief sinner of the piece receives the scriptural wages of sin , death ; but for some reason , best known to tho highly seusitive modesty of our Lord Chamberlain ,

its representation in England , except in an operatic form , has been prohibited . All playgoers , however , are familiar with the story , as all mnsical peoplo know the music of La Traviata . It is this piece which Mr . Mortimer has attempted to adapt so that it shall not be offensive to British morals , and which he has re-named Heartsease . As is usnal in adaptations from the French , in attempting to get rid

of the immorality of the story much of its intelligibility and more of its point have been lost . Mr . Mortimer has removed his Traviata , Constance Hawthorne by name , from the regions of the detni-moude , and transformed her into an actress , living under suspicious circumstances it is true , and receiving , as gifts from her admirers , a largo number of jowels , a practice which we hopo is not common

with virtuous ladies ; but still , wo are assured , she is perfectly pure , but by so changing her character Mr . Mortimer has destroyed the effect of the scene in which the father of hor lover appeals to her not to cause tho social ruin of his son by marrying him ; a marriage with a courtesan would , in most cases , be discreditable to a man , bnt no possible objection could be made to an union with an actress ,

so that Constance ' s resignation of her lover on these grounds is incomprehensible , and the motive of the play i 3 lost . No doubt tho piece could not havo been played in London without this sacrifice at tho shrine of morality , but why need it havo been played at all P As it is , Mr . Mortimer ' s attempt at Bowdlerising has mangled an effective drama without producing a particularly good taste in tho

mouth . Heartsease is fairly acted by Miss Helen Barry , who playa Constance , and well by Mr . W . Eignokl , who represents hor lover . The want of success of the other performers ought perhaps to be ascribed to the shortcomings of the author , not to their own incompetency . The piece was received with some uuusually strong expressions of disfavour , attributable in part , we believe ,

to Mr . Mortimer ' s unpopularity with a section of the audience , but the verdict of tho public on any new drama is generally a just one , and there is no reason to believe that a mistake has been made in this instance . In justice to M . Dumas , any adaptation of his play shonld have been as faithful and unadulterated as possible , and should not liave beon subjected to any sham purifying process of

Mr . Mortimei- 's invention . Miss Litton has found a fitting pondant to tho extravagant humour of Tom Cobb in a little mnsical piece , by Messrs . Sullivan and Rowe , called "The Zoo . " Although much slighter in construction than " Trial by Jury , " it belongs to the same class , and is iu its way quite as admirable . The story is concerned with tho doings of two pairs of

lovers at the Zoo ; the young lady at tho refreshment counter , and the Dnke of Islington , disguised as a footman , and eating all the tarts and buns iu satisfying his amorous passiou , being one couple , whilst two visitors to tho Gardens form the other , the male of these boing bent on committing suicide by a descent into the bear ' s dou ac feeding time . Tho vicissitudes incidental to the course of true love aro

funnily portrayed , and set to some charming music . The dialogue , oi which not one word is spoken , is neat and witty , and the piece has the advantage of the assistance of Mi 3 s Henrietta Hodson , who playa tho fascinating Hob 8 with all imaginable archness and grace . Such a pleasant mnsical folly is a fitting wind-up to an evening of pure comedy , aud a most welcome substitute for tho old fashioned wearisome farce .

THE FISHMONGER I . V LEATHER LAXE . — "Now ! " roars the hatless thick-sot trader , as he grasps a large plaice with his great thumb driven into its gills , and flops it iuto tho water to give it a fresh appearance . "Here y * ar ! " Then he roars again , as with three bangs of his knife on the block he cuts off the fish's tail aud two sido fins— " Who'll ' ave this lot ? who'll ' avo it for

sixpence—fivepencefourpence ? " This last as he chops off its head and throws it into half a sheet of newspaper , for the inspection of tho pnblic . " The whole bloomiu' lot for fourpence , " he adds , persuasively . It is promptly bonght , and " Come on , come on ! " shouts the merchant again , " as mauy as ycr like ; I ' m ready for yer ; who'll ' ave this lot for foui-ponco ? any number on 'em ' ere , who'll ' ave this

lot ?"—( bang—bang—bang)— " ' ere y ' ar for fourpence—fouipence !" ( yelled out with crimson face and starting eyes )— "Here , take it away ; " and he pitches it into the arms of a thin , wan woman , with a child at her breast , and gives her two lishy pennies iu exchange for her sixpence . "Who ' s on again ?"—( bang—bang—baug)—" who ' s

for this lot ? Oh , you may smell 'em , missus ; and now go home and tell the old man there ' s a chap iu Leather Lane selling fish as don't stink—fourpence . Will y' ' ave it ? " And she does have it , as most of the crowd do eventually , for the man's fish are prodigiously cheap , and how he manages to sell them so is his business , and not Leather Lane ' s . —Cassell ' s Family Magazine .

A VALI . ' AISLE RELIC . — "Wo havo been shown by our esteemed Bro . William Stell ' e , P . M . of Mozart Lodge , No . 236 , of this city ( and some twenty years ago of Division II , 4 , Central High School , where no one who was there can never forget him ) , a copy of the Uhter County Gazette , Kingston , Now York , of date Saturday , January 4 , A . D . 1800 . It is an' excellently preserved sheet , although the paper is thoroughly browned by age . Its inside pages are iu deep mourn .

ing , on account of the death of Bro . General George Washington , which occurred on December 14 th , 1799 . An interesting account is given of the entombment of onr distinguished Brother , at Mount Vernon , on Wednesday , December 17 th , 1799 . Among the mourners are mentioned his " Masonic Brethren . " Tho proceedings in Congress , on December 29 th , upon the announcement of his death , are also given . Thi 3 is a valuable relic of the olden times , and Bro . Steffe justly valuea it highly , ^ -The Keystone ,