Reports Of Meetings.

taken for Bro . Henry Smith P . M ., formerly of the Egerton Lodge , as a joining member . Bro . Dr . Thomas Hanson Smith , was afterwards raised to the sublime degree of M . M . The festive board followed . Among the Visitors were Bros . E . Bioadbent P . M . 2109 P . P . G . D . O ., Thos . Uttley P . M . 2464 P . P . G . S . D ., Wm . Hy . Bibby P . M . 993 D . C , and P . Chadwick W . M . 1145 .

LIVERPOOL DRAMATIC LODGE , No . 1609 . THE usual monthly meeting of the premier Dramatic Lodge in the Provinces took place on Tuesday afternoon , 27 th ult ., at the Masonic Hall , Hope Street , Liverpool , when there was an attendance of something like sixty members and visitors . The chair was occupied by Bro . Dr . A . G . Goodwin Worshipful Master .

The initiates on the occasion were Messrs . William Watmough , journalist , and Edwin Eyre , pyrotechnic artist ; and Bros . W . H . Wilkinson and Vasoo wore passed to the P . O . degree . A letter of resignation of membership was read from Bro . Luigi Lablache , one of tbe oldest and most respected Brethren in the Dramatic , the reason being that he is now permanently located in London . On the motion of Bro . Mackenzie P . M ., seconded by Bro . Savage P . M ., it was resolved to accept the

resignation with very deep regret , a letter to be written to him to that effect . Sincere sympathy was also expressed with the relatives of Bro . Captain Campbell , whose death had taken place in America since the previous meeting of the Lodge . Bro . Savage , as showing the true Fraternal spirit of the American Brethren , stated that the deceased Brother ' s funeral had been attended by many Masons , and that his body had been placed in a private vault belonging to a Master in the Craft . Business being over in the Lodge , banquet followed , and this was succeeded by a choice programme of musical and other items .

The New Schools R. M. I. B.

THE NEW SCHOOLS R . M . I . B .

MHHE Committee of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys JL entrusted with the arrangements on the occasion of the visit of H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught on Saturday , 12 th May , for the purpose of laying the Foundation Stone of the new Schools at Bushey , have extended the time fixed for making application for tickets for the ceremony , to the 2 ist inst .

The Committee have made this extension with a view of meeting the wishes of Brethren who , not being Subscribers to the Institution , have only just heard of the arrangements for the day . The price of tickets , including railway fare ( London to

Bushey and back ) , seat to view the ceremony , and luncheon ( with light wines ) , is one guinea , and tickets may be had on application to the Secretary , Bro . J . M . McLeod , at the Offices at Freemasons'Hall , London , W . C . The full band of the Royal Artillery has been engaged for the day .

Books Of The Day.

Books of the Day .

— . u . — Books , Music , & c . intended tor review , should be addressed to the Editor of the Freemason ' s Chronicle , at Fleet Works , New Barnet . — : o : — From Sea to Sea and other sketches . Letters of Travel . By Rudyard Kipling . 2 vols ( 6 s each ) . —Macmillan and Co ., Limited . CUB distinguished Brother Rudyard Kipling is one of the chosen few who , in the fields of fair renown , have won the right of eminent domain . A

deal of adverse criticism of his books has been penned by writers who , while acknowledging his many gifts , have taken honest exception to his style . On the whole , criticism would seem to have done nothing to or for Mr . Rudyard Kipling . It has advertised him largely , that is all . His fame , like the buglecall of the Briton , girdles the earth . When " The Light that Failed " was running in Lippincott ' s Magazine he was talked of by many ; he is now

talked of by all . " From Sea to Sea " is thoroughly representative of the man and tho writer . It shows his excellencies and his shortcomings alike . A careful perusal of these two volumes shows us , broadly speaking , two things . It shows in the first place that the writer is an artist who can draw a picture with three strokes of his pen , and that he can put a terrible amount of feeling into a dozen words ; but it shows at the same time that his reputation cannot

rest upon his mastery of English prose . He writes for the multitudeconsciously , we presume . In purity of diction , in the rise and fall of his sentences , and in the building of his paragraphs , he is no match for many whom we could name ; R . L . Steveusen , J . A . Symonds , Prof . Colvin , Sir Henry Pottinger , Mr . John Morley . But " From Sea to Sea " is full of good things ; the pages devoted to San Francisco , to Japan , and the " City of Dreadful Night " being among the best . We were glad to meet with some

sentences of kindly praise of Bret Harte , so evidently sincere ; and were vastly amused , as many others will doubtless be , at the episode of the bath . Our boys will hardly read these two volume as they have read " Stalky and Co ., " but those who do read them will learn much . Readers must remember that the author modestly speaks of these Letters of Travel as " old newspaper work" and that the action of " pirates" has rendered their official republication necessary .

Joan of the Sword Hand . By S . R . Crockett . ( 6 s ) . —Ward Lock and Co ., Limited . MB . S . R . CROCKETT has come rapidly to the front ; for he has written stirring romance with such graces of style as rarely fail to win renown . In

" Joan of the Sword Hand " he has in a sense surpassed all his former work ; for if we rnoy mention one quality more prominent in these pages than any other it is the apparently inevitable sequence in the narrative . This is satisfactory to all Mr . Crockett ' s many admirers , for it is a quality not always bestowed by Minerva evon on her most persevering votaries . Joan is a finely

Books Of The Day.

conceived heroine , at once amiable and haughty , bold and retiring , wooer and wooed . Around her move a whole retinue of interesting characters , courtier and soldier , diplomat and adventurer , Teuton and Russ . The lover of Dumas will like this story for its exciting adventures—the ride from the altar , the Ukraine Cross , Theresa's treachery ; while there is " variety of scene enough " to satisfy the souls of such as know no divinity save Mr . Guy Boothby . Much

of the dialogue is skilfully managed , and the wit and raillery of one character is often an admirable contrast to the heavy , loutish bearing of another . Mr . Crockett prepared a large canvas for his portrait of " Joan of the Sword Hand " but he has finished his picture successfully , for every touch which he bestowed upon it revealed the hand of a master . Can he give us another book of equal merit ? We hope so .

Mr . Thomas Atkins . By E . J . Hardy , M . A ., Chaplain to the Forces ( 6 s ) . ., —T . Fisher Unwin . THERE is a boom in everything military just now . Wo may go further and say that never in our history has the army excited such universal interest as at the present moment . Many are the questions asked about the details of "the service "; this is just the book to answer them . The Rev . E . J . Hardy has acted as Chaplain to Mr . Thomas Atkins for two and twenty years ,

and has here made admirable use of his experience . Our soldiers , and their daily life in sunshine and in storm , in peace and in war , in hospital and on parade , are set before us in these pages by a writer who has a happy knack of imparting his own enthusiasm to his readers . The book is thoroughly well illustrated , —we say " thoroughly " because the illustrations are carefully chosen and show us many phases of the soldier ' s life . There are but few

really good books touching the barracks and the camp , and Mr . Hardy's volume comes to us at a very opportune moment . The chapter entitled " The two great Evils " might be read to great profit by Mr . Thomas Atkins himself , in which case he would , we are sure , admit that the author thoroughly understands his subject . We feel indebted to Mr . Fisher Unwin for the issue of so serviceable a book .

A Fair Brigand . By George Horton . Illustrated by Edmund J . Sullivan ( 3 s 6 d ) . —Ward , Lock and Co ., Limited . THIS is a very entertaining story—of the " tall " order of things so greatly in vogue just now . Neither the scenery nor the plot can be called commonplace ; for the scene is in Greece , and the plot has to do with the learned Dr . Joseph Chandler Brown , a leading authority on Argive hair-pins and Heraeum Bronzes , who cherishes a very singular repugnance to being wedded ,

willy-nilly , to the beautiful Kyriakoula—the "fair brigand . " The Doctor and his friend Anderson attempt the ascent of Olympus , but are captured by the brigands . Kyriakoula falls desperately in love with the Doctor at first sight , and connives at the escape of the two captives . The wooing is entirely done by the fair brigand and Anderson , while the bridegroom is rather the victim than the vanquisher ; indeed , he only becomes a bridegroom after

receiving a broad hint from the outlaw papa as to the consequences should he refuse to wed Kyriakoula . Mr . John Creamer , sensational journalist from New York , dodges in and out of the story in a very brisk and dramatic manner ; he is a consummate master of the ait of making much ado about nothing . We must add that the story , though clover and bright , is certainly thin . Readers will be kept well amused , but must look for nothing more .

The Problem of South African Unity . By W . Basil Worsfold ( 6 d ) . — George Allen . WE shall understand Africa presently . We shall know everything concerning it ; for the volumes recently published about matters African , added to the further volumes with which the advertisements threaten us , should amply suffice for this purpose . This book by Mr . Basil Worsfold is very small , but it contains much . We have read larger works on South

Africa to less profit . A great deal of light is here thrown upon the very vexed question of South African Unity , and there are several useful notes appended , particularly those on the rapid increase of the Bantee population and the Transvaal policy of Sir Bartle Frere . We hope the author of " The Valley of Light" and " The Principles of Criticism " will not permit African or any other political troubles to engross his attention to the exclusion of all else .

This booklet is thoroughly well printed , and should sell largely , in spite of its many competitors . Life and Correspondence of Thomas Arnold , D . D . Sometime headmaster of Rugby School , and Regius Professor of Modern History in the University of Oxford . By Arthur Penrhyn Stanley , D . D ., Dean of Westminster . With portrait and full-page illustrations ( 2 s ) . —Ward , Lock and Co ., Limited .

WHEN a publisher issues so cheap , yet so beautiful an edition of such a book as this he does us all a genuine service . We share with many others the opinion that biography is not sufficiently read by the younger among us . A celebrated divine was once asked to recommend two authors fit for all times , all places , and all persons . He at once named Cowper and Wordsworth . He might have added this life of Dr . Arnold of Rugby as a good third , and , in such dress as Messrs . Ward , Lock and Co . have given it , the volume is

worthy of tno warmest welcome . We have been trying to decide which of the illustrations is the best , but this is in truth no easy task . We may however name , as worthy of honourable mention , ' * The Gateway , Rugby , " " The Old Quadrangle , " " The Entrance to the Headmaster ' s House , " and last , but not least , the finely posed and impressive portrait of " Thomas Arnold , D . D . "

The New Palace Steamers Company Limited announce a series of trips to the Paris Exhibition , by the " Cheapest Daylight route , " commencing 27 th June next , from London , via Tilbury and Boulogne , by the Palace Steamer " La Marguerite . " There will be four services weekly . The Margate sailings commence on the 2 nd June .

which shows so well his leading traits—his culture , his refined bearing , his just severity . It is given to few to possess at once the moral strength , the Christian humility and the finished scholarship of Arnold of Rugby . We well remember investing our florin in a copy of Messrs . Ward , Lock and Go ' s , former cheap edition of this biography . The volume before us is fit to rub shoulders with Boswell , Lockhart , Forster , and Co . What more can we say ?

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"THE GRAND SANHEDRIM " A Paper for reading at Royal Arch Chapters , & c . By OELTON COOPEE , M . B . Z . 483 , I-I . 1928 , Price thirteen pence , post free from BRO . ALFRED H . COOPBK , PUBLISHER , IS COLEMAN STREET , LONDON , B . C ., or from " Freemason ' s Chronicle Office , " New Barnet .