The Festival.

state of efficiency , but also to extend still further the benefits of the Charity to a ranch larger number of the fatherless daughters of those unfortunate brethren who have fallen out in the battle of life . Bro . Hedges , Secretary ,

read the Stewards' lists , details of which will be found m another column . Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , Grand Secretary , congratulated the brethren upon the excellent results of the Festival . Although , perhaps , not so

magnificent as had sometimes been announced on these occasions , yet they still showed the keen interest which was taken by the brethren at large in the Masonic Institution for Girls was unabated . There was an old line

of a poet that says" Man never is , but always to be , blessed , " and the moment Masons had had one Festival they looked forward with the greatest interest to the next . Brother

Terry and his Institution were in the happy position of having achieved the greater result this year , but there was still one Festival in the future , that of the Boys ' School . They all hoped and trusted that its Festival

would be as successful as bad been those of tho other Institutions . Masons had been somewhat heavil y taxed this year by special claims , but he was sure the Masons of England would support the Festival of the Boys' School

as they had supported the two others . They knew this Institution had peculiar merits , though each of them claimed the greatest interest of the Craft . He was sure the Boys would meet with the generous support

of the brethren , no less than it had in tho previous years . Brother Frederick Binckes , Past Grand Steward , Secretary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , felt deeply indebted to tho Grand Secretary for the kind and

sympathetic manner in which he had proposed the toast , and for congratulating the Girls' and the Benevolent Institution on their successes in connection with their respective Festivals . He had prognosticated — and

he hoped the prognostication would be more than fulfilled—the success of the Festival of the Boys' School , to be held on the 14 th of June , the day immediatel y succeeding the Jubilee Masonic gathering , or assembly , to be held at

the Albert Hal ) . He felt to a certain extent relieved by having been enabled to join in the congratulation of the other Institutions on their successes . He naturall y had some little anxiety with reference to the Boys' School . Ho

had often said that that Institution came last of tho three , and was generally content to take the crumbs left from the others . He was disposed that evening to take up another view ; he wauted to impress on the brethren another

lesson , comparing the three Institutions with the three degrees of Masonry . The Benevolent Institution was the entered apprentice . Having taken that degree the brethren were naturally desirous of progressing . The Girls' School

was the second degree ; it was the connecting link with the other two . The Boys' School was the third degree , where members rallied round and performed the most important ceremony . While he stood in an

unfortunate position that evening , not being able to announce the name of any distinguished brother to preside , he had every faith that the intrinsic merits of the School would command success , and that the brethren would maintain

the prosperity of his institution . They were in debt , in doubt , in difficulty ; he wanted the brethren to release them from all three . They wanted the brethren to come forward and help the sons of Masons—Ihe men of the

future—to he able in later nays successfull y to flight the battle of life , and maintain the two great princi p les which their Royal Grand Master enunciated 0 : 1 the day of his installation—loyalty to the throne and charit y to the . human

family . Pro . J . Derby Ailcroft , P . G . Treasurer , next proposed the Stewards ( if the Day , with thanks to them fortheir excellent arrangements for the Festival . Ho expressed p leasure at meeting so many country brethren , and

alluded to t / te fact that the Province of Shropshire nad j raised over £ 1 , 000 in aid of the School . Bro . Vennbles j responded for the compliment . Ho was proud that ' Shropshire had . provided more than 1000 out of the I 11 , 000 odd bricks for the Institution tint nic-ht . Shrrms-h ' rc

was p leased to see such effort .-: in the cause o ! " Chav ' t y , and : hoped h would continue to all the Institutions , anci f-o I carry out the precept—'' Hearts willing and hands ready . j

Bro . Lctchworth P . G . D . proposed , the Ledies , for whom ] Bro . P . Do Lande Long P . G . D . responded , aud the brethren then adjourned to the Temple , where a coucert of vocal aud instrumental music was

The Festival.

given , under the direction of Bro . Franklin Clive . The following artistes assisted : — Madlle . Marie de Lido and Miss Ethel Winn , Madame Florence Winn and Madame

reatherby-Capel ; Bros . Arthur Thompson , Albert James , Egbert Roberts , and Franklin Clive ; solo flute , Bro . John Radcliff ; pianists , Bros . J . Turle Lee and Herbert Schartau .

Visit Of The Stewards To The Girls' School.

VISIT OF THE STEWARDS TO THE GIRLS ' SCHOOL .

r 'piIE Stewards' customary visit to the Girls' School , on the eve of " the Festival , was paid on Monday last , when tho prizes gained by tho pupils in their various educational sections were distributed by Bro . R . Grey , President of the Board of Benevolence . The children looked remarkably robust and cheerful , and it is mnch to the credit of Miss Davis and her assistants that the interior economy

of the establishment } is maintained in such a high state of efficiency . On their arrival the visitors strolled ronnd the grounds , in which many improvements have been of late effected , after which they assembled in the hall to hear a selection of music and reoitations by the pupils , tvho acquitted themselves iu a manner that elicited

expressions of unbounded satisfaction from the audience . In the distribution of prizes , given by the Institution , the gold medal ( with £ 5 added by Bro . W . Winn ) was awarded to Helen Senior , and the silver medal for good conduct ( with £ 5 added by Bro . Winn ) to Grace Bar'ram . There was , as nsnal , an euorraons array of prizes , in the

shape of books , work boxes , & o ., and as each pnpil advanced to the dais to receive her reward she was spoken to in a few appropriate and kindly sentences by the Chairman . It is a satisfaction to know the whole of the twenty childron entered for the Cambridge Local Examination passed , with the exception of one , who through

illness was compelled to withdraw . One or two brief addresses followed the distribution , the Chairman explaining that his occupying the chair was an accident , owing to the unavoidable absence of Bro . Sir Offley Wakeman , Prov . Grand Master for Shropshire . He then congratulated his young friends on the very able manner in which

they had done their tasks . Knowing them as old friends , it gave him mnch pleasure to be able to testify publicly to their merits . He knew such results could not have been achieved without constant care and study on their part , but no manner of study and perseverance could have enabled them to achieve such a success had it not

been that they had been taught by such a scholar as Miss Davis . It was only a week or two ago fiat some of that lady ' s friends met together to celebrate her tweuty-fifth year of labour and duty in this establishment , performed in a maimer , he ventured to think , nnsurpassfd by any one in the world . Those who so abl y assisted her—from

Miss Redgrave down to those who had had prizes to-day—bad followed worthily in her footsteps ; each striving her utmost to bring this School forward in reputation for training the children , not only in secular knowledge , but also in moral and religious duties . A vote of thanks was accorded to the Chairman , after which the visitors

repaired to the grounds , where tea , coffee , and other refreshments wero dispensed , under canvas . Later in the evening the usual oalisthenie exercises wero witnessed , bat the festivities were somewhat curtiiiled , in consequence of a scholastic examination on the following day .

The refreshment department appeared to be sufficientl y well stocked for the requirements of the numerous party , but owing to a deficiency of . ' -citing accommodation iu the tents , a considerable amount of justifiable complaint was heard . Many of the visitors

came long distances , and that they should have found themselves unable to procure a sent while partaking of a cup of tea or coffee , was unquestionably a flaw in the arrangements . In the crowded marquees the counters wen : besieged , and this it will imperativel y be necessary to obviate in the future .

We append the full programme of the day : — Part I . •' O praise the Lord . "—Mendelssohn . Trio— "Celebre Menuet "—Boccherini—42 hands . —7 Pianos . — Mariou Bloomfield , Alice Blunt , Amy Cntbush , Lilian Fruh , Kathleen

Gibson , Beatrice High , Florence James , Maud Keily , Beatrice Knott , Gertrude ; Lockwood , Hilda Lyon , Edith Matthews , Isabella McLeod , Charlotte McMillm , Grace Musgrave , Louisa Pincomb 3 , Mary Sherintrton , Jane Smith , Lney Smith , Fanny White , Kate Worth-y .

J ' echation— " The Pride of Battery B "— DiNy Capon . Solo — " Funeral March of a Marionette "—Gonnnrl —14 hands . — 7 Pianos .- ¦ Dn ' sy Cap-in , Amy Cntbush , Maud Keily , Charlotte MfM'lian , Lucie ( Vhserit'oi " , Loni-io Pincombe , Jane Smith . Recitation— " Lost ai . d Found "—Hamilton Aide—Ellen Ashton .

Prize- given by the Institution . Elif : i Senior , t' -. e Cold Medal for Proficienev , with £ 5 by Bro . William Winn . Gracv Bertram , the Silver Medal for Good Conduct , with £ 5 by Br ,-. William Winn . Cambridge Local Etaminnt ' ons . —Twenty entered—19 passed

( 1 . withdrawn throu . li illness ) . —S , ii < r Third Class Hon mrs—Miss ? . M . Nm-: : . . ;) . , Miss A . W . Ctc : I ( Pupil Teachers . ) Ji ; nior Second Clarf . Honours . — Ell . » n Senior , Ja-ie Taylo '' . Jui ) i' r Third Cass Honours ( with £ 1 5-1 each—pu-t of £ 5—by

: > r : > . William Winn ) —Fanny Ob ^ rdoerHer , Grace Barfcram , Ada Crow , Mab i Osaiond . Junior . — Sati-fied Fif . imiiiRrs—Ma-y Sp'ildiiv , Emily Cecil , Eden Ashton , Josephine March . Jnli-t Priestl y , Clara Conies , Sophia Biby , Beatrice King , Susannah Tippl-r , Frances New , Helen Foxall .

j ; i Pert II . I j Madrigal- ' •Tii-i Xi . ; ' -, tiii . g ... l . - i "—Thoinng Weolkes—Afchaliuda J Allison , fcjlleu Ashton , Grace Bartruui , Emily Cecil , Ada Crow , Eva