The Logic Club.

an additional honour to the Logic Club , and a credit to himself ; later on Bro . Robert Manuel P . M . Preceptor paid a well deserved compliment to Bro . Achard , and that Brother ,

in returning thanks , said the expressions of approval were more due to their able Preceptor than to himself . Personally he thanked the Brethren for their compliment , and for their indulgence .

The report of the Committee for the annual banquet was read , and adopted . It was unanimously agreed that the annual dinner should be held on Sunday , 29 th December , at the Frascati Restaurant . Oxford Street .

The Preceptor Bro . Manuel said the Club had the pleasure of entertaining a very distinguished visitor amongst them that clay , and in the name of the W . M ., Wardens and Brethren he gave Bro . C . W . P . Douglas-de-Fenzi District Grand Secretary Natal a most hearty welcome .

That Brother , on rising to respond , was cordially received . Pie said the complaint of King Solomon concerning the making of books might probably be applied in these days with equal force to the making of speeches ; and that , too , quite as much at their Masonic gatherings as in other walks

of life , whnst inclined to advocate diminution rather than extension in that direction , particularly where one was personally implicated , yet he felt it incumbent upon him , both as a duty as well as a privilege , to express his thanks to the W . M . and to the Brethren of the Club for the kindly and

Fraternal greeting and honour they had bestowed upon him that morning ; as also for the instruction which he had been enabled to acquire by his presence amongst them on that occasion . His pleasure in that respect was all the more keen because , from what he had seen at their meeting that

day , as well as at other Masonic assemblies he had had the good fortune to attend since his arrival in London , he found that the working of the Lodges in the District over which the District Grand Master of Natal held jurisdiction followed worthily in the lines of the great traditions they had derived from their Brethren in the Motherland . In the

business details of the work some non-essential variations were current with them in Natal , while the precision , regularity and uniformity 0 ! the English ceremonial methods left them something to learn ; 'but generally speaking , he thought they might claim to have striven , not unsuccessfully ,

to copy closely and faithfully the example of the Lodges in the great metropolis , the headquarters of English Freemasonry , to which one naturally looked for guidance and for light concerning the sunny land whence he came , South

Africa . They had now , for a period of more than two years , lived amidst the troubles and the turmoil which were the necessary attendants upon war ; but it was gratifying to note that amid all the unrest and strife which had divided

race against race—even in some cases family against family —the Brethren of the Freemasonic Order , though ranged m hostile camps , had not forgotten their fellow members in the Craft . Throughout the campaign there had occurred incidents indicative of the deep-ro . otedness of the great

fundamental principles of Brotherly love and relief , displayed by foe to foe ; and it was surely not too much to hope that the existence of that feeling might prove hereafter a stepping stone to harmony and union . In some portions of the country—he had in his mind mere particularly two main

centres within the area of active military operations—Masonic work had been proceeding which would perhaps be of interest to his listeners , and which should tend also in a measure to the strengthening of the Craft in London , when the troops returned from their arduous duties in the South African

portion of the King ' s dominions . A considerable number of officers in the Guards and other regiments had , during their occupation of the larger towns in which they had been stationed , been admitted into the Fraternity , and these sons

of South African Lodges would , he hoped and believed , continue , when peace should have been restored , steadfastly to support the Order , attaining to distinguished eminence in it in the homeland . Allusion had been made to the intention

of Bro . Past Master Harry Nicholls , their esteemed Director of Ceremonies , to undertake a tour in South Africa , in which case he ventured to promise him a very hearty and Fraternal welcome at the hands of the Brethren should he set foot within the Masonic District of Natal . Nor , indeed ,

need he limit his remarks m this connection to that one of the South African colonies , for experience taught him that in all parts of that vast and promising land , wherever the banner of Freemasonry floated , there would be no lack of cordial greeting to Brethren from the Mother country . Once

The Logic Club.

more he desired to thank them for their hospitality and welcome , so kindly expressed by their Preceptor , and so clearly displayed by all ; more , as he took it , towards the District of Natal which he had the honour to represent , than personally towards himself .

Bro . Joseph Hart was elected W . M . for the next meeting and expressed his intention of rehearsing the ceremony of installation . Masonic business was concluded in regular form , with solemn prayer , and the Brethren separated .

A preliminary meeting of Irish representative Freemasons has been held at the Masonic Flail , Molesworth Street , Dublin , under the presidency of Sir James Creed Meredith , LL . D ., Deputy Grand Master , for the purpose of considering the steps that should be taken in connection

with the approaching marriage of the Grand Master ' s daughter , Lady Gladys Flamilton , with the Earl of Wicklow . There was a large and influential attendance , and it was unanimously resolved that an address should be presented to the Duke of Abercorn congratulating him on the marriage

of his daughter , who is to be the recipient of a suitable wedding gift on the part of the Freemasons to commemorate the happy event . At a meeting of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Ireland ( of which his Grace is also head ) it was likewise decided to take part in the presentation .

•a ********* Mr . Justice Eady , our newest Chancery Judge , is among the many wearers of the ermine who is a Freemason . He is a Past Master and a Past Grand Officer , a member of the Lodge of Emulation , No . 21 , and the first Master of the J ustinian Lodge , No . 26 94 , which was established nearly

four years ago specially for solicitors' managing clerks . Sir Swinfen Eady nominated the King , when Prince of Wales , in December 1895 , for re-election as Grand Master , and in the next year he received the rank of Past Deputy Grand Registrar . The Office of Deputy Grand Registrar has

already , been held by a Judge of the Superior Courts , Mr . Justice Bucknill having worn the purple in that character in 1895 . But , strange to- say , the higher Office of Grand Registrar has never yet been in the possession of a Judge of the High Court . — " Birmingham Daily Post . "

Entertainment Notes.

ENTERTAINMENT NOTES .

— : o : — Lyceum , —The glamour that surrounds the name and adventures of " Sherlock Holmes , '' as depicted by the genius of Dr . Conan Doyle , was certain to lead to his living presentment upon the stage , and we may congratulate the author and Mr .

William Gillette on the very effective play they have produced under this title . A hitherto unpublished episode in the career of the great detective has been selected , and his admirers will find a new story for their enjoyment , but the main plot of the piece represents the battle between Holmes and his great antagonist Professor Moriaty . We will not spoil the pleasure of those

intending visitors among our readers , by describing the storysuffice it to say that the incidents will be found as exciting and as wonderful as any previously recorded , with the addition that we witness a pretty love scene between Holmes and Miss Faulkner . Mr . Gillette fulfils all our ideas of this wonderful man , and meets with a splendid recognition . The formidable Moriaty is depicted with terrible earnestness by Mr . W . L . Abingdon , and his associates

in crime are admirably represented by Miss Charlotte Granville , Messrs . R . Delmore , Fuller Mellish , H . Harmon and G . Evans . John Forman . who is Holmes' lieutenant , is cleverly played by Mr . Sydney Herbert , and Miss Maude Fealy prettily portrays the love of Alice Faulkner . Messrs . Percy Lyndal as Doctor Watson , and Miss Louise Collins as Therese agreeably fill in the remaining characters .

Queen ' s Hall . —It is as pleasant as it is surprising , from a musician's point of view , to see how Londoners can enjoy the highest form of classical music , and recognise the talent of a rising artiste in a difficult pianoforte concerto . It is the best answer to the . old accusation against us that we are not a musical nation , to witness the discriminating audience that assembled last

Sunday afternoon , and hear their appreciation of Beethoven's Symphony in D , so magnificently rendered by Mr . Robert Newman ' s orchestra , under the conductorship of Mr . Henry J . Wood . The pianist was Herr Wilhelm Backhaus , whose masterly performance of Tschaikowsky ' s Allegro and Andante in B flat minor , elicited the delighted applause of those who had the pleasure of listening to him . The only other item on the programme was a

selection from Berlioz ' s Faust by the orchestra , and these three pieces occupitu over an hour and a half . Yet the utmost silence reigned while they were being played , everyone appearing absorbed in pleasant contemplation of the beautiful music until the last bar called forth their commendation . For our own part we should have considered some better known nieces would have proved most popular , but in face of last Sunday ' s audience we must allow that Mr , Newman is correct in his judgment of the public taste .