The March Of Masonry.

aud the asseverations of the other , and heuce it lives in the divinity of its universality , to fulfil its mission of " Brotherly Love , Relief and Truth , " with the hand of readiness and the heart of charity . To give aid to the needyconsolation to the afflicted—protection to the orphan—comfort to the dying ,

and burial to the dead , are some of the labours of its mission ; and , making no entangling alliances , it has been enabled to " live and move and have its being " under any and every form of government which human whims and prejudices have instituted , and which revolutions have destroyed .

Never selfish , never disinterested or indifferent of the public welfare , it has always , in every government , acted publicly in the display of its principles and in its vindication of virtue and morality . Holding jurisdiction only over its own memberships and standing responsible only for its own perpetuity , its prosperity never hangs with the advancement or the overthrow . of any other institution or government either ecclesiastical or political .

It lived as well in the hearts of the ancient Hebrews as they wandered in captivity along the banks of the rivers of Babylon , as it did amid the splendours of the throne of Solomon . The thousand years of the dark ages did not quench the glory of its sunlight , or check the onward march of its progress , for it has ever been

faithful in finding enough personal integrity to save it from destruction , and a sufficient work of humanity to preserve ifc from decay and fossilisation . Hence its light has been found burning on its mystic altars among all nations , without regard to tho particular forms of their governments or the

changes of their administrations . Our own Republic has been sustained from tho beginning by Masonic faith and Masonic integrity , and in the aggregate it has never enrolled greater numbers in its ranks , or more talent , or moro learning , or more weight of character than its present showing .

The great prestige of its American progress has preserved much of its ancient honour , while the other nations and people of tho earth , in the one faith of humanity vindicate the same mystic integrity . And until this

humanity shall loso tho type of its character , and morality , philanthropy and beneficence cease to bo cardinal virtues , the crowning excellence of the " Mystic Tie " will doubtless continue to be exemplified in promoting the universal Brotherhood of man . — " Masonic Advocate . "

A Mason.

A MASON .

WHAT is a Mason ? Is Brother Wrestler , of Stumbling Lodge , No . 672 , a Mason ? Look at him when he is at work , and then answer the question . Observe how he struggles with the ritual , and is thrown ; see how he strives to mako a Mason by pure force of magisterial authority , with the assistance of only an apprentice's knowledge , and note his failure . A W . M .

is not a pope , who can dispense with most of the forms , and yet make a Mason . Even a Grand Master , when he makes a Mason " at sight , " as ifc is termed , must go through all the forms . Bufc Brother Wrestler has almost

made Masons " at sight" without more , for his ritual was like the play of Hamlet with Hamlet left out , so bald was it , so fragmentary , so garbled , so expurgated and abbreviated . If he can make a Mason , his creature exceeds in Masonio qualities his creator .

Is Brother Gourmand a Mason ? He may not be able to build up a Lodge , but he always keeps built up a first-class appetite , and if he has viands enough to satisfy it he can get rid of it after from one to two hours ' steady application . He joins all the rites and takes all the degrees which have a banquet as thoir central feature , and he always maintains thafc the

" knife-and-fork degree " is fche most ancient in Freemasonry . When the Lodge has a banquet , he is there ; when it has not , he is " unavoidably detained away . " He is one of those of whom the Good Book speaks— " whose God is in their belly and whose glory is in their shame , who mind earthly things . " Some persons call them " belly Masons . "

Is Brother Parrot a Mason ? Listen to his work . It is all there—that is , all the skeleton of the work ; and the skeleton is perfectly articulated , and jumps with regularity , just like a Jumping Jack ; but it is a skeleton without flesh and blood , a sort of dried up mummy , void of life . The standard work

when thus given , without expression , without force , without intelligence , in an impassive , dead-and-alive manner , is like so marly words void of ideas , is the merest empty formalism . Parrots should be confined in cages , for they have no place on the chequered floor .

Is Brother Caritas a Mason ? Why , ho would break the Lodge ' s bank rather than not " give to everyone that asketh . " To every seeming impostor he would give the benefit of a doubt . He would cheerfully spend the Lodge's

last penny to aid a soliciting Brother—but his own funds he administers on a diilerent principle . Strange , is it not ? Ho has never discovered thafc there may be " too much of a good thing . " We should love our Lodge as well as our Brother , and give the Lodge the benefit of thc doubt .

Is Brother Antiquas a Mason ? He would have been a Mason if he had lived several centuries ago . He worships tho past—something that is certain , as he says , while the present and thc future are so uncertain . But

is there anything more uncertain than the past ? He is almost a mummy , wrapped up in the cerements of antiquity . Wake him up , and perhaps he will unwrap himself , and recognise the Masons of to-day as his contemporaries , instead of Elias Ashmole , Christopher Wren and Henry Price .

Is Brother Cheatem a Mason ? He is a mercenary wretch , and if a mercenary wretch can be a Mason he may be one . He loves lucre more than honour , more than truth , more than honesty . King David hacl him in mind when he wrote , " the wicked borrowetli , and payeth not again . " Some persons once were Masons and fell from Grace , but Brother Cheatem never lived above the level of cupidity , and hence could not fall .

A Mason.

Is Brother Sanctimony a Mason ? Yes , a goody-goody sort of Mason . He makes Masonry a conduit for his religion . Now , Masonry is religious , but it is not religion—hence , the whole Bible need not be emptied into it . Some of the essentials of religion are in Masonry , but all of them are not . Is Brother Mohammed a Mason . Yes , a kind of Mason . " Once a

Mason always a Mason , " you know . He may not have been a member of a Lodge , or a visitor to a Lodge , for ten , twenty or thirty years , bufc that is the Lodge's fault , he says . He would go to the Lodge , if the Lodge would first

start out fco meet him . He would have ifc adopt alt of his views . The trouble is , he did not adopt all of Masonry's views when ho was made a Mason . The rest of us are satisfied with Masonry , and Mohammed must come to the mountain .

Is Brother Reckless a Mason ? Can a man who is running amuck of Masonry be a Mason ? Will a Mason cast in his lot with innovators , dissentients , sore-heads , and pursue a rule-of-ruin policy ? Will he run the risk of injuring the body of Masonry , for the purpose of grafting a new limb on it ?

What is a Mason ? The reader is a Mason—provided the reader is not a profane , nor a female , nor a crank . Is the writer a Mason ? We leave that to tho reader , and tho Craffc . — " Keystone . "

The Institution Of Junior Engineers.

THE INSTITUTION OF JUNIOR ENGINEERS .

THE annual summer meeting of this institution , whose headquarters are in London , takes place from 17 th to 24 th August , the rendezvous being Belgium . The towns to be visited include Antwerp , where the municipal docks , M . Kryn ' s diamond-cutting works , and other places of interest will be opened to Members' inspection . At Ghent , M . M . Carols' Engine Works

M . de Hemptinne s Cotton Spinning Works , and M . Van Houtte ' s Nursery Gardens will be seen ; at Brussels , the Electric Lighting Station ; whilst at Liege the Works of the Societe Cockerill , the Vieille Montague Zin < i Works , the St . Leonard Locomotive Works , the Val St . Lambert Glass Works , the Small Arms Factory , and the Electric Tramway Installation will be visited . In honour of the Institution a banquet is to be given by the Liege Section of

the Society of Engineers from the University , and the Members will also be guests of the Society Cockerill . An excursion to Verviers , where the Chamber of Commerce will entertain tho visitors , is arranged for the purpose of seeing Works in connection with the woollen cloth industry . Here M . M . Pelts-fir ' s Works , and those of M . Duesberg-Delrez , La Vesdre , and M . Ha-azeui Gerard

fils , will be opened . The celebrated Gileppe reservoir , from which Verviers receives its domestic and manufacturing supply , is also included in fsbe programme . A large number of members have notified their intention \ of being present at the meeting , which promises to bo one of the most successful the Institution has held . ' ,

The judicious use of the black ball will help to solve some of the difficulties with which Masonry has to contend . "Good fellows" are not so much needed in Masonic Lodges as good Masons . While the social features of Masonry are to be nourished in all proper ways , it should bo distinctly understood that the Lodge is in no sense a rival of the club , and does nofc

depend for its support upon the people who join for what there is in it , if money , business or pleasure . Masonry enjoins duties which no selfish or unscrupulous person cares to assume , or having done so , will hesitate to wholly disregard . Numbers in such a case do not add strength , since the chain is no stronger than the weakest link . — " Square and Compass . "

A matter frequently and regretfully commented upon at annual meetings where balance sheets are read is the disparity always exhibited between the item on the credit side for refreshments and that for charity . An example of this is at present before us , where tho first mentioned is credited with £ 53 14 s 7 d and the latter with £ 2 2 s . There may be various reasons for this

the most acceptable being that the Lodge comprises members who are fortunately without the necessity of soliciting the aid of their more prosperous and generous Brethren . But during the year many general appeals have

been made , and a Lodge which starts the year with a credit balance of £ 36 and ends with a similar balance of as much again , might surely have been more eager to display that attribute which is the " distinguishing virtue of a Freemason ' s heart . "— " Masonry . "

Criterion Theatre . —A most lively , and amusing , yet unpretentious little piece has just been produced here , and being exactly suited to the present season should ensure a successful career . " All Abroad " is termed a musical farce , and is written by Messrs . Owen Hall and J . T . Tanner , the music being the composition of Mr . Frederick Rosse . It is full of laughable incidents though it really contains no plot , the interest being centred in

Connie , a ward in Chancery and a presumed heiress , and her unknown sister Madame Montesquieu , a music-hall singer . These ladies have various admirers , but do not swerve from their choice , with whom they eventually pair oil . Miss Kate Cutler and Miss Ada Reeve , as the two ladies , were charming in their respective characters . Mr . Chas . E . Stevens , reminding us very strongly of Mr . Arthur Williams , was capital as Mr . Bowles , a musical

solicitor . Mr . Horace Mills as his partner was also amusing , and Messrs . H . de Lange , C . P . Little , Lionel Rae and G . Carroll worked hard in the cause of genial merriment . Mr . John Coates sings the songs alloted to Ernest , Connie ' s sweetheart , in excellent style , and a bevy of pretty young ladies in handsome costumes fill up the numerous supplementary characters . Mr . Rosse's music , though largely reminiscent of other composers , is bright and

sparkling , the principal morceaux being a song by Connie , " From Childhood's Days" with a quaint old world air , a Sailors' Chanty , "The Phonograph" a very droll effect , thc quartetfc "To Paris we go , " which concludes the first act , " Obedient Mary " which threatens to develop into J topical song , and " The Business Girl" song and choius . A clever trou * af 1 French dancers are introduced in the second act and are most divertim / J