The Value Of Friendship.

body he is the Chaplain , and of whom several hundred attended . Dr . Twing took for his text Revelations ii 17 ¦ " To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna , and will give him a white stone , and in the stone a new name written , which no man knoweth . saving he that receiveth it . " He said in part :

It is the second part of the text that will be considered at this time . It is used in the ritual of one of the degrees , and it contains the promise of a reward for the faithful discharge of duty . In all Masonic teachings duty is made plain and Masons are bidden to * perform all of their duties

with a high and realising sense of their importance to themselves and to others . One cannot be selfish who does his duty , for we are so bound together in the system of

humanity that what benefits the individual must in some way benefit someone else . The converse of this is also true , that which harms the individual harms someone very near him . No man liveth to himself .

Our Heavenly Father has implanted in His children a desire for a union with someone else for mutual help and strength . The use of this desire creates friendship and it has been said of it that it is the golden thread that ties the heart of all the world . The history of man reveals the use ,

practice and culture of this desire , and the results have been of the greatest value . The friendships of life are the growth of years . They cannot be created or manufactured . They must be developed . The better use a man makes of the faculties God has given him the more capable he is of

friendship . The brute creation in a striking way often show signs of attachment to its own kind . And a man , the master of the brute , is governed more by the law of preservation than of affection . Among the earlier nations of the earth we find different means were employed to display and to

make manifest their friendships . The Greeks and Romans who were desirous of perpetuating their attachments , of making their unions more sacred and of ensuring to them privileges more extensive , often used the following method .

They took a small piece of bone , ivory or stone , and dividing it into equal parts one of them wrote his name on one of these and his friend upon-the other . They-then made a mutual exchange , promising to consider and retain their little tally as a pledge of friendship .

The friendship thus formed oy this method was sacred and could not be dispensed with unless publicly disavowed in a judicial manner . It was founded upon , all that was honourable in character , virtuous in principle and generous and affectionate in disposition . Nothing was therefore considered so base as a violation of it . There was a man

named Phillip who had been found guilty of such a violation and forced to yield himself to their discretion . In consequence of which he was stripped of all the provinces he had conquered ; gave up all his ships except five , and obliged himself to pay a thousand talents and delivered up his son as a hostage .

the Order with which many of us for a score or more of years have been connected has for one of its cardinal virtues Brotherly love or friendship . It must therefore be interesting to us to know that this sublime principle had in earlier days as now such strong advocates and followers .

We are taught in Masonry the value of friendship . It was one of the first lessons imparted to us . The Veteran Masonic Association by a way peculiarly its own carries this principle into its very life and being . It was founded to perpetuate friendship , to bring together into closer union those who had

been united by solemn vows , —the solemn vows of our Order . We have been initiated into all of the joys and the pleasures of youth ; we have passed the age of manhood and have been raised by the solemn and strong grip of mutual friendship to the honourable degree of venerable Brethren . We have the

tessera , not a bit of glass , ivory or stone , to divide between ourselves , each one bearing a part of it ; we have the tie of Brotherl y love or affection more ancient than Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle , more honourable than the Star , Garter , or any Order that can be conferred upon us by man .

Many consider religion and Masonry to be a sort of insurance on the endowment plani . That is that a return will be given in the future for what is expended . The hope of heaven , the escape from hell , the honours from office or the benefits from association are all well enough in their way , but they should not be the motive power that moves us .

The Value Of Friendship.

The fear of being lost in the world of eternal woe or the chances that we never shall have a W . M . or R . W . placed before our names should not be the aim and purpose of our life and actions . The true motive should be to be good , to do good , because it is right , and by so doing we make use

of the best that is in us . Life lived in this way is something more than a hell-dodging scheme ; it becomes a reality , an existence worthy of our creation . Again I greet you in the temple of the Lord , where we have met before and where

it has been my pleasure to minister for fifteen years . We meet together , and here have our service of prayer and praise . God has been with us , and we are truly thankful . — " American Tyler . "

n «» M ifimwtfitvuyiiiiMMiiiii n R it n n ttfi n n n K n ft n n n n 1 * Our past is honourable and safe , our present hopeful and prosperous , and our future assured if we stand firmly by the underlying principles of our valiant and magnanimous Order .

Remember , fraters , the fittest survive , the weaklings perish . The inexorable laws of the Grand Architect of the Universe prevail . Only those succeed who deserve success . Shall we continue to succeed?—J . M . Hodson , Oregon .

A Sprig Of Acacia.

A SPRIG OF ACACIA .

AMID the picturesque surroundings of his country home the funeral of the Rig ht Hon . Bro . W . W . Bramston Beach , M . P ., the venerable " Father" of the Flouse of Commons , Prov . Grand Master Hants , and Isle of Wight , took place on the afternoon of Friday , oth inst ., in the churchyard at Deane ,

Plants . Around the coffin and over the church were arranged scores of beautiful wreaths , which had poured into the village from all quarters , and many friends travelled down to ^ pay a last tribute of respect . The service was principally choral , and consisted of the chanting of Psalm xc , the reading of a

lesson , the glorious verses in the 25 th chapter I * Corinthians , and the singing of the hymns " How bright these glorious spirits shine " and " Peace , perfect peace . " The Bishop of Winchester , assisted by the Rev . F . W . Dashwood Lang , the rector , officiated , the Bishop reading the lessons and taking

part in the concluding rites at the graveside . His Royal Plighness the Duke of Connaught Grand Master of England was represented by Bro . E . Letchworth G . S . The principal mourners were : The widow , Major Flicks Beach , and Mr . Ellice Beach ( sons ) , Mr . and Mrs . Nicholson ( son-in-law and

daughter ) , Sir Wyndham and Lady Portal , Colonel Sir J ohn and Lady Wallington , the Right Flon . Sir Michael Hicks-Beach , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master Gloucestershire , Lord Addington Provincial Grand Master Buckinghamshire , and the Hon . Evelyn Flubbard . Around the grave were also

present the Earl of Northbrook ( Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire ) , the Earl of Portsmouth , General Lord Alexander Russell , Vice-Admiral St . Clair , Mr . A . F . Jeffreys , M . P ., His Honour Judge Gye , Sir Charles Scotter , Major H . Wright , V . D ., Mr . Ii . C . Leigh-Bennett , M . P ., the Hon . H . Stanhope ,

Lieutenant-General Sir Roger Palmer , and many ^ others . Simultaneously with the funeral at Deane a memorial service was held at St . Margaret ' s Church , Westminster , conducted by the Ven . Archdeacon Wilberforce , chaplain to the House of Commons , who was assisted by the Rev . S . Kirshbaum ,

of St . Margarets . Among those present were : Mr . Edward Gully , representing the Speaker , the Hon . A . B . Bathurst , M . P ., the Hon . J . H . C . Hozier , M . P ., the Right Hon . Sir William Hart-Dyke , M . P ., Lord Henry Bentinck , M . P ., Col . Sir Howard Vincent , M . P ., Sir A . F . Godson , M . P ., Prov .

Grand Master of Worcestershire , Sir Eyre Massey Shaw , Mr . J ohnston , M . P ., Mr . F . A Channing , M . P ., Mr . W . H . Myers , M . P ., Surgeon Lieut .-Colonel Kiallmark , Mr . Tollemache , M . P ., Mr . Abel Smith , M . P ., Mr . John Penn , M . P ., Mr . B , L . Cohen , M . P ., Mr . J . T . Agg-Gardner , M . P ., Mr . A , Bonham-Carter , and Colonel Le Roy Lewis .

ONE of the best known Masons of America' —Bro , T . S . Parvin Grand Secretary of Iowa' — 'died at his home in Cedar Rapids on 28 th June last . He was made a Mason in Nova Cassarea Harmony Lodge , No . 2 , Cincinnati , on Qth , May 1838 . . He was -elected Grand Secretary of Iowa on

the organisation of that Grand Lodge in January 1844 and * served in that capacity till his death , save in the year 1852 , when he was Grand Master . Pie was known throughout the world of Masonry in connection with the part he took in the Library attached to his Grand Lodge , and by his efforts placed-it in the very first rank of such Institutions .