Eastern Star.

EASTERN STAR .

From tho VOICE OV MASOKBT . THE future of tho Order , now so promising , can bo made not only equal to , bnt to snrpass its bright prospects , by proper attention to , and strengthening of its weakest points . We have a practical unity of action and uniformity of work . Our laws , which a few years ago were in an inchoate state , are being rap idly solidified , and made practical . The general principles

upon which tho laws in the several jurisdictions are based are now pretty well settled , and the structures bnilt upon them promise to be both permanent and substantial . The various Grand Chapters , with possibly one or two exceptions , are in a very prosperous condition , while the Order is being extended and established , not with lig htning-like rapidity , but as fast as a regard for its future will

warrant , in states and territories where it has not heretofore been known in its organized form . It is pleasant to look on this picture , and , content with present happiness and satisfaction , to shut our eyes to any imperfections which may exist , hut it is not wise . Mistakes incorporated into its being , though they may produce no serious resnlts now , will surely , in the end , bring forth their legitimate

fruits . What , then , are some of the needful things ? What does our Order lack ? I might answer , in the language of a venerable brother , now gone to his rest , that " it needs more devotion to its principles , " and that it will probably need as long as human nature is frail , and the princip les are those whioh require more than human power to

live up to in perfection , and though we may never hope to attain per fection—for that is a thing not attained npon earth—we can keep striving and pressing toward it , and endeavour to do onr whole duty to our fellow men . " Devotion to principle" covers the whole ground . If we give our lives to that , the future of the Order is safe . But that is general ,

ancl , as people go now . a-days , not practical . It is possible to discourse eloquently and fervently npon the needs of our Order , without attaining much , if any good , because the lessons are not specifically set forth . Among the principles of our Order are Brotherly Love , Relief and Truth . To these we should be devoted . But what does that imply P

That wo must extend to our fellow creatures such help as they most need , and whioh it is within our power to bestow . Does the wail of sorrow go up from hearts oppressed with grief t We should , by kindly words of sympathy , and loving tenderness , endeavour to assuage tho affliction . Does the cry of want sound in onr ears P We should , with ready hand , minister to the requirements of those in need ,

remembering that it is more blessed to give than to receive : more pleasant really to minister , than to be ministered unto . Devotion to Troth , alas ! is sadly needed in this world of infidelity , both as to Divine and human things . That command , thundered from Mount Sinai , " Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour , " ancl so gently and lovingly repeated and illustrated upon the hillside

in Jndea many years afterwards , " Whatsoever ye would that men should clo to yon , do you even so to them . " Judge not , that ye be not judged , " needs heart as well as lip obedience , before we can hope to meet the approval of our inner consciousness , though by outward show we may obtain that of those aronnd ns . Such obedience every one can give . How many do P

One of the most crying needs of the practical exercise of this charity is in cases where differences of opinion may arise as to what is right-or expedient in a given case . Too often they run into , or at least are the cause of personal differences , and ill-feeling , which , allowed to grow unrestrainedly , end in " envy , hatred , malice and all nneharitableness , " and involve the friends of the two individnals who

at first were separated by a narrow stream , which could easily have been stepped across , if either hacl been what they ought to have been , bat which may now have grown to an almost unfathomable gulf . " It is hard for us to learn that the same right to hold and express honest convictions of truth which we so fondly claim for ourselves we are in duty bound to extend to others who may differ from us , however

widely , " and when we are to tbe best of our ability sustaining what we believe to he the truth , we should not allow ill-feelings to be engendered against those who may view the matter in a different and opposite light . This is one of the " hidden rocks " against which so many societies , both under church and state , are driven and dashed to pieces .

To be , in a worldly point of view , still more practical , by speaking of that which we can see with onr eyes and feel with onr hands ; to secure permanency , our Order needs a broader financial basis than has been given it in any of our jurisdictions . Little if any practical good can be accomplished in this world at the present time without the use , directly or indirectly , of money , and an Order which under .

takes to minister to the wants of not only their own members , but to a greater extent to the members of the Masonic family , and to a lesser extent to those who have no claim but that of a common bu" manit y , should have the means of doing it without , as a rule , resorting to a " passing of the hat , " or reliance npon entertainments of any nature . Not only would the Order be better able to discharge its duties

, if both fees and dues were placed at a higher figure , bnt those who become members of the Order would appreciate it more , 'or , no matter how illogical and unreasonable it may appear , jet ib is a mct ^ that in this day , generation , and country , things are valued il n almi " 3 dollar standard . Again , by higher fees and dues the Order would command the membership " and encouragement of those who now , knowing nothing of its internal worth , but , jndain " soieiy

by the financial valne placed npon it by itself , do not cooperate with ns . I havo many times and in various ways called attention to this crying need , and , I believe , with some little effect , nut not to any extent in comparison to the necessities of the case , therefore I urge deliberate consideration and thorough fiction on the Part of those who have the true interests of the Order at heart , and M P ° > *» a greater or less extent , of shaping its future .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

. 'let Letters must bear the ¦ name aivt address 0 / the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Cor . respondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

BRO . MASSA A . ND THE LAST GENERAL COMMITTEE OF THE R . M . I . G .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAE SIR AND BROTHER , —I regret you thought it inexpedient to favour my wish to give publicity , in your independent and impartial journal , to the letter I forwarded some time ago to your contemporary The Freemason , stating the injury done me by the incorrect report given therein of the words used by the Chairman at the last

General Committee of " the Royal Masonio Institntion for Girls . " The Editor of your contemporary may , perhaps , have exercised a very wise discretion , by not allowing my complaint to appear , but is it not rather invidious to give inaccurate reports , and then deny insertion to letters correcting them from those affected ! The report in question , which appeared in his paper of 28 th May ,

is so manipulated that my friends who have read it ask me— " Are you not taking too mnoh notice of this affair ? " Bnt when informed that the words actually used by tho Ohiirman—a Grand Officer and Ex-Offioio Member of tho Honso Committee , presiding at the contested election of his colleagues , against tho nominator of other candidates— were " Indecent" and " Blackguard , " the whole matter then

appears to them in a very different light . I am sure it will be admitted by all thafc snch language was not only incompatible with impartiality in the chair , and unbecoming a Grand Officer , but also an unwarrantable assault on a Brother Freemason , an unfair aspersion on the candidates nominated by him for the House Committee , and a

very bad precedent . I thank you for your fraternal sympathy with my " difficulty , " but believe that when made known to the Craft it will not be found at all "difficult of management , " being simply a question of the propriety of the conduct of the Grand Treasurer , in the chair , using the words " Indecent" and " Blackguard " in reference to a brother Mason .

I remain , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours faithfully , Tnos . MASSA . 4 Dowgate Hill , E . G ., 14 th June 1881 .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DKAB SIR AND BROTHER , —I am very glad the question of having half-yearly instead of yearly elections of Annuitants has been serionsly mooted , and I trust the endeavours of those who advocate this change will prove successful . For example , in your Report of

the meeting of the Committee of Management of the R . M . B . I ., on Wednesday , the 8 th instant , Bro . Terry announced that five annuitants had died since the May meeting . Yet eleven months must pass away ere it is possible to fill np these vacancies , and this is tho moro regrettable in the case of thoso people who aro advanced in

years . Again , the Committeo , with commendable liberality , only four weeks since arranged to increase the number of annuitants by ten , five male and five female , but less than a month has passed , and one-half of its arrangements are rendered void and of none effect . Of

course , the elections yearly will double the office work , in respect of preparing and sending ont the voting papers , but I am sure this need prove no obstacle . The zeal of Bro . Terry and his staff is too well known to call for any special mention , and the liberality of the Com . mittee in dealing with their Officers is equally well assured . Faithfully and fraternally , LITE GOVERNOR .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In tbe last week ' s issue of your excel , lent paper I find , in the report of No . 171 , that Bro . H . M . Levy , in responding for the Masonic Charities , urged the brethren to support " the notice of motion , To have the election for the Aged Freemasons and their Widows twice a year , the same as the two other

Institutions , so that our poor brethren and their widows might not have to wait twelve weary months for a chance of admission into the Institution . " I hope such a notice of motion has been , or will be , given at the next meeting of the Committee . I . have known many deserving cases that have been unsuccessful , and they have died before

the next election . It is well known that brethren are not eligible until they are 60 years of age , and most of them are in distressed circumstances . Let ns then do all we can to help those who , owing to increasing age and infirmities , become almost daily less and less able to help themselves . I am , yours fraternally , A PAST MASTER .

HOLLOWAT ' OINTMENT AND PILLS . — -For bad legs , bad breasts , scorbutic and scrofulous sores , this is a genuine specific . The grateful and earnest gratitude of thousands who have experienced its unrivalled power over these complaints , and who have been raised from prostrate helplessness and a condition loathsome to themselves and others , renders it quite unnecessary to enlarcre in this

place upon its extraordinary virtues . The parts affected should be bathed with lukewarm -water , and when the pores are thereby opened , the Ointment should lie well rubbed in , at least twice a day . It is always advisable to take Holloway ' s Pills in these disorders , aa this much assists the Ointment ' s action . The Pills check the fever , purify the blood , and eject all morbid matter engendered by these diseases .