A True Lover Of The Craft.

A TRUE LOVER OF THE CRAFT .

" True love It is not fantasy's hot fire Whose wishes , soon as granted , fly ; It livoth not in fierce desire , With dead desire it doth not die : LUUiV

II .- __ _ . ^ . __ .. . U V ..-U-. -. w- v . «_ , It is the secret sympathy , The silver link , the silken tie , Which heart to heart , and mind to mind In bodv and in soal can bind . "

TRUE love , we are told in the lines quoted above , is the secret sympathy which binds us together —not with fetters or iron bands , but with silver link or silken tie , and it is the affection which serves us under all circumstances , and in all conditions in which we find ourselves placed . Never is the feeling of true love more sure of displaying itself than when trouble or anxiety falls upon us ; then it is we feel the strength of the silver link or silken tie , and that then we can appreciate the power of true love . It is not the hot enthusiasm of the moment , strong for a time and then departing as rapidly as it came , leaving behind it a blank in our hearts most painful to

bear and difficult to remove ; neither is it the love which arises when some particular purpose is to be served , and which vanishes as soon as that object is secured , or it appears impossible of being realised . It is not for a season , but for all time ; and is enduring love , which binds us heart to heart and mind to mind . Such being the case how ready we should be

to take advantage of every instance of true love which comes within our reach , and how anxious we should be to cultivate the acquaintance of those who possess this desirable attribute . Freemasonry affords us many instances of true

Jove . In its midst are to be lound men ol all classes and creeds ; men of sincere love , and others of lukewarm affection ; but it is not saying too much to urge that by far the largest portion of its members possess the quality of love in a marked degree .. Thus it is very difficult to select examples worthy of being held up to their fellows as patterns of true love . Let us rather content ourselves with one who , by years of faithful labour and honourable exertion , has won the esteem and regard of those with whom he has been associated , and with it the right to be considered a true

lover of the Craft . Such a brother is he whom we have selected as the subject of our present remarks . We have known him in Freemasonry for many years , and he has always appeared to us the exemplification of a really sincere and zealous Mason . But although we have

had the pleasure of his acquaintance almost as long the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE has been in existence , it does not represent one-half of the period during which he has devoted himself to the practice of Freemasonry . He was initiated in the Westbourne Lodse , No . 733 .

then No . 1035 , on the 19 th August 1858 , so that tomorrow he will complete his thirtieth year of Masonic membership . Long as this term may appear if we look

A True Lover Of The Craft.

back upon it , there are few at the present time associated with the Order who are more zealous or more active in attending to its many duties and requirements . He is truly an exemplification of sincere and continued affection , while his love for the Craft has been so sustained that he can now boast a large circle of friends within its ranks , and they respect him to such an extent as to desire to secure for him the highest honour it is in the power of the Craft to bestow—the Treasurership of the Grand Lodge cf

England . Going back to the date of our "True Lovor ' s " initation we find that the Westbourne Lodge was then in the first year of its existence , with Bro . Loowenstark as its Worshipful Master , and Bro . C . A . Cottebrnne , one of the present Vice Presidents of the Board of Benevolence , as its Senior Warden . With such officers we may well imagine that the earlier

lessons impressed upon our brother in Freemasonry were imparted in such a manner as to make a Listing impression on such a nature as his has proved to be , but for all that we must not give too much credit to those who initiated him , or entrusted him with the secrets and mysteries of our Order . They had good

ground to work upon , and no doubt they faithfully performed their share of the labour necessary to b * m i it to perfection , but their efforts would have been in vain if they had not been backed up with such true love as has always characterised the subject of our sketch . The year after his initation we find our brother joined the Domatic Lodge , then No . 206 , now No . 177 , and perhaps here it is that we see him at

his best . Without detracting from the merits or capabilities of the several Masters who have filled the chair of this Lodge during the last few years , we may describe our "True Lover" as its ruling spirit , and his position of Past Master and Treasurer —which he has enjoyed for many yearsaffords him the opportunity of exercising the

abilities he is blessed with , and enables him to lead his fellows , without causing trouble or giving offence to the most sensitive of the members ; and , bearing in mind that the Domatic is one of the most numerously attended Lodges in the kingdom this is saying much in praise of the brother who

undertakes the office of Treasurer . As a founder we find the subject of our sketch associated with the Kennington Lodge , No . 1381 ; the Kilburn Lodge , No . 1008 ; and the Chiswick Lodge , No . 2012 ; he was selected as the first Worshipful Master of this latter . In all three of the Lodges he has assisted to establish he has passed the chair , and

in each he has occupied the post of Treasurer . At the present time he is a subscribing member to four Lodges , in three of which he is entrusted with the custody of the funds , so that , should his friends be fortunate enough to secure his election to the high dignity of Grand Treasurer , he will be well fitted by experience for the duties of that office , although we think there is little attaching to it now beyond the