An Ear Of Corn Near A Pall Of Water.

for the knowledge they instilled into our untutored minds , and how revered stand the portraits of their venerable visages before us . Could we but see them now as they appeared so many years ago , how much more mig ht they teach us ? But time has fled , and we have made less use

of it than we should have done . We regret it now , and we are sermonising again . Off at a tangent to the sequestered lawn where our summer banquet was held , where we first made the acquaintance of those who have since been the joy and solace of our lives . How bright were the beams

of that morning sun , and how tho glad birds warbled a welcome to that merry party , as the horses pranced along the flower-bespattered lanes towards the glen The ears of corn were ripening then in a tenfold sense . Between gaps in the luxuriant foliage on every

side the smiling corn sang forth its golden sonnets to enraptured ears , and hearts beat happily in tune to the universal harmony . Hard by , the rippling brooklet murmured forth its " God speed " to , our way , and along the by-ways of the country side all was liquid and pellucid

peace . No dangling dandies there , nor maudlin maidens ; but all in the hey-day of substantial pleasure bent . Our banquet was spread upon the emerald sward , and in the full tide of contentment digestion waited on good appetite . 'Tis libel on our " social clnb " that gregarious instincts

hold their sway , for did not the merry dance go round , and pastimes innocent prevail ? The trees could never whisper over a more loving group than at our summer banquet , nor could birds chant merrier over more gladsome music . The ears of corn were never seen to dance more blithely than

did our sisters in that mellow sunset ; nor ever did the rivulet make happier music than was the rippling laughter through those woods . But even the reverie of the dreamer must have its close . Suffice , methinks

that in this brief adventure such pleasant thoughts must have their birth and end . It was a gleesome episode , at all events , and our friend ' s recovery of his ear of corn from that clear stream has awakened a

crowd of happy thoughts . It reminds us of pleasant and instructive hours spent in the pursuit of the noblest and most unselfish science the world has ever seen , inasmuch as it embraces the widest and grandest scope of human benevolence and love ; and with it must ever be blended a

universal domain of brotherhood unequalled in the conception of man . That ears of corn may spring from the grains sown in fruitful places , well watered by the drippings of that fraternal kindness which knows no bounds amongst us , is the wish of every true and good member of the Craft .

Nor can it be otherwise . The very nature and essence of the Craft are , that the germs of good fellowship and charity shall spread even as the fields produce their ever-increasing yields of fruit ; and as the softening rains of heaven are

needed for their maturity , so is the dew of kindl y feeling and brotherly love necessary for the existence of a system in which human kindness and a divine benevolence are held in an indissoluble union .

Precedence And Rewards.

PRECEDENCE AND REWARDS .

[ COMMUNICATED . ]

IT would not be wise to keep up an irritating discussion after the cause that provoked it has ceased . If the question of precedence stood alone , after the

amende honorable of the Most Worshi pful Grand Master further reference to the matter might be deemed questionable , if not indiscreet . But it does not stand alone ; issues have been raised and reflections stimulated which the

members of the Craft would do well to ponder over . There has been looseness in government , and indifference on the part of the brethren . Without going into minor details as to the general powers possessed by the Grand Master , it is quite clear that for many years there has been concurrent

action on the part of the Grand Master and Grand Lodge in reference to certain matters of procedure . At one time one authority has exercised that right , at another the other , and both without the least question being raised as to the power or discretion of either . Custom makes the unwritten law , and it must be admitted that the Grand Master had

reason to believe that he was acting within his right , and was convinced of the prudence of the step , -when he ventured to make certain alterations with regard to precedence ; and probably his act would have gone unchallenged ,

Precedence And Rewards.

as others had gone before , had it not been for the agitation set up by the aggrieved few . It is astonishing what a few disappointed men can do ; instances are witnessed daily , and the recent action with regard to the precedence question adds one more to the number . The

opposition has succeeded in obtaining the withdrawal of the obnoxious Order , but there the matter ends . Nothing has been settled , and the Grand Master , out ^ of respect to opinions strongly expressed , and in his desire for peace and harmony , has retreated from a position which he

believed he had a right to assume . That right still remains a debateable matter , and unless now determined , may one day again arise and give trouble . Now is the time to settle the question—to define the prerogatives of the Grand Master and to place Grand Lodge on a sure

footing . Were that done there could be no difficulty in the future , and as the temper of tbe brethren is now calm , they might approach the subject in that generous spirit so well exemplified by the Grand Master . Large discretionary powers must always accompany great

responsibilities , and it would only be rig ht that the occupant of the ruling chair of the Craft should be invested with dignity and honours . It is equally just that he should not be made the sport of circumstances , and that he should be called upon to undo an act which was urged upon him

by those who ought to be well-informed on all matters relating to the general body . The Grand Master has withdrawn , at the request of the discontented ; he has not said

he exceeded his powers . He may not repeat the experiment , but he has set an example of caution that may be followed by his successors ; that is if Grand Lodge happens to be as indifferent in the time to come as it has been in

the past . To avoid such a contingency the powers of the Grand Master and Grand Lodge ought to be at once defined . It stands to reason that the G . Master cannot be placed in a worse position than the Master of a Lodge . The latter has full power over the appointment of his Officers ,

leaving the rig ht of election of certain working Officers of the Lodge in the hands of the brethren . That is a wise provision , and works well . The W . M . cannot alter precedence of office or the persons after they have been appointed , but he can and does determine who his Officers

shall be . Custom provides the order of succession , but the W . M . can insist upon the survival of the fittest . This authority , although possessed , is rarely exercised , and yet it is greater than that used by the Grand . Master in the recent instance of precedence . In one case the assumed right of

reversion is postponed , and it may be destroyed ; in the other a few Officers suffer slightly in dignity . Broadly speaking , Grand Lodge should determine fundamental principles , and the Grand Master , as chief of the executive , should be endowed with every dignity and power short of that of autocrat . He should rule like a constitutional

monarch among a free people ; his privileges should be many and dignified ; but the source of all power should come from the body whose representatives form Grand Lodge , and who alone can make laws . In practice there is a difference in the appointment of

Officers between the Grand Master and the Master of a Lodge . The Grand Master must necessarily rely upon those surrounding him for advice as to fibness . He seldom attends Grand Lodge , and cannot , if he would , discover for himself who from merit arc worthy of honour . He

must depend upon others , and thus a door is open to cliqueism , which at times prefers friendship to merit . In Lodges generally this evil is avoided to a large extent . The Worshipful Master springs from the ranks ; he passes through grades of office ; he knows the duties of each

because he has discharged them , and none is better fitted than himself to select his Officers . In Provincial Grand Lodges the question assumes another character , and one not pleasant to contemplate . There money is too often the test of merit , and brethren are appointed to office

who are sometimes even ignorant of the forms of the Lodge , and not unfrequently destitute of the spirit of the Craft . They take superior rank over the honest and able but poor brother , and many a P . M . is driven into scorn and indifference because the true spirit of Masonry is defiled to

his dishonour . Many members join more than one Lodge for the sole purpose of being appointed Prov . Grand Officers , they are , as a rule , strangers to the Right Worship ful

Provincial Grand Master , but a few wire-pullers prepare the way and ambition is gratified . There are serious objections to the loose way of appointing Provincial Grand Officers . There is at least the danger that unworthy and