''A Sprig Of Acacia.''

tested the seat , and was beaten by Sir A . F . Godson , M . P ., but we verily believe that had health and strength been continued to our townsman , and had a request been put forward that even once again he would have come forward in the Liberal interests . As may well be understood in all these Parliamentary struggles , Bro . Eve was followed with deep interest by his friends in Aldershot , and , be i , t fearlessly said , friends numbered amongst both parties .

There have been many imposing funerals in Aldershot , in the past , but , so far as civil circles are concerned , we may well venture to assert that never has there been a more imposing or more largely attended one than that of the late Bro . Eve . As already inferred in the preceding remarks of this notice , he was a gentleman who was most widely known , and universally respected , and adding to that his

prominence and esteem in . the Masonic world , it was little wonder perhaps that persons of high degree should have foregathered at Aldershot on Thursday to be present to pay their final respects to his memory . But whilst so many came from a distance , nothing could have exceeded the warmth of sympathy and regard paid to his memory by his own townsmen , those who for years had watched his progress ,

and followed his unswerving devotion to duty , and his interest in the town of Aldershot especially . The hour fixed for the cortege to leave the residence in Station Road was half-past two o ' clock but long before that time knots of curious people were to be seen taking up positions on the opposite side of the road . At about two o ' clock a cordon of the local constabulary arrived under Supt . Hawkins , and they in turn

were soon joined by the Volunteer Fire Brigade under Capt . Solomon . They , together with the police made a marked and pleasing contrast in their uniforms to the sombre black of the long line of mourners that had yet to take up their places in the long cortege that eventually moved off from the house . The arrangements for the funeral were

in the hands of the London Necropolis Company , who in turn appointed Messrs . Finch and Sons to provide the hearse and mourning coaches . The former arrived some time before the funeral party were to leave , and the reason speedily became obvious . The floral tributes were so numerous that considerable time had to be devoted to

arrange them in the carriage . They were in the end suspended from all points of the" carriage , and then the very roof itself was laden with the mass of brilliant blooms , for white was far from being the prevailing flower ; there were rich clusters of crimson and red , and even several masses' of blue cornflowers , that contrasted in a pleasing manner with the dead white of the roses and the lillies . When at last

the magnificent oak pannelled coffin itself was borne from the house by a number of the members of the Volunteer Fire Brigade , and deposited within the coach , nothing could have been more beautiful ; for the coffin itself seemed almost buried in a bed of blooms . By that time , however , the cortege had shaped itself . First came a very long

line of Masons , their only distinction to the general mourner being that they wore white kid gloves , and carried sprigs of acacia . There were nearly fifty of the Brethren present , representing almost every Lodge in England . The hearse , with an escort of fire brigade men , followed , and then came on the line of mourning coaches .

At the cemetery the scene was a most affecting one . Strange to say the grave is situated next or all but next to the final resting place of the Rev . Ellis Hewitt , a gentleman with whom Bro . Eve was always friendly . Crowds of persons had assembled within the grounds , and

imposing to a degree did the funeral procession appear as it made its way in at the top gates to the new burial ground . Many must have been quite unable to have heard the touching service that was now enacted , or to hear the beautiful address that was given . It was delivered with deep feeling .

Mr . Priestly Evans said : It is not my purpose , even if it were in my power , to deliver a funeral oration in the presence of this company , and yet I should feel I had been neligent and callous if I turned away from here without one word respecting him whom many of us have learned to honour , if indeed not to love , and to whose remains we are now paying our last vows of respect . It would seem cold and faithless

to turn our backs upon him , and to get absorbed , and lost immediately , in the turmoil of the world once more , and forget that here was a soldier of humanity who fought many a noble fight , and did many deeds that wore the colour of heaven only . Such deeds it would not be fitting for me to enumerate here ; it is needful but to record the spirit which animated them , which spirit was simply the desire to do

good , to do that which was right , to uphold the cause of justice and of truth , and to scatter blessings unknown almost to his friends to the needy and the helpless . As the years of one's life roll away , we are often impressed with the transitoriness of things , that there is so little that is stable and permanent in the world , everything is so fickle nothing seems to be enduring , and how often does this lead on to the

disease of indifference which reduces life to merel y a time of waiting , and we care not how soon the end may come ; we lose all interest in everything , and we are so wearied of the world that life is not worth an effort . But there were no such signs of decay in him whom we honour now . Bro . Eve was young almost to the end , although he had all but completed the allotted term of years . Life was always

tun of interest for him , and that m spite of a certain loneliness , for he was the last member of his famil y ; there was no near relative ih this country . His presence was always buoyant , always full * of eheet , always courageous and inspiring . He had the ambition of being of use to his fellow men , and of leaving the world brighter and better' than he found it , and perhaps there are fewer thine-s

that help to keep the heart young and to keep life still interestedthan to possess oneself of a lofty ambition which enables us to lose and forget ourselves , and the little annoyances of life . It is the end of few men to realise all their ambitions , but the chief thing for tis while we remain here is to have ambitions that are worthy for there is drearier desert in this

no world than a life that lacks all lofty ambition , for it lacks all interest . Still we must remember that we have been placed here as mortals—that whatever our lot may have been we must depart with grateful and modest hearts , and make room for others—that it is the will of the Giver of the

''A Sprig Of Acacia.''

Feast . The Feast is bound to come to an end sooner or later , but so long as our chief aim is not to indulge our own selfishness , so long as our ambition is to extol , and celebrate , and glorify the Giver of the Feast , we shall not find fault with Him , nor lament the end of it . But we shall believe with Whittier , that life is greater even than death : that that Vast Energy-in life that permeates this

universe , has constituted us , called us into minute being , made us in such a way that the soul has two yearnings , which have ever dominated all the other cravings of the heart , namely the desire to preserve life here , and also the desire to continue it hereafter . So we will believe that the author of these yearnings will not prove false and 'faithless , but will possibly weave another garment , as

Paul put it , —another garment of finer texture , perhaps worthier , to clothe the nakedness of our life once more , and of that greater energy which is ours , and that only changes , but never dies . In this hope and in this faith we trust and believe we may meet yet again beyond the border , in another of the mansions in the realms of Christ .

The coffin was then lowered into the grave with the final words of the preacher , " That as they had known and loved him who had borne the image of the earthly , so did they also hope that he would now bear the image of the things that were heavenly . " There was a benediction pronounced , and then the Masons approached and dropped their emblematic sprigs into the open grave , and the service was at end .

Lodge Meetings Next Week.

LODGE MEETINGS NEXT WEEK .

Puller particulars as to place of meeting of the undermentioned Lodges are given in the Freemasons' Calendar and Pocket Book ( published by Grand Lodge for the benefit of the Charity Fund ) .

Monday . 1632 Stuart , Camberwell 48 Industry , Gateshead 491 Royal Sussex , Jersey 788 Crescent . Hampton Court

' 1752 Ogmore , Bridgend 1991 Agricola . York 2068 Portsmouth Temperance , L'dp ' t . 2647 Llangattock , Cardiff 2654 Arfcer , Moseley

Tuesday . 253 Tyrian , Derby 1016 Elkingtom , Birmingham 1052 Callander , Manchester 1390 Whitwell , Millon

1536 United Military , Plumstead 1580 Cranbourne , Hatfield 1616 Fr ' ndship . & Harmony , W ' yb'ge 1675 Ancient Briton , Liverpool 1834 Duke of Connaught , Landport 2025 St . George , Plymouth 2404 Lord Charles Beresford , Ch't'm . 2692 Hastings , Hastings

Wednesday . 753 Prince Fred . Will'm ., Frascati 754 High Cross , Tottenham 76 Economy , Winchester . 220 Harmony , Garston 304 Philanthropic , Leeds

439 Scientific , Bingley 461 Fortitude , Newton 724 Derby , Liverpool

778 Bard of Avon , Hampton Court 1119 St . Bede , Jarrow 1283 Ryburn , Sowerby Bridge 1343 Saint John , Grays 1733 Sunbury , Sunbury 1756 Kirkdale , Liverpool 1760 Leopold , Scarborough 1775 Leopold , Church 1967 Beacon Court , New Broinpton 1989 Stirling , Cleator Moor 2019 Crook , Crook 2064 Smith Child , Tunstall 2149 Gordon , Hanley 2320 St . Martin , Castleton 2330 St . Lawrence , Pudsey 2444 Noel , Kingston-on-Thames 2448 Bradstow , Broadatairs 2571 Holmes , Newcastle-on-Tyne

Lodge Meetings Next Week.

Thursday . General Committee Girls' School , F . M . H ., at 5 . 1421 Langthorne , Hford 2621 Militarv , Hote Cec il

39 St . John Baptist , Exeter 202 Friendship , Devonport 214 Hope and Unity , Brentwood 346 United Brethren , Blackburn 410 Grove , Ewell 594 Downshire , Liverpool

o 36 De Ogle , Morpeth - 772 Pilgrim , Glastonbury 787 Beaureper , Belper 807 Oabbell , Norwich 935 Harmony , Salford 1151 St . Andrew , Tywardreath

1166 Clarendon , Hyde 1437 Liberty of Havering , Romford 1578 Merlin , Pontypridd 1817 St . Andrew , Shoeburyness 1971 Ald ' shot . Army & Navy , A'shot . 2184 Royal Vict . Jubilee , Rainham 2214 Josiah Wedgewood , Etrurla 2261 Armitage , Milnsbridge 2263 St . Leonards , Sheffield

2335 Cycling and Athletic , Liverpool 2374 Shurmur , Chingford 2375 Hilbre , Hoylake 2415 Tristram , Shildon 2462 Clarence , West Hartlepool 2474 Hatherton , Walsall

Friday . Council Boys School , F . M . H ., at i .

810 Craven , Skipton 1296 Vale of Brislington , Brislington 1777 Royal Hanover , Twickenham 1822 St . Quintin , Cowbridge 1920 Eurydice , Surbiton 2679 Hope , Patricroft Saturday . 1297 West Kent , Crystal Palace 2767 Lord Kitchener , Greenwich 1284 Brent , Topsham 1293 Burdett , Hampton Court 1462 Wharncliffe , Penistono 1531 Chislehurst , Chislehurst 1871 Gostling Murray , Hounslow 1965 Eastes , Bromley 1982 Greenwood , Sutton 2048 Henry Levander , Harrow S't ' n .

Brethren , let us reflect . We are early taught , in Masonry , we are born to die . But we are not left without hope ; for we are also taught , as Masons , that there is an immortal spirit in man which shall live when time will be no more .

This affords us the consolation , in our hours of meditation , that , when the Supreme Architect of the Universe calls us to the Grand Lodge above , that it will never end , but that we shall dwell forever in the realms of light and love etetual . —A . A , Johns G . M . Arizona ,