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MIDLAND RAILWAY . CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS . ON Christmas Day the trains will run as appointed for Sundays , except the Newspaper Express leaving London ( St . Pancras ) at 5 -15 a . m ., which will run to Bedford , Leicester , Nottingham , Derby , Sheffield , and Manchester , as on ordinary weekdays . The 8 ' 55 a . m . local train Sheffield to Leeds , & e ., will await the arrival of the Newspaper Express at Sheffield . On Thursday , 26 th December , Certain booked trains will be discontinued , of which due notice will be given by special bills at the stations . CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR EXCURSIONS . NORTH OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND On Tuesday , 24 th December , for three or seven days , and on Tuesday , 31 st December , for throe or eight days , to Newcastle , Berwick , Carlisle , Dumfries , Castlo Douglas , Kirkcudbright , Edinburgh , Glasgow , Ayr , Kilmarnock , Stranraer , Stirling , Perth , Dundee , Arbroath , Montrose , Aberdeen , & o . Leaving St . Pancras at 9-15 p . m ., Kentish Town 9-19 , Victoria ( L . C . & D . ) 8-3 , Moorgate Street 8-47 , Aldersgate Street 8-49 , and Farringdon Street at 8-51 p . m . Return Tickets at a Third Class Single Fare for the Double Journey will be issued by the train on 24 th December to the places mentioned , available for return on any day up to Sth January 1896 , and by the train on 31 st December available for return on any day up to 15 th January 1896 . GENERAL EXCURSION . On Tuesday night , 24 th December , to Leicester , Birmingham , Nottingham , Derby , Newark , Lincoln , Burton , Manchester , Liverpool , Blackburn , Bolton , Sheffield , Leeds , Bradford , York , Hull , Scarboro ' , Newcastle , the Lake District , & o ., returning 26 th or 28 th December . IRELAND . There will also be Cheap Excursions to Dublin , Belfast , Londonderry , and Portrush . For particulars see bills . EARLY ISSUE OF TICKETS IN CONNECTION WITH THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS . The Booking Offices at St . Pancras and Moorgate Street Stations will be open for the issue of tickets all day on Saturday , Monday , and Tuesday , 21 st , 23 rd and 24 th December . Tickets to all principal Stations on the Midland Eailway and Lines in connection can also be obtained beforehand at the Midland Company ' s City and Suburban Offices , a list of which may be had on application . Tickets and bills may be had at the Midland Stations and City Booking Offices ; and from Thos . Cook and Son , Ludgate Circus , and Branch Offices . GEO . H . TUBNER , General Manager . Derby , December 1895 .

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PHOTOGRAPHY . HOCKETT & WHITE , Photographic Printers , POTTEES EOAD , NEW BAENET . NEGATIVE S sent to us by Parcels Post , securely packed , receive prompt attention , and Prints in SILVEK , PLATINOTYPE , P . O . P ., giving best obtainable results , forwarded without delay . We are also pleased to answer inquiries , and givo information and advice , for which our large experience fully qualifies us . Price Lists on application .

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The Freemason ' s Chronicle . A Weekly Record of Masonic intelligence . Published every Saturday , Price 3 d . — : o : — THE FEEEMASON'S CHRONICLE will be forwarded direct from the Office , Fleet Works , Bulwer Road , New Barnet , on receipt of remittance for the amount . Intending Subscribers should forward their full address , to prevent mistakes . The Terms of Subscription ( payable in advance ) are—Twelve Months , post free ... ... £ 0 13 6 Six Months ditto . ... ... ... 0 7 0 Three Months ditto . ... ... ... 0 3 6 Postal Orders to be made payable to W . W . MORGAN , at the New Barnet Ofiice . Cheques crossed " London and South Western Bank . " Scale of Charges for Advertisements . Per Page £ 8 8 0 Back Page ... ... 10 10 0 Births , Marriages , and Deaths , ls per line . General Advertisements , Trade Announcements , & c ., single column , 5 s per inch . Double column Advertisements ls per line . Special terms for a series of insertions or special positions on application .

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a ^^^ Wi ^ a SATUBDAY , 21 ST DECEMBEE 1895 .

Middlesbro' Seamen's Institute.

MIDDLESBRO' SEAMEN'S INSTITUTE .

ON Monday , 9 th inst ., a successful concert under the patronage of the local Freemasons was given in the Seamen ' s Institute , Middlesbrough , Bro . J . V . Cooper D . C . P . M . P . P . G . E . occupying the chair . The Eev . Fred Griffiths , Tees Chaplain , said they were greatly indebted to the Freemasons of the district . The Institute was opened by the Provincial Grand Master Lord

Zetland , who had since given them a donation of £ 25 . When he considered all the Freemasons of the town and district had done in the way of help towards defraying the cost of that Institute , he reckoned they had given at least £ 150 . That , however , was only part of their generosity and kindness . They had continued

to take a warm interest in the mission , and in the work carried on there . Bro . J . V . Cooper said the Freemasons of the district were much interested in the success of the mission , and they were there that night to show their appreciation of the work done by the Chaplain Bro . Griffiths , and to stimulate him to further exertions in his good work .

Extracts From Toulmin Smith's History. Of The English Gilds.

EXTRACTS FROM TOULMIN SMITH'S HISTORY . OF THE ENGLISH GILDS .

BY BRO . JACOB NORTON , in the " Masonio Keview , " March 1894 . Boston , 27 th February 1894 . AS a rule I believe that neither of our American Grand Masters of all the Masonic grades , nor the Grand Secretaries of said grades , nor our St , John ' s Day orators , and other orating Masonic luminaries , as well as Masonic editors and American Masonic writers , have read Toulmin Smith ' s History ,

named in the above heading , for if either had read it , he would not have spoken and written so much nonsense about the antiquity and high importance , in olden times , of the Masonic fraternity . 1 therefore propose

to give some extracts from the above named work for the benefit of those who prefer truth to falsehood . I must , however , add , that the said history opens with a preliminary essay , in five parts , hy Lujo Brentano , and must , therefore , inform the reader what Brentano had to say .

Now , I suppose it is known to the readers of the " Masonic Eeview " that there was a Masonic Gild in the Middle Ages , from which Gild our Masonio Fraternity derived its existence , and that we have retained and preserved an ancient Masonic custom of enjoying first-rate feasts at our general meetings

of Lodges as well as Grand Lodges ; very fow of our very best informed Masons , I venture to say , know anything about the origin of Gilds or of Gild ' s feasts . The following extract from Brentano ' s essay gives the desired information upon those subjects :

" The Northern historians , in answer to the question , Whence Gilds sprang ? refer , above all , to the feasts of the German tribes from Scandinavia , which were tho first called Gilds . Among the German tribes , every occurrence among the more nearly related members of the family required the active participation of them all . At births , marriages and deaths , all the

members of the family assembled . Banquets were prepared in celebration of the event , and these had sometime even a legal signification , as in the case of funeral banquets , namely that on entering on an inheritance , and when they concerned kings of a corporation . Wilda narrates in detail the circumstances of a banquet of this kind , at which the son and heir , in the midst of his own

and his father ' s companions , feasted his father's memory , and vowed to imitate his worthy deeds ; the companions took similar vows upon themselves Further , great social banquets took place on occasion of the sacrificial assemblies at the great anniversary festivals , whioh coincided with the national assemblies and legal assizes , and on occasion of important political

events ; and at tho same time the common concerns of the community were deliberated on at these banquets . Moreover , they also furnished an opportunity for the conclusion of those alliances for the purpose of plunder or war , of which wo have accounts , especially in the case of Sweden and Norway , as well as of those close unions of friends , in which , according to Scandinavian

Sages , two warriors of antiquity were wont to confederate for life or death , for common enterprises and dangers , and for discriminating revenge , when one of them should perish by a violent death . Every freeman was obliged to attend these feasts . Hence , these feats were also called Gilds , for

' Guild' meant , originally , the sacrificial meal , made up of the common contributions ; then a sacrificial banquet in general ; and lastly , a society . When , in latter times , Christianity spread itself in the North , the sacrificial banquets , with all their customs and ceremonies , remained in existence , and