Misconceptions Of The True Character Of Freemasonry.

slightest heed of the inner life of Freemasonry . Numbers aro being admitted yearly into the Craft whose sole object is to make their membership a means for advancing their pecuniary interests , or , iu tho event of anything happening to them , of providing a something , or the chance of

something , for their families . There are those who trade on Masonry—the wine merchant with his Masonic champagne is the latest development of this class—and there are those who , to use a familiar form of speech , have an eye to the main chance in supporting our Charities . We are not

objecting to such displays of worldly providence , except in so far as they materially affect the true character . of Freemasonry , which is not a Benefit or Burial Society ; not an asylum for shaky people on the eve of going bankrupt in their worldly concerns ; not a huge charity organisation for

tho relief of middle-class distress . It will be said our picture is an exaggerated one , and that we are hardly justified in taking tho open statement of any brother ' s objects as conclusive testimony . Let it be so , for the sake of argument . Yet how comes it that , for all the many additions which have been made to tbe number of beneficiaries in our

Institutions , tho number of candidates goes on increasing annually ? If , in illustration , we take the case of the Boys ' School , which has already been referred to ; about three years ago , owing to the excess of candidates over vacancies , it was resolved to increase tbe School by thirty , and there

are now close on eighty candidates for the twenty vacancies which will fall due in April next . This must give one the idea that there are a good many people who enter the ranks of Freemasonry not wholly unbiassed by sordid motives .

Hard Times.

HARD TIMES .

FROM THE "VOICE OF MASONKY . " A PROSPEROUS professional man , in a recent communication to us , used the expression , " Times is so hard . " We read it and l aughed . From onr infancy np to this time , every year , month and

week , we have heard that ery , " Hard times . " In 1837 , when corn , oats' and wheat were abundant , and the latter was only worth twelve and a-half cents a bnshel , people bitterly complained of hard times , and yet their only want wns money . Prom that day to this , no matter

how prosperons , many have kept up the cry , and it is now one of their worst chronic complaints . If every kind of grain , and fruit , and vegetable , and game , and stock , were as abundant as leaves in Valhambrosa ; if money flowed from fountains , and springs and mines , and mints , and government printing presses , in rivulets , in brooks , in creeks , in rivers , in bays , in golfs , and in seas ; if every man , woman

and child had constant and remunerative employment ; if roses , tulips , lilies , diamonds and pearls were strewn in every pathway , and adorned every domicile , and if Happiness ever bestowed her richest gems to deck the moments of life , still that cry , "Times is so hard , " would ring like discordant bells , throughout tl e land . And why ? Because man , no matter how happy his lot may be , nor how perfect

his condition , never is contented—never satisfied , and will murmur . The whole course of Time is strewn with his grumblings . The journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan was a train of murmurs , and from that era to this railroading murmuring has been decidedly popular . So nniversal is this habit that , in all our life , we have met bnt one man who had no complaint to ntter , no murmur to

make , and who declared he had no earthly need that was not supplied , and no proper desire that was ungratified . Now , the fact is the American people do not know what hard times are . They never have had famine , never have experienced real destitution , never have known real want . They always have had " enough and to spare" of every necessary and even comfort of

life . They never have had real cause to cry , " Times are hard , " and yet many of them have ever done so . Last year , and this , they prospered abundantly . All their crops were excellent , and prices were good . Money abundantly flowed into their pockets , and good was on every hand of them , yet they would not so esteem it . For this class of the nation good times have never come , and never will , since , no matter

how manifold their blessings may be , they will not appreciate them at their worth , but , like many in days long past , will still exclaim , " Who will show us any good ?" To this class of people even the best of times are hard , and the truest felicity is but a common joy . To them the beantifnl in nature , in ait , and in life , is as nought io immensity or as nonentity to

infinity . Yea , to them the enjoyment of inestimable good is only an experience of hni'i t . imes , and gratitude and thankfulness are not in heir vocabulary . Verily , in all seriousness , it may be asked , What mi earth or in heaven will satisfy them , or what can induce them to pi'orionuco anything good ? They cry hard limes and do nothing to make times better . They imitate well tut balkiest mule that ever lived . Progress is not their

1 ' 'ite . I'hoy piomoie no progressive work , and invariably delay payae in of their jut d--bts on the plea that times arc hard . If they I a end ; i rlollm- l hey fear thev will never see . another , and have a con- 1 ¦ ¦ iint iire .. il ot * dyinir in poverty They never reflect that it is jnst j : ieh ci n'luc a- < rheirs that m ; . ke * times : hard and ! -eeps them so . ' *' i y : i'f ; ii will l > ¦ " ch-ijuir grnmblern , " HIT ] to hope for anything butter of them is to but cling to u rope of sand .

Hard Times.

Now seo tho difference . At this moment a letter ia received , saying , " There are no idlers hero , and times are good . " At once a cheerful feeling ensues . It really seems that tho sun has increased his brightness , and that life has many precious boons . " Always cheerful , " says the song , and " always cheerful" all ought to be . As one of our good German friends , now beyond the Jordan , always

said , " even in onr saddest hours , we ought to thank the Lord that is as well with us at is . " Yea , we ought ever to be grateful that the woof of onr lives has far more of the bright than of the dark colours , or , speaking Masonically , that onr experience here is checkered with far more of good than of evil . As Freemasons we have been most impressively taught that

whatever our lot in life may be , or however dark , cheerless , rough or rugged our way may appear , we are not to despair nor even complain , since even then the Friend , in whose fidelity we may with perfect safety confide , ia at our side and guiding ns , and could we but see as He sees , not far distant we would behold beautiful groves , waving grains , elegant gardens , and refreshing streams , Trusting in Him ,

all dangers will be safely passed , and soon the Cedars of Lebanon in all their grandeur and beanfcy , the olive groves of Monnt Olivet in all their vigour and fruitfulness , Jerusalem in all its magnificence , and the Te-nple of Solomon in all its pristine splendour , will dawn upon onr visions and afford us elysian delight . The small hardships we experience by the way do us no real harm , and their ultimate is an

increase of onr joy . Only by knowledge of the bitter can we rightly jndse the sweet , and if our trust is in God all things shall work together for our good . The moral of all this is , Do not ever pull backward ; do not ever cry hard times ; do not ever shut your eyes to the precious blessings

yon enjoy ; do not ever forget that" God is good , " nor that His lovingkindness is infinite . Oh ! do not ever be ungrateful ; ever full of murmurs , but do see the bright side of every event in life , and so help all others to rise to , and stand on , the plains of light and joy . Yea , ever see the goodness of the Lord , and praise Him for it , and all times , with you , will be good .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BBO . J . DANIEL MOORE , M . D .

THE announcement of Bro . Dr . Moore s death will not perhaps be received with surprise among those of our readers who were aware of the long and trying illness he had suffered from for some months past . They will none the less , however , be grieved to hear that one who had so highly distinguished himself in every work with which he

had been associated or had undertaken , and who was so universally beloved and respected in the various circles in which he moved , has passed away . His family and friends of course must find it a source of tbe deepest satisfaction , in the midst of their terrible bereavement to know

that throughout his whole life he had been so honoured , and in his death was so greatly respected . This is , indeed , a consolation to them in the midst of their grief , ancl must go some way towards alleviating the distress they are now enduring . It is not , however , our province to peer into the

sorrows of private life . Our duty is to express , on our own behalf , as well as on that of our constituents , the sorrow that all of us must experience at the loss for ever of so learned , so practical , and so beloved a member of the Masonic Craft . Nor , indeed , is this tbe full limit of our

duty . Two short years have passed since we took upon ourselves the pleasurable task—and it was truly a most pleasurable one—of including him , under the pseudonym of " ^ ESCULAPIUS , " in the category of those Masonic worthies

it has been our delight from time to time to honour . The opinion we then expressed of his merits and position in the ranks of Masonry , we rejoice to say , stand out boldly on record in the pages of this journal , as well as in the series of Portraits which have been collated and

reprinted therefrom . Thus , in reproducing m brief what we then ssud , we run no risk of being charged witb undue exaggeration . What we write , now that he is gone , is no undeserved compliment , for it was written when he was in

tbe enjoyment of his wonted vigour , and would have resented anything like an approach to sycophancy . But without further preface or apology let us sketch briefly the Masonic career of our late Brother .

Dr . Moore , though a Mason of high distinction , had not been a member of our Fraternity for any considerable length of time . He was initiated into its mysteries so recentl y as the year 18 G 5 , in the Rowley Lodge , No . 1051 , Lancaster

then newly warranted ; but his zeal was such that in a very few months after this event he was appointed to the post of Senior Deacon . Two years after , and our late esteemed Brother was elected to the chair of his Lodge , and