Acrostic Lines.

ACROSTIC LINES .

BY GEORGE W . WHEELER . Sir Knights of the Cyrene Commandery , In Faith and Hope I greet you now once more , Returning my best thanks for making mo Knight of your honoured body , Thirty-four .

No Masonio title that now I bear Is more highly , dparly prized by me ; Granted on Sir A . M . Rambo ' s prayer , Honorary certificate you sent to me . To-night I feel again impelled to write , And wish each and every one God speed ;

My spirit gladly joins with yours to-night , Returning thanks to Him who helps in time of need . Atlantic waves , in vain you dash and roll—Mites of ocean and land may lay between , But soul can hold communion still with soul , O ' er sea and land , whate ' er may iutervene ,

Commend me now to all Knights Templar true ! Your Centennial festival who graco—Right glad my heart could I have been with you , Encamped e ' en in tho most desert place . Noblo the object you now

celebrate—Enlightened reason must of it approve . Centennary of a nation young bnt great , One that the truly wise and good may love ! My thoughts and sympathies are with the free , My prayers for your prosperity arise .

America , the Nations look to thee—Nor need they look with their averted eyes . Dear are thy hero ' s names in every land—England respects and honours all your brave , Recounts the honours of that glorious band , Yearning their country ' s liberties to save .

For them weave a crown of laurels still , Regard them as earth ' s noblest , bravest sons , Of their bright deeds we feel no jealous thrill , Making them stand by our own undying ones . Gladly , as Templars , we endorse theso views ,

Embrace this opportunity to put them forth , Only our feeble and imperfect Muse Rogrets its inability to show their worth ; Gladly as Templars your Fraternal band Extends the hand of friendship to a brother ,

Welcome him to every tent within the land . With no less zest England extends to yon another . Henceforth all fears and jealousies forget , Each anxious to fulfil a brother ' s part ,

Each willing to improvo the other ' s lot , Loving each other with a faithful heart , Even as I now tender lovo to each of you , Regretting much that I must say adieu . Glasgow , Scotland , May 1876 . From tho Weekly Courant , of Columbia , Pennsylvania .

Masonic Education.

MASONIC EDUCATION .

THAT Masonry educates and makes its members meu among men no ono will doubt who is acquainted with its power . Indeed , it is difficult for any class of minds to pass through its portals without drinking in more or less of its mystic waters . In its very vestibule men are made to reflect . Their minds are brought in contact with the laws of preparation—the emblems of reception—the forms of recognition—the obligations of responsibility , and the lectures of general

Masonic intelligence , through all of which few can pass without receiving those impressions of mental and moral , social and relative obligations which have given ubiquity to theMystio Order and made it the greatest—because it is the strongest fraternal institution on the face of the globe . The world should not understand that this fraternal feeling is

sectarian or narrow or selfish—for if it were any of these it would bo at once unmasonic—for true Masonry is not only intelligently honourable , but it is , both in its spirit and power , wholly cosmopolitan in all its workings and charity . Hence a selfish Mason , and there are such , is a living paradox in the mystic Brotherhood whose personal presence adds nothing to

the high integrity of tho meeting of the Craft , as his mystic relationship makes nothing for the honour of the institution . As a college of manly intelligence and substantial virtue , the Masonic student , when he is a proper candidate , and is intelligently initiated into its mysteries , receives at each step of his advancement that knowledge of principle which he knows will help , aid and assist

him in the building np of his manhood ; and it is only where their principles are neglected or forgotten that individual failures become visible . It is true , that some men will never make themselves true or intelligent Masons , no matter how many degrees they are dragged through . They from the beginning " go it blind , " and they

fail to comprehend the elevating and advancing character of the institution—consequently they never grow into a living Masonic temple . We meet some of these men in our canvassing travels . They take no Masonic paper , read no Masonic literature , and in the general way

Masonic Education.

it may be frankly said , that the light that is in them is only dark . ness . Some of them have money to spend for nnmasonio beverages , while others patronise every sort of a paper save a Masonio . That such men fall behind in the spirit aud intelligence and enterprise of Masonic life is not strange—for they have none of the life of the Mystio Tie within them . Their Masonio eduoation is bnt

primary , and yet , full of content , as they are of ignorance , they only have a name to live while they are dead . To let theso brethren alone , " to die in their nests , " would be a wrong committed on the Fraternity itself , and therefore we write thus plainly , hoping that in some way we may stir them from their lethargy and bring them within the range of some Masonio light .

Onr Masonio light . Our Masonic jonrnals , to a large extent , are the living educators of the age—their liberal patronage , in the present numerical increase of the Craft , has grown to be imperious , if we would not fall by the voluntary ignorance of our membership . To such of our Brethren who havo reflected upon this subject , it is not necessary for us to say a word . They see the danger , and

frequently speak of it with deep concern , and the remark 13 frequently made that we have too many Lodges , and are making too mauy Masons , such as they are . Whether these allegations are true or not , they are often made , and we may well inquire into thoir validity in time , lest the near future should give ua trouble , such as but few have ever dreamed of as being possible .

The facilities of the age , in connection with tho " art preservation of all ar " ts , " are enabling some men to officiate and to administer obligations in a manner that even Grand Lodges may well look after , if they desire to hold and preserve , immaculate , the ancient prestige of the Mystic Order . For more than one hundred and fifty years tho work of the Craft

has been carried on , in tho order and forms of its venerable antiquity , in this country , until it has grown stronger and more numerous iu these United States than it is in any other portion of the globe . Of all this , as Masons , we may well feel proud . And yet our great prosperity places us under increased obligations of duty and carefulness . Many of our initiates are young men—many of

them young men of culture , and , we trust , of well timed ambition . They have come iu among us to learn what Masonry is , and to develope in themselves its time honoured principles . They look around them to see what may be seen , and of course stand ready to receive instruction from almost any one of tho Fraternity who may

offer it . They should have wise instructors aud safe advisers . Good examples should be set before them in the peace aud harmony of our Lodges , and proper books and periodicals should be placed in their hands , in some way , if we wish to see their true and proper development . —Masonic Advocate .

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THE THEATRES , & c . HER MAJESTY'S OPERA . DRURY LANE . - This evening , at 8 . 0 , FIDELIO . On Monday , at 8 . 30 , IL DON GIOVANNI . ADELPHI . —At 7 . 30 , COLLEEN BAWN and STRUCK OIL . HAYMARKET .-At 7 . 3 <\ TURNING THE TABLES , and WILD OATS . On Monday , LONDON ASSURANCE . PRINCESS'S .-At 7 . 30 , NUMBER ONE ROUND THE CORNER . At 8 . 0 , A SHEEP IN WOLF'S CLOTHING . At 9 . 0 , THE CORSICAN BROTHERS . STRAND .-At 7 . 30 , THE DRESS COAT . At 8 . 0 , LIVING AT EASE . At 9 . 30 , NEMESIS . GAIETY .-At 7 . 45 , Comedietta . At 8 . 15 , MY AWFUL DAD . At 10 . 30 , COOL AS A CUCUMBER . On Monday , OFF THE LINE , ICI ON PARLE FRANCAIS , and A SPELLING BEE . PRINCE OF WALES'S .-At 8 . 0 , OURS . VATJDEVII . LE .-At 7 . 30 , A WHIRLIGIG . At 8 . 0 , OUR BOYS , and a FEARFUL FOG . COURT . —At 8 . 0 , A SCRAP OF PAPER , and A QUIET RUBBER . DUKE'S .-PROMENADE CONCERTS at 8 . 0 . OPERA COMIQUE .-MADAME L'ARCHIDUC ( last night . ) CRITERION .-At 8 . 0 , MARY'S SECRET , and THE GREAT DIVORCE CASE . ALHAMBRA .-LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE , & o . ALEXANDRA PALACE—This day , MEXICAN MUSTANG HORSE FEATS , CONCERT , & c . On Monday , TROTTING MEETING , LICENSED VICTUALLERS' ASYLUM FETE , FIREWORKS , & c . Ou Thursday , TOTTLES , & c . On Saturday , BALFE MEMORIAL FESTIVAL . Open daily , PROMENADE CONCERTS , BROEKMANN'S CIRCUS , SKATING RINK , & c . CRYSTAL PALACE . —This clay , Visit of Sir Salar Jung , Ac . On Thursday , FIREWORKS , RACES , & C . Open daily , AQUARIUM . SKATING RINK , CIRCUS , & c . ROYAL AQUARIUM SUMMER AND WINTER GARDEN Open daily . CONCERT , SKATING RINK , & c . ROYAL POLYTECHNIC . — BURNING AND COMBUSTION , and CROOKE'S DISCOVERIES and APPARATUS , HEINKE'S DIVING APPARATUS and SUBMARINE LAMP . TYPE WRITER . HOGG'S PATENT VENTILATION . BATEMAN'S COLLECTION OF MODEL STEAVl ENGINES . BIDDER'S MAGNETIC LAMP . TISLEY'S COMPOUND PENDULUM , & c , & c . ALICE IN WONDERLAND . A WALK THROUGH THE TOWER . WONDERS OF THE MICROSCOPK . Mr . TAYLOR'S WONDERFUL BOY . CLAIRVOYANCE AND PLATE DANCING . SOLOS ON THE VIOLIN . Admission to the whole . Is ; Schools , and Children under 10 , half-price . EGYPTIAN ( LARGE ) HALL . —MASKELYNE AND COOKE . daily at 3 . 0 and 8 . 0 . J