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Article A FEW WORDS IN SEASON. ← Page 2 of 2 Article A FEW WORDS IN SEASON. Page 2 of 2 Article NORTH WALES AND SHROPSHIRE. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Few Words In Season.
so we eat , drink , and rejoice rather than sit down morosely , and thank Heaven we aro not as other men . We consider it is more honourable to suffer in the cause of festivity than in the cultivation of self-sufficient pharisaieism ; and we face the risk of bolns and potion with a calm
determination to do our festive duties loyally according to our means , and in order that those around us may know that we treat with just respect the time-honoured associations of this season of the year . Indeed , we should be ashamed of ourselves if we did not play our part in the pleasures
of the time . Every one just now has the opportunity of rubbing off a little of that worldly-mindedness which is a chronic failing of even tho best of men . Tho friendly gatherings which are on the eve of being inaugurated are well calculated to enlarge the spirit of unselfishness . We
think that Christmastide should be observed with a joyous solemnity by the Christian , and that even the non-Christian , as doubtless he will do , may innocently take part in its celebration . Though an unbeliever in Christianity , he believes in tho love of the Creator for His creatures , and
he is fully sensible that the creature will best reciprocate that love by doing to his fellows what he would they should do towards him . There is no reason , then , why the pleasures so nearly awaiting us should not be shared among us all , be we Christians or non-Christians . The Spirit of
Charity is abroad among us , especially at this winter season , and to worship and obey its ordinances is to do our duty loyally towards the Creator and all His creatures . The goodly viands , the rich gifts , the quaint entertainments ,
the strange old customs of the season , are one and all the simple manifestations of that love we are bound to exhibit towards all our fellows , and it is with this feeling in our minds that we wish our readers the usual compliments of the season .
But the ill-natured cynic will probably tell us that rather should we now be thinking of our sins and wickedness than of giving ourselves up to mere pleasure . There is terrible suffering abroad in every direction . There is a dreadful war raging , and the Angel of Death is almost daily
traversing the battle-field and carrying off his victims by hundreds and thousands . There is the likelihood this war may affect us , and that we who now think of laughing and merrymaking may , sooner or later , bo heavy with grief and sorrow . But while we rejoice opportunely , we need not
cast aside all care and responsibility . Were the prevalence of suffering to be made the pretext for the abolition of all seasonable festivity , there would never be a single day on which it would not be our duty to sit down and bemoan our fate . Such was the old puritanic spirit which proclaimed far and near there should be no more cakes and
ale , and we all know the reaction that followed , and how intolerable Bigotry was in its turn vanquished by too easy Licence . We are not admirers of hypocrisy , ancl while we respect the miseries of others and would do our best to alleviate them , we see no reason why we who are not
sorrowing should not rejoice and be glad in our own quiet comfortable way . It were disgraceful to intrude our pleasures on others' griefs , but indulgence in harmless and seasonable pleasure is not incompatible with a feeling of sympathy with misfortune . In fact , the sympathy and the
rejoicing are due to and have their origin in the same spirit of generous kindness . And so let us take our pleasures and make much of them . There are plenty of Old Scrooges in the world , who are self-righteous because they have fared prosperously ; who think every one a reprobate who
is not as narrow-minded and detestable as they are ; who are exacting on all occasions and in everything ; who know not what a kindly feeling for others is like ; and who think that , because they have gone through life , neither looking to the left hand nor to the right , and
without so much as a thought for those who were running the same race as themselves , it is sinful for others to think of making themselves merry . We say there are , in the world , unfortunatel y plenty of these miserable Scroogessuch as Old Scrooge was in his unregenerate days—to
whom we gladly abandon the business of whining and grumbling and growling because all the world is not as miserable as they are . We have no intention of inflicting a sermon on our readers , but we think "a few words in season " will not be out of place in the present number .
Next week the particular anniversary , -which is the cause with the majority of Englishmen of so much merry-makinowill have passed ; and if they find that , in the interim , they have enjoyed themselves in the bosom of their families , that for a brief season they have cast themselves free from the
A Few Words In Season.
trammels of business , and surrendered themselves wholly to geniality and good-fellowship , then , say we , they will have proved themselves wise and good men . They will experience all tho greater sympathy with the afflicted everywhere . They will feel as deeply for tho wounded
and dying in Bulgarian hospitals and Bed Cross or Red Crescent ambulances , as though they had sat day and night hypocritically repentant in sackcloth and ashes . Just now is when we most need to bo quit of all sense of humbug .
Wo may have to brace ourselves up to still more serious duties in the future . Lot us fulfil , therefore , tho right wo havo fairly earned by tho labours of the past to bo merry and glad . We may even enact a folly without fear and trembling ; for a poet hath sung
" Dnlco est desiporo in loco . " At all events , we shall bo all tho better if we study ono another ' s comfort for a few days , as a change from regard
ing only our own interests . And this is what Old Father Christmas bids us do now . So , let ns be merry and wise , but wisely , discreetly , temperately merry and merrily , with a not uncareless mind , and unpharisaically wise .
North Wales And Shropshire.
NORTH WALES AND SHROPSHIRE .
GBAND LODGE AT SHREWSBURY . PRESENTATION TO SIR WATKIN W . WYNN . ( From the OSWESTRY ADVERTISER . )
ON Friday , 14 th inst ., ono of tho largest Masonic gatherings we have ever had in the Province of North Wales and Shropshire took place at Shrewsbury , on the occasion of the Annual Grand Lodge , •which this year was held in our County town , in the Lodge room of No . 262 , at the Lion Hotel . Tho great interest attaching to tho meeting was the presentation to Sir Watkin Williams Wynn , Bart . M . P ., of an address of congratulation on his completing the
twentyfifth year of his rule over the province as its Grand Master ; accompanied by a " Sir Watkin Presentation " to tho Masonic Boys' School , which is to be purchased , at a cost of £ 500 , by tho private contribation of the brethren of the various Lodges . The Province , as at present constituted , was formed in 1852 , and Sir Watkin was its first Grand Master . He was installed on tho 9 th
March , that year , by tho Hero of Bhurtporo , Lord Combermero , ia the presence of a distinguished company of Masons . That ceremony over , tho new Grand Master invested his officers , sixteen in number , of whom only four are now living , and three of whom—Messrs . J . P . White , S . Wood , and T . Onions , were present on Friday ; tho absent one being tho Eev . P . G . Bontley . Sir Watkin ( as we learn from the
chapter on " Freemasonry" in the gossiping book about his family , called Wynnstay and the Wynns ) was initiated into the mysteries of tho Craft at Chester in 1851 , in a Lodge which contained amongst its members the late Lord Chief Justice Jervis and other distinguished brethren . With the exception of John Fawcetfc , Esq ., who was installed Grand
Master of Durham in 1847 , and the Eev . Dr . Bowles , who was appointed to the same office in Herefordshire in 1848—and who would have been present on Friday had his health permitted—Sir Watkin has been in office longer than any other Provincial Grand Master in England j and he has probably done more work than any of them . During his rule the following Lodges have been consecrated : —
Admaston 1852 ( removed to Wellington in 1857 ) , Lndlow 1853 , Carnarvon 1854 , Llandudno 1858 , Welchpool 1864 , Llangefni 18 ( 36 , Oswestry ( St . Oswald's ) 1866 , Ironbridge 1866 , Denbigh 1867 , Wrex . ham 1871 ,, Bala 1872 , Oswestry ( Fitzalan ) 187 , 2 , Mold 1874 , Amlwch 1874 , Portmadoc 1874 , Market Drayton 1876 , Bridgnorth 1876 , Llanidloes 1876 , Newtown 1876 , Rhyl 1877 , Towyn 1877 . Sir Wat .
kin has also performed other Masonic work ; such as laying the Corner-stone of Trinity Church , Llandudno , in 1864 ; opening the Masonic Hall in the same town , in 1867 ; and laying tho Foundation , stone of the Oswestry Cottage Hospital , in 1869 . The attendance at the Provincial Grand Lodgo on Friday included , in addition to tho Grand Master , the Deputy Grand Master , Bro . W .
Bulkeley Hughes , M . P ., and several visitors , including tho E . W . Bro . Charles Hunter , P . P . G . M . of Aberdeenshire East , and P . G . W . of Greece . The names of the brethren of the Province ( who were either present or had signified their intention of being so ) are , as far as we can supply them , given below j but wo must be allowed to remark that if brethren neglect to sign the Tyler ' s book , or when thoy do
sign write what Tony Lumpkin called a " cramped hand , " it is no fault of ours if somo aro omitted and others ^ misspelt in our list . No . 117 ( Shrewsbury ) : Bros . Bunny , Blockley , Deakin , Evans P . P . A . D . of C , Harries , Hankey P . P . G . Eeg ., Lea , Lewis P . M ., Morris W . M ., Moores , Newnes P . A . Tyler , Oliver , Pritchard , Eobbius ,
Eichards , Spraggon , Warren Thomson S . W . No . 262 ( Shrewsbury ) : Bros . Andrew P . G . Stew ., BodenhamP . M ., Barr , Bagnall , Brightwell P . P . G . S . W ., Blakcway P . P . G . J . W ., Clarke J . W ., Chandler P . P . G . Keg ., Clement , J . Sides Davies ( of Oswestry , J . W . of 998 ) , Downes , Dovaston , Forrest P . P . G . Org ., Hickman I . G
Lowcock , Newman W . M ., Onions P . P . Keg ., Patchet P . P . J . W ., Cress , well Peele P . M ., Onions , llaudal P . P . G . S . W ., lledman P . M ., Stuart J . D ., Smith , Wakeman P . P . S . W . Oxon , Withers , White P . G . Treas ., S . Wood P . P . G . J . W ., Hide P . G . Tyler , E . W . 0 . Withers , No . 384 ( Bangor ) : Bro . Cameron S . D ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Few Words In Season.
so we eat , drink , and rejoice rather than sit down morosely , and thank Heaven we aro not as other men . We consider it is more honourable to suffer in the cause of festivity than in the cultivation of self-sufficient pharisaieism ; and we face the risk of bolns and potion with a calm
determination to do our festive duties loyally according to our means , and in order that those around us may know that we treat with just respect the time-honoured associations of this season of the year . Indeed , we should be ashamed of ourselves if we did not play our part in the pleasures
of the time . Every one just now has the opportunity of rubbing off a little of that worldly-mindedness which is a chronic failing of even tho best of men . Tho friendly gatherings which are on the eve of being inaugurated are well calculated to enlarge the spirit of unselfishness . We
think that Christmastide should be observed with a joyous solemnity by the Christian , and that even the non-Christian , as doubtless he will do , may innocently take part in its celebration . Though an unbeliever in Christianity , he believes in tho love of the Creator for His creatures , and
he is fully sensible that the creature will best reciprocate that love by doing to his fellows what he would they should do towards him . There is no reason , then , why the pleasures so nearly awaiting us should not be shared among us all , be we Christians or non-Christians . The Spirit of
Charity is abroad among us , especially at this winter season , and to worship and obey its ordinances is to do our duty loyally towards the Creator and all His creatures . The goodly viands , the rich gifts , the quaint entertainments ,
the strange old customs of the season , are one and all the simple manifestations of that love we are bound to exhibit towards all our fellows , and it is with this feeling in our minds that we wish our readers the usual compliments of the season .
But the ill-natured cynic will probably tell us that rather should we now be thinking of our sins and wickedness than of giving ourselves up to mere pleasure . There is terrible suffering abroad in every direction . There is a dreadful war raging , and the Angel of Death is almost daily
traversing the battle-field and carrying off his victims by hundreds and thousands . There is the likelihood this war may affect us , and that we who now think of laughing and merrymaking may , sooner or later , bo heavy with grief and sorrow . But while we rejoice opportunely , we need not
cast aside all care and responsibility . Were the prevalence of suffering to be made the pretext for the abolition of all seasonable festivity , there would never be a single day on which it would not be our duty to sit down and bemoan our fate . Such was the old puritanic spirit which proclaimed far and near there should be no more cakes and
ale , and we all know the reaction that followed , and how intolerable Bigotry was in its turn vanquished by too easy Licence . We are not admirers of hypocrisy , ancl while we respect the miseries of others and would do our best to alleviate them , we see no reason why we who are not
sorrowing should not rejoice and be glad in our own quiet comfortable way . It were disgraceful to intrude our pleasures on others' griefs , but indulgence in harmless and seasonable pleasure is not incompatible with a feeling of sympathy with misfortune . In fact , the sympathy and the
rejoicing are due to and have their origin in the same spirit of generous kindness . And so let us take our pleasures and make much of them . There are plenty of Old Scrooges in the world , who are self-righteous because they have fared prosperously ; who think every one a reprobate who
is not as narrow-minded and detestable as they are ; who are exacting on all occasions and in everything ; who know not what a kindly feeling for others is like ; and who think that , because they have gone through life , neither looking to the left hand nor to the right , and
without so much as a thought for those who were running the same race as themselves , it is sinful for others to think of making themselves merry . We say there are , in the world , unfortunatel y plenty of these miserable Scroogessuch as Old Scrooge was in his unregenerate days—to
whom we gladly abandon the business of whining and grumbling and growling because all the world is not as miserable as they are . We have no intention of inflicting a sermon on our readers , but we think "a few words in season " will not be out of place in the present number .
Next week the particular anniversary , -which is the cause with the majority of Englishmen of so much merry-makinowill have passed ; and if they find that , in the interim , they have enjoyed themselves in the bosom of their families , that for a brief season they have cast themselves free from the
A Few Words In Season.
trammels of business , and surrendered themselves wholly to geniality and good-fellowship , then , say we , they will have proved themselves wise and good men . They will experience all tho greater sympathy with the afflicted everywhere . They will feel as deeply for tho wounded
and dying in Bulgarian hospitals and Bed Cross or Red Crescent ambulances , as though they had sat day and night hypocritically repentant in sackcloth and ashes . Just now is when we most need to bo quit of all sense of humbug .
Wo may have to brace ourselves up to still more serious duties in the future . Lot us fulfil , therefore , tho right wo havo fairly earned by tho labours of the past to bo merry and glad . We may even enact a folly without fear and trembling ; for a poet hath sung
" Dnlco est desiporo in loco . " At all events , we shall bo all tho better if we study ono another ' s comfort for a few days , as a change from regard
ing only our own interests . And this is what Old Father Christmas bids us do now . So , let ns be merry and wise , but wisely , discreetly , temperately merry and merrily , with a not uncareless mind , and unpharisaically wise .
North Wales And Shropshire.
NORTH WALES AND SHROPSHIRE .
GBAND LODGE AT SHREWSBURY . PRESENTATION TO SIR WATKIN W . WYNN . ( From the OSWESTRY ADVERTISER . )
ON Friday , 14 th inst ., ono of tho largest Masonic gatherings we have ever had in the Province of North Wales and Shropshire took place at Shrewsbury , on the occasion of the Annual Grand Lodge , •which this year was held in our County town , in the Lodge room of No . 262 , at the Lion Hotel . Tho great interest attaching to tho meeting was the presentation to Sir Watkin Williams Wynn , Bart . M . P ., of an address of congratulation on his completing the
twentyfifth year of his rule over the province as its Grand Master ; accompanied by a " Sir Watkin Presentation " to tho Masonic Boys' School , which is to be purchased , at a cost of £ 500 , by tho private contribation of the brethren of the various Lodges . The Province , as at present constituted , was formed in 1852 , and Sir Watkin was its first Grand Master . He was installed on tho 9 th
March , that year , by tho Hero of Bhurtporo , Lord Combermero , ia the presence of a distinguished company of Masons . That ceremony over , tho new Grand Master invested his officers , sixteen in number , of whom only four are now living , and three of whom—Messrs . J . P . White , S . Wood , and T . Onions , were present on Friday ; tho absent one being tho Eev . P . G . Bontley . Sir Watkin ( as we learn from the
chapter on " Freemasonry" in the gossiping book about his family , called Wynnstay and the Wynns ) was initiated into the mysteries of tho Craft at Chester in 1851 , in a Lodge which contained amongst its members the late Lord Chief Justice Jervis and other distinguished brethren . With the exception of John Fawcetfc , Esq ., who was installed Grand
Master of Durham in 1847 , and the Eev . Dr . Bowles , who was appointed to the same office in Herefordshire in 1848—and who would have been present on Friday had his health permitted—Sir Watkin has been in office longer than any other Provincial Grand Master in England j and he has probably done more work than any of them . During his rule the following Lodges have been consecrated : —
Admaston 1852 ( removed to Wellington in 1857 ) , Lndlow 1853 , Carnarvon 1854 , Llandudno 1858 , Welchpool 1864 , Llangefni 18 ( 36 , Oswestry ( St . Oswald's ) 1866 , Ironbridge 1866 , Denbigh 1867 , Wrex . ham 1871 ,, Bala 1872 , Oswestry ( Fitzalan ) 187 , 2 , Mold 1874 , Amlwch 1874 , Portmadoc 1874 , Market Drayton 1876 , Bridgnorth 1876 , Llanidloes 1876 , Newtown 1876 , Rhyl 1877 , Towyn 1877 . Sir Wat .
kin has also performed other Masonic work ; such as laying the Corner-stone of Trinity Church , Llandudno , in 1864 ; opening the Masonic Hall in the same town , in 1867 ; and laying tho Foundation , stone of the Oswestry Cottage Hospital , in 1869 . The attendance at the Provincial Grand Lodgo on Friday included , in addition to tho Grand Master , the Deputy Grand Master , Bro . W .
Bulkeley Hughes , M . P ., and several visitors , including tho E . W . Bro . Charles Hunter , P . P . G . M . of Aberdeenshire East , and P . G . W . of Greece . The names of the brethren of the Province ( who were either present or had signified their intention of being so ) are , as far as we can supply them , given below j but wo must be allowed to remark that if brethren neglect to sign the Tyler ' s book , or when thoy do
sign write what Tony Lumpkin called a " cramped hand , " it is no fault of ours if somo aro omitted and others ^ misspelt in our list . No . 117 ( Shrewsbury ) : Bros . Bunny , Blockley , Deakin , Evans P . P . A . D . of C , Harries , Hankey P . P . G . Eeg ., Lea , Lewis P . M ., Morris W . M ., Moores , Newnes P . A . Tyler , Oliver , Pritchard , Eobbius ,
Eichards , Spraggon , Warren Thomson S . W . No . 262 ( Shrewsbury ) : Bros . Andrew P . G . Stew ., BodenhamP . M ., Barr , Bagnall , Brightwell P . P . G . S . W ., Blakcway P . P . G . J . W ., Clarke J . W ., Chandler P . P . G . Keg ., Clement , J . Sides Davies ( of Oswestry , J . W . of 998 ) , Downes , Dovaston , Forrest P . P . G . Org ., Hickman I . G
Lowcock , Newman W . M ., Onions P . P . Keg ., Patchet P . P . J . W ., Cress , well Peele P . M ., Onions , llaudal P . P . G . S . W ., lledman P . M ., Stuart J . D ., Smith , Wakeman P . P . S . W . Oxon , Withers , White P . G . Treas ., S . Wood P . P . G . J . W ., Hide P . G . Tyler , E . W . 0 . Withers , No . 384 ( Bangor ) : Bro . Cameron S . D ,