Reminiscences Of A Secretary.

REMINISCENCES OF A SECRETARY .

THE summons to attend the funeral of a deceased Brother is always more or leas shocking to the recipient , but to the Secretary who issues the summons it is even more , for he must genorally go to the house of mourning to ascertain the particulars , and there at once finds himself in the midst of great grief , and he should use great discretion to save and respeot the feelings of the bereaved family

and also proteot the interests of his Lodge . I remember on one occasion our Master was away on business in an Eastern city , when I received a very laconio missive from a member that " Bro . Oondin had just died—see to it . " Bro . Condin lived on First avenue near Sixteenth street , in a densely populated tenement district . Ho occupied part of a floor on tho fifth story

back . He had been a bricklayer , was often out of work , and recently had fallen from a scaffolding , from , whioh injury he never fully recovered , and . finally succumbed , leaving a widow with a large family to look after ; leaving them , too , with his debts to pay ; leaving them alone to continue the fierce battle , and struggle for existence . And snob an existence ! Five persons in three little

rooms , with three more families on tbe same floor . I counted twenty-seven persons in that little hive , and ascertained that over three hundred human beings were " sardined " into this big trap . I ascertained , however , which concerned mo more closely , that wo would have to take entire charge of Bro . Oondin ' s funeral , as well as of his family . The only inheritance they had from the husband and

father was his excellent reputation and good name—that , of course , was very good ; but it does not buy any bread or pay rent . I had hastened to an undertaker , who took oharge of the remains , and then to the Senior Warden , and called upon a Past Master , and it was arranged that the funeral should take place the following Sunday—that gave me two days to issue my summonses ,

and have everything in readiness . Meantime the family had to be seen to , and through the kindness of some of our Brethren and their good wishes , this was accomplished easier than I at first anticipated . The ladies took charge of the female portion of the family , and with great delicacy loaned them the regulation mourning apparel , and we also provided them with the immediate

necessities , and several of the members called at intervals to help and cheer and console the bereaved family . When I had made all the arrangements for the funeral , and the day and hour had been agreed upon , I hurried home to write out the proper notices . I had hardly got through the list of names when a telegram was brought to me , signed by a Brother of the

Lodge , saying that Bro . Walter B . Clarendon " had just diedplease call at the house at once . " Bro Clarendon lived at No . — Madison avenue , and when I arrived at the brownstone mansion I found the stylish and highly varnished wagon of an nndertaker already before the door . I was not permitted to ring the bell , a liveried servant was stationed at

the elegant vestibule to prevent any noise from disturbing the deathly stillness that prevailed . I made myself known to the person in charge , who referred me to the undertaker , who , being a Mason , understood my motive in insisting to see Mrs . Clarendon at once . I was shown up stairs , where I found several females busily engaged among a heap of mourning goods—cutting , sewing and fitting

the stuff—as I supposed , to have it ready for the coming funeral . paw the beloved widow , bowed down with grief and sorrow , surrounded by her little ones ; , she , too , was left alone with four orphaned children ; but what a contrast to the scene I had witnessed in the morning . True , both women deeply felt their affliction , and felt their lonely condition ; but the poor , sorrowing one in the fifth

story back had , beside the bleeding wound of her loss , the fearful pangs of hunger and want to bear . She could see nothing in the near future but trouble , struggle , and a desperate fight for a bare living for herself and children , while the widow in the Madison avenue mansion was at least spared that horror—she knew that her husband had left her well provided with this world ' s goods .

I finally made the arrangements here , too , and as ifc was the express wish of Mrs . Clarendon to have the funeral take place" on Sunday , I had to bestir myself and again summon the Lodge for this second funeral on tho same day . We were to meet in the Lodge room altogether , and then divide—one party , headed by the Senior Warden , to go to one house , while another party , with the Junior Warden , to

go to the other—each seotion to be accompanied by some of the Past Masters . I confess I watched with a great deal of cynical interest to see who among the Brethren would choose to go to the Madison avenue mansion , and who would prefer the tenement house funeral , and to the credit of Masonry in general , and our Lodgein particular , be it said ,

that a very large majority thought the poor woman in the fifth story back needed more of onr countenance and our presence than the Madison avenue lady—for , argued most of the Brethren , the rich lady on Madison avenue no doubt has many friends to-day ; even if they do not mean it they will show their pretended respect by their presence ; but poor Mrs . Condin will be more neglected than ever ,

and we must show her that with us , at least , her poverty makes no difference , and that we think as much of her , and as much of the one dead Brother in the tenement house as of the one in the brownstone front . And so we divided ourselves into two parties , but by far the larger of the two repaired to the First avenue mansion , while tho other went to the Madison avenue house . At the latter

place ample preparations had been made , coaches were provided for evetylocly , and all tho members of the Lodge rode from the house to Greenwood Coint-tcry ; while tho other " section" walked a short ditlai . cb from tho house , thtn by street cars to the ferry , thence again in cars to the same destination .

Both the funeral services were perfoimed by our Past Masters , surrounded by the Brethren and grief-stricken families , and when the coffins were lowered into the ground , the earth looked the same over both grave ? , as there all ranks are levelled , all distinctions obliterated . —Keystone .

Coreespondence.

COREESPONDENCE .

\ Ve do not hold ourselvex responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear the name ani address of the M ' riter , not necessarily for publication , hut as a guarantee 0 / good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

MASONIC PORTRAITS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAH SIB AND BROTHER , —The loss of tho valuable and life-like portraits which had for so long a period adorned our famous Old Hall was , I need not say , a severe blow to one who , from long and close association with them , had become as familiar with every foaturo as though they had been living and very dear friends .

The originals being , as I feared , past restoration , I resolved that no effort should be wanting on my part to replace them , and I at once sot about endeavouring to ascertain whether any of them had evor been engraved or copied . A fow days after the fire Bro . H . W . Long , hurst , of the Canonbury Tavern , Islington , presented to the Grand Lodge a full length engraving of the late Earl of Zetland , an exact

copy of the one destroyed , and , as I now fear , tho only one of tho series that has been engraved in its entirety , although the Craft are much indebted to Bro . R . S . Warrington P . G . S ., of Garriok Streot , and Bro . Whytehead , of York , for two very fino half-length engravings of the Dukes of Kent and Sussex , the lattor bearing H . E . Highness ' s well-known autograph , it having been presented by him to Bro .

Warrington s uncle . Having carefully searched tho Becords of Grand Lodge , and mado inquirios in other directions , with no satisfactory result , I thought it possible that the Masonic Press might assist me , hence my letter of the 13 th nit ., whioh , as no doubt you will have observed , only refers to copies of the identical portraits destroyed by the fire .

Owing to the publicity anr ! support so readily given to my endeavours , by yourself and yonr contemporaries , I have received several letters from brothren ( one from Gibraltar ) , offering portraits for the purpose of being copied . To those I have replied privatoly , as in most cases they referred to pictures already in the possession of Grand Lodge , and I presume the subject of copying will have duo

consideration by the authorities on the completion of the New Temple . You will be glad to learn that , in addition to tho large engravings I have mentioned , we have now smaller ones of all the noblemen mentioned in my former letter , with the exception of the Dnke of Athol . As in your issue of the 10 th inst . you were good enough to suggest contributions to tbe Grand Lodge Library and proposed

Museum , you will no doubt be equally pleased to know that some of our brethren are not unmindful of the importance of having a Masonic Museum at the headquarters of English Masonry . Unfortunately , the donations at present are very few in number , but I feel sure that now the Masonio Press has taken the matter in hand , and with the assistance of such well known and energetic Masonic

scholars as Bros , the Rev . Woodford P . G . C . and Bro . Geo . Lambert , F . S . A ., P . G . Sword Bearer , we shall soon see a very different state of things . These brethren have already contributed several very rare and curious masonic engravings , & c , and the last named has been good enough to permit me to say that the inauguration of a Museum would have his warmest support , aud that he has several othor scarce

Masonic relics which he would have much pleasure in presenting if he found that the Craft in general evinced some interest in the under , taking . I have no recollection of having seen the portrait you . mention of the Earl of Zetland , and shall be glad of further informa . tion regarding it . I very recently availed myself of tbe kind permission of Bro . H . Thompson to inspect the portrait of the Earl of

Moira , mentioned in his letter to you of the 20 th ult . ; which , though not a copy of the one that was destroyed , certainly merits every word he said in its favour . The picture is quite new to me , although there is ono in the Grand Lodge Library very similar , probably executed about the same period , but by another artist , plainly evincing the well deserved popularity of the distinguished original . " Yours fraternally , H . SADLER P . M .

A Convocation of the North London Chapter of Improvement was held at the Alwyne Castle Tavern , St . Paul ' s Road , Canonbury , on Thursday , 22 nd inst ., at

8 o ' clock . Comps . Gregory Z ., Dean H ., Sheffield J ., Radclitfe S . N ., Knight P . S . The first section of the Royal Arch Lecture was worked by Comp . Preceptor Edmonds , and afforded much instruction to the R . A . Masons present .

The Winter Number of Society for this year will be called RotmcJ The Fireside , and will contain several complete stories by such well known authors as Riohard Dovvling , Godfrey Turner , J . Palgrave Simpson , Ernest Warren , William Mackay , C . C . Ithys , & c , and will be illustrated by Frank Feller , Rudolf Blind , Frederick Waddy , & c . The prieo is to be sixpence , and the nnrnber will be ready on 8 th December .

" Heath ' s Fern Portfolio" is the general title of a series of life-size reproductions of ferns in which the author of the " Fern World " will give what has never before been attempted , namely , absolute facsimiles , in form , colour , and venation , of these beautiful plants , together with letter-press descriptions on the samo plates . Mr . Heath ' s new serial will be published monthly by Messrs . Sampson Low , Marston and Co .