"Brother" Christmas.

" BROTHER" CHRISTMAS .

OLD "Father "Time once again introduces his " ancient friend , our venerable " Brother " Christmas . He pays his annual visit to the world at large , and shoulcl he no more heartily welcomed than

by members of the Masonic Craft . For although not a bodily presence , notwithstanding that if called upon to do so we should one and all portray his lineaments after the same fashion , his spirit and essence pervade the assemblies and homes of all true Freemasons . Qf all onr teachers of Masonic virtues

there is none who can approach our " Brother " Christmas , or exert that influence for good and holy deeds which accompany his spiritual presence . A place of honour , therefore , in all our Lodges for our venerable " Brother , " a Past Master in the

interpretation of our grand princrples , Fraternal Love , Relief , and Truth . An eager attention to all the teaching , silent though it be , with which he can and will imbue our minds , and lead us to the practice of all that we profess ! At his behest , and in his honour , let us hasten to make his visit profitable by a more than

ordinary observance of the precepts laid down for our guidance in Freemasonry . Let our "Brother " see that we mean what we say ; that we can understand and appreciate the injunctions of the " five points ; " that we do stretch forth the helping hand , and are swift on foot to execute benevolence ; that we do think of our brethren ' s welfare as our own , can be trusty and faithful to each other on all occasions , and ever ready and willing to support a brother's character when wrongfully traduced .

Let his cheerful face glow with even more than its wonted effulgence as he witnesses our practice of that charity which thinketh no evil ; that can , in his presence and impelled by his spirit , forgive the injuries of men and help us to blot them from recollection . Let his heart rejoice at the evidences of well-judged Benevolence and refined Mercy , which will soothe the unhappy , and add lustre to every pure Masonic action . In fine , let him have practical

experience during the season of his stay that we are earnest in upholding and maintaining each and all of those principles upon which our Order is based , and which are so associated with his world-wide reputation ; and that our boast is true that we demonstrate to the world in general that the term " Brother amongst Masons " is something more than

a name . So shall we assuredly receive , through the " still , small voice " of conscience , the meed of his apj ) robation of our " working ; " and when , after labour , he is with us during the hours of our refreshment , his magic influence will intensify the enjoyment of the good things of which we may partake , the social converse and pleasant harmony which may follow , and the warmth with which we . shall remember " all poor and distressed , wherever dispersed . " And when we

"Brother" Christmas.

" speed the parting guest , " may the influence of the gatherings which his spirit will have gladdened , remain green in onr memory , and animate our endeavours during the ensuing year ; that when he again returns there may be no occasion on the part of

any one of us to regret that the lessons he shall have taught have been despised . For the present he waits without , but a few hours hence the " report" will be given , and with a firm Masonic " grip " we shall receive him with a "WHtltamz,'$Uy0%r'€hxwtmm"

Under The Black Flag.

UNDER THE BLACK FLAG .

BY BRO . R . F . GOULD . MR . JOSIAH H . DRUMMOND'S letter to the Masonic Token , reprinted in tlie CHRONICLE of the

26 th November , reminds me very much of a certain class of affidavits , which , for the information of lay or non-legal reader ? , I will describe more particularly . These documents take the form of "I ( so and so ) make oath and

say , ' bufc in paragraphs where ifc is sought to insinuate what never happened , or to assail the reputation of the opposite party , the wording is altered to " I am informed and believe , " by which prudent modification the deponent avoids incurring the penalties for perjury .

Mr . Drummond ' s positive statements I now propose to deal with , bufc with regard to what he puts forward as having " good ground for believing and saying , " I challenge him to produce the authority on which he insinuates that " at an early day" my attention was called to the

advertisements of Yorston and Co ., and thafc I replied to the effect thafc , having sold the copyright , the matter did nofc concern me . As a simple matter of fact , the statement is

wholly untrue ; but this , by the way , as I think the actual correspondence between Mr . Drummond and myself will afford a better idea of the merits of the controversy than any amount of asseveration on lhe one side or the other .

On the 9 fch of July of this year I wrote Mr . Drummond , as follows : — " I observe iu the Liberal Freemason , for Jane last , the publication ia announced of my ' History of Freemasonry , ' by John 0 . Yorston and Co ., of New York , and the names of several eminent American

Brethren are given aa having assisted me . [ And the letter concludes ] I should like to know , before committing myself to print , whether this publishing firm consists of non-SIasons , or whether it is a kind of Syndicate , whereof any of the eminent Brethren named ( Carson , Parvin and yourself ) are members . "

To this I received a lengthy reply , dated 25 th July , marked " Confidential , " which greatly embarrassed me , as , I suppose , was intended . However , I again wrote to Mr . Drummond , 16 th August : — " I am obliged to you for yonr letter of 25 th July , but feel great

difficulty in replying , because the circumstance of an English author being ' looted' by an American publisher ia a matter of every-day occurrence , and my only complaint ia that , thrr ugh the aid of American Brethren , the piratical firm shonld have been assisted in

disposing of their booty . Your own name carries , and deserves to carry , great weight , but I think , and think strongly , you might have paid the author at least tho compliment of consulting , him before lending your considerable authority to the sale of Yorston ' s edition . Had there beon in existence an international copyright-law I could