This Grand Edifice.

measure the real internal man , and as such meet him f . s a man endowed with the high qualities of soul that God ;/ : u * e him at his birth . As we look upon this grand edifice , as we wander

through all her apartments , as wo see her beauties ami ho * love , do we wonder that we love our Order , not for hi-rngr but for her inherent virtues ? Would the right mi-uloil tear away a pinnacle or demolish a tower ? Wonld he

blight a picture in her galleries or mar tho beauty o lici altar ? No ! but rather would ho say , go on in your grand work . Let your organ peal forth grander tones of

harmonious music . Lot your love shine with greater brightness , and let your mercy reach forth her hands to a grander work .

Ah ! brother , let us cling to the beautiful tenets of the Order . Let us learn more of her truths and bo hotter , and then in meeting in the Grand Lodo-e on hi

shall listen to the chorus of the angels sung as the glad welcome to the coming millions redeemed from the power of sin . —Voice of Masonry .

A Romance Of Life; Or, The Echo Of The Bells.

A ROMANCE OF LIFE ; OR , THE ECHO OF THE BELLS .

THE wind howled and whistled round the old tower of Clan Mficnois , and whirled tho snowflakes up into fantastic wreaths , that Christmas morning , when a little knot of strangers entered tho ancient and unkempt churchyard , evidently in search of an almost forgotten grave . Drearily the leafless boughs swayed to and fro ,

creaking and moaning in their weird uneasiness , and as tho stormclouds were hurried along by the gusts that swept over tho weary wastes the snow gathered in the window sills and between tho buttresses of the quaint old chnrch , the ivy clinging to its walls being the onlv sign of life or animation to be seen .

" It was somewhere hereabouts , quoth Mr . Rupovfc McGoo , as he buttoned his cloak still closer to his throat , " that tho poor old man was buried , after that terrible night in Athlone , as yon recollect

very well . ' " Yes , " replied Mr . Patrick Murphy ; it was , as you say , a terrible night , when tho row took place over tho stolen bells of the church Elise . "

Mr . Murphy was engaged to Alico McGee , a darksome beauty in Athlone , and her brother Rupert , who was now Patrick ' s companion , naturally wished to go thero in order that he mi ght have au introduction to his prospective brother-in-law .

He had therefore applied to a friend of his in Dublin , who had an interest in the Midland Great Western Railway in Ireland , for a pass , which having been procured , he set ont for Mr . Murph y ' s place of abade .

Bowing over the Shannon on snch a wild and an pry day was no pleasure , it may be assured , bnt Patrick always mado it religiously a pilgrimage on Christmas morning to visit tho grave of hia old father , who had met his death under somewhat mysterious

circumstances . And so the double purpose was served of welcoming the affianced of his sister Alice for the Christmas holidays , and of revisiting old scenes which were surrounded witb so many happy and painful associations .

Masonic Lodges in this quarter of tho globe wore then a vara avis , and very few of the brethren assembled , though some of them had to travel many miles across bog and marsh in order to reach tho rendezvous . It was a miserably stormy night as old McGee set out in his boat to cross the river for the little village in which the LocVe

was held , but in spite of all , he was the Master for the year , and could brook no , excuse for not meeting his brethren and neighbours at the appointed hour . The journey was safely accomplished , though not without risk , and the old boatmen seemed to realize to the full their superstitious

dread of the ringing ont of the old bells which had been stolen from the church , and which were said to clang out on the air always on Christmas night , mingled with the cries and execrations of the robbers who had met their fate in the waters of tho Shannon , where they and their sacrilegious booty were engulfed by n sudden storm .

The village hostelry was warm and light , as was its wont on " Lodge nights , " and after sundry interchanges of fraternal greeting the brethren filed into the snng bar parlour , where tho necessary fortification against cold and wet was promptly supplied by a genial host .

Bro . McGee was tbe most active and sedulous member of the Fraternity in these parts , and it was by his exertions mainly thafc the Shamrock Lodge had been kept from d ying of inanition . However , the few who came were of the right material , bright and

hearty , with souls in the good old cause , and the work went on briskly enough , especially at the supper which followed , and which was served in the rongh aud read y , though lavish , style for which our Hibernian host and his buxom spouse were proverbial .

There had been very little work on the " agenda , " if it could be so styled , and this little bad been rattled off with alacrity , so that the " boys " might have the pleasure of lingering for the longest ' jx'ssible time over the festivities of the fourth degree . The meal was of the most miscellaneous kind , but the joints wore

ponderous and admirably cooked , while the " praties" and other concomitants of the feast were well served up ; piping hot . Compli . mentsand congratulations flew across the table us thick : -r as truV ' ges in the summer air , and amidst the clinking of glasses and ' the sounds of mirth the hours passed pleasantly enough until the time came to separate .

A Romance Of Life; Or, The Echo Of The Bells.

In the conrse of the evening , onr Worship fnl Master , with the ready wit of his race , recounted how that ono day , when he was inspecting the big ch irehyard afc Olati Macrmi- - , the old hag whose p ¦ rcpiisite it was to " show v ' nit-tv * over fho place , " pointed out to him a crn .-s which sho UVMT-d poss-. vs d a charm . Oa inquiring a * to the peculiar natmo of thi-s t di-mian , sh" replied , with a sly twinkle

of fii ' ' eve , that it was ; . -upp > - (<(! to havo th >> faculty of delivering every woman of twins whose husband c aid spm tlio stoue . At which tho (•.. imoan . y laugho 1 heartih , and vu . ved that it . mi ght bo both curio-H and daV ^ -ren i to try such an experiment . . Further , the

li . qti . a . 'i . us I'ic . I-O ; M p . ' .-iutod oal iho be'fiy froai whkth tho bells had been stolen , seven yearn before , < ii : * ( 'In L--tm : ; s t'lve , and related how that foe robbers hi thoir retreat had been overtaken b y a sudden squall , puch as frequently occur .- ! on tho Shannon , aud how they and their plunder had been engulp hed in the black , augry flood .

"livery Christmas Eve . since then , " sho murmured , reverently crossing herself , " these bells are heard to peal mournfully above the roar oi the wind and tho rushing of tho tide , mingled with the ¦ . ¦ roam ; and shriek * of the wretched drowning men . "

" Were tho bells over recovered ? " we asked ; to which sho replied , "Oh ! yes , yer hononrs , and they ' re a hung in tho tower , yo . ador ; still on eacli Christmas Eve tho same sad clanging is heard , wafted over the waters of the Shannon , echoing iu doleful cadences the cheery pealing of tho tower bells . "

It , is unnecessary to pursue the loquacious dame a colloquy and the rambling accompaniments to her description of the old churchyard and its surroundings ; bat , returning to the subject of tho charmed stoue , she vaguely hinted that it hid yet one other peculiarity which , if we would maintain profound secrecy , she wonld reveal to us . We

of course promised on our Masonic honour ; and giving a hasty glance around to assure herself that " thoy varmints the Excise officers , " were not on the alert , sho proceeded to the stone , from an aperture behind which sho produced a little of the " rale craytur , " bidding us taste the " very best whisky in all Erin , he . lad ! "

We had been long away from home , and were at least seven miles from Athlone , our next resting-place , so that tho proffered refreshment came in most handily ; and as we pledged tho old lady ' s health , and mado her eyes twinkle with delight by placing half-acro ' . rn in each palm , she became assured of her secret of tho illicit

still and the hiding-place of fche "craytur" being kept a secret from the ¦ '* varmints" of the Excise . With tongue loosened by a portion of the whisky sho had so snrreptionsly produced , sho proceeded to point out to ns the Castle

hard by , which now belonged to the bravest man and fairest lad y in fche land . Bedad ! yer honour , it was when tho young Master Connor , whose father owned yon castle , came home from Italy wi ; h his lovel y bride , and when tho ould'Squiro declared that if he had married during his absence he should be disinherited , young Connor placed the fair young dove in yonder cot on Osborne Island opposite , where

she remained four years , until the old man ' s death . At night tho dear fellow would row across the river , to visit and solace his charming colleen ; but after the cWth of the old squire he took possession of the castle and estates , and the little chalet ; on the island has since been set apart as a kind of maison O . e reste , where travellers and adventurers may call and obtain refreshment and retirement in the

middle of their inurneyings . Ah ! yer honours , aud its wonderful how the place is appreciated . After refection the weary ones can draw out couches from tho walls , like you might do drawers from a bureau , on which they repose with avcrv comfort ; and it is must peculiar that in the whole course of

years the place has thus been at the disposal of strangers nob a single article has been stolen from the house . " Tho young 'Squire , sho continued , had a brother , a captain of militia in Muilingar , who was annoyed ab the marriage , as it destroyed what little hope he might havo cherished of inheriting the

estates . So enraged was he , and so vengeful , that he set fire to the Castle , after having done which he rushed across lhe rafters to the . tower , and having cut off all means of communication between himself and the blazing p ile , like Nero , he gazed gloatingly afc the mischief he had wrought . With a demoniacal smile he exulted in his

vengeance , and as the flames towered high into tho midnight air and cast their lurid g lare over the dark waters of the Shannon , the incendiary shouted to the winds in mad delight . As soon as the coriflagration had subsided an attempt was made to capture the wretched miscreant .

Instead of endeavouring to escape , however , the captain leaned over the battlements of the tower , and in accents such as madmen use , called coolly for a bottle of claret , in order that ho might drink snecess to his handiwork . "All right , captain , " replied the sergeant of constabulary , " if yon

lower the bag you have on the top of tho tower , we will put into it anything you require . " "I believe I can trust yon ! " roared the captain ; and having lowered his hag by means of ; i rope , the sergeant put into it three bottles of claret and some provisions , which were brought by his

sister-m-Iaw . The captain grinned sardonically as he hauled up his prize , and waving the police and stewards away , shrieked forth his supremacy over all he surveyed . Three days afterwards the constabulary , in order to secure the

lunatic , resorted to a slrategom , by placing a ladder to the tower , whilst others sought to effect an entrance by the door below . But the mai ' mau was too artful , for by hurling bricks from tho top of the tower upon each man who sot foot on tho ladder he effectuall y held the citadel from assault ou the outside . Tho sergeant and his men , however , succeeded iu effecting an

entrance from the basement , and ascending the rutrged staircase , reached the roof , to which access was gained by a trep door . The other police kept up a volley of blank cart ridges in order to attract his attention , and to cover tho advance of the sergeant , ; bub no sooner hnd the trap door been uplifted than the maniac drew his sword , and cleft the sergeant ' s hat iu twain with a desperate blow .