Ancient Masonic Apron.

ANCIENT MASONIC APRON .

C . L . BLAKESLEE , of Union , is the possessor of two family keepsakes which any man might well be proud to own . One is a Masonic jewel , insignia of the M . M . degree , conferred upon his father , Levi Blakeslee , by Otsego Lodge ,

in New York , over 100 years' ago , on 3 rd December 1800 . The other is a white satin apron with yellow border , which must have been presented the elder Blakeslee even at an earlier date . These articles have been well preserved , and possess rare value , owing to their antiquity .

Mr . Blakeslee has still another valuable keepsake in the shape of a 50 cent bill issued by his father ' s firm in 1816 , and payable at either of his places of business . One of the stores was located at Sherburn , another at Lisle and the other at New Berlin . Mr . Blakeslee has made numberless

in-1 imini ml quiries regarding the Masonic apron , but so far his efforts have proved futile . Whether the Lodge that issued it is in existence to-day or not cannot be ascertained . One thing is certain , the elder Blakeslee was a Past Master and a charter member when Ostego Lodge was founded , 101 years ago . — " Oregonian . "

Books Of The Day.

BOOKS OF THE DAY .

— : o : — Books , Music , & c . intended for review , should be addressed to the Editor of the Freemason ' s Chronicle , at Fleet Works , New Barnet , The Eternal City . By Hall Caine ( 6 s ) . —William Heinemann .

- . THE printing of 100 , 000 copies for the first issue of a six shilling novel is a compliment only bestowed by the publisher on truly renowned writers . Of such writers Mr . Hall Caine is , at the moment , perhaps the head . And yet the volume before us—powerful as it is , and written from the heart as well as with head and

hand—is hardly of sufficient merit to be helpful in the sustaining of so great a reputation . That many passages are eloquent , many descriptions carefully wrought , many scenes truly dramatic and of surpassing interest , is by many taken for granted before the pages of " The Eternal City " are perused , and , on the whole , -it is fair to

say that such anticipations are fully justified . But , as we read this story of Rome and of the Pope , of David Leone , and of Roma Rbselli , we can but feel that the very earnestness of purpose which sometimes goes so fair to render the work of Mr . Hall Caine of a high order is in the present instance more hindrance than help . If

the author of " The Eternal City" had hoped to make a serious contribution to the philosophy of history we fear his work must be pronounced a failure ; a series of essays and studies of his own impressions of Roman life and characters would have suited his purpose far better . But he has succeeded sufficiently to mar his

novel as a . fiction pure and simple , and readers who will carefully reconsider the splendid success achieved in "Romola" will understand the justice of our strictures . At the same time , it goes without saying that Mr . Hall Caine has written a book which all may read with profit , iand which , very possibly , few living writers could have

written quite so well . We are somewhat of the opinion—and in this respect we do not stand alone—that a lifetime is hardly sufficient for the true understanding of those complex problems suggested by the very name of Rome . Perhaps Mr . Hall Caine , to whom we are all

indebted for severail excellent novels , may try his hand again on some aspects of this vast subject , and may do so with greater success . "' Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished . " By the courtesy of Mr . Heinemann we- are able to print a likeness of this celebrated author , whose reputation is European :

Groat Men . B y Harold Begbie . Illustrated by F . Carruthers Gould . —Grant Richards . " GREAT MEN " wrote Lord Byron " v / exe living before Agamem-

Books Of The Day.

non , and since , exceeding valourous and sage . " We should have supposed that the men who figure in these excellent caricatures by Mr . F . C . Gould were great enough , in the ordinary sense of the word , to have inspired better verses than are to be found in this brochure . The illustrations have amused us so much that we are sorry to quarrel with the poet ; but when a book is well illustrated

it is very necessary that the text should be of commensurate merit . Mr . Begbie can hardly be acquainted with the best 'examples of Hudibnastic verse , for we have searched in vain for those rapier-like thrusts , those merry quips and that ready diction without which such verse is sorry stuff indeed . He should read Churchill . The verses on Cecil Rhodes and John Morley are perhaps the worst ;

for , although Mr . Begbie has very properly warned us that in such poetry one does not always say what one means , it is clear that in this case the bard neither understands the " uncrowned King " nor appreciates " the Doctrinaire . " But perhaps we are taking both artist and bard too seriously , iand it is time for us to say that those

who buy this book as a present for a child will find that they have spent their money wisely . The drawing of Mr . Balfour as "King Arthur , " with its mixture of mediajvalism and modernity , is admirably executed ; whilst Lord Rosebery , as Napoleon on a rocking horse , will evoke the mirth of the nursery or the playground . The book should suit the temper of the times .

BOOKS RECEIVED . De Omnibus . By the Conductor—Barry Pain —( paper is , cloth 2 s ) . —T . Fisher tlnwin . Paul Ferroll . By Mrs . Archer Clive . A new edition ( 3 s 6 d ) . — Chatto and Winclus .

Why Paul Ferroll killed his wife . B y Mrs . Archer Clive . A new edition ( 3 s 6 d ) . —Chatto and Windus . Annals of the Grand Lodge of Iowa Ancient Free and Accepted Masons . Vol . xvii ., Part ii ., 1901 . Sir Hector . The Story of a Scots gentleman . By Robert Machray ( 6 s ) . —Archibald Constable and Co ., Limited . The Skipper of Barncraigr . By Gabriel Setoun ( 6 s ) . — Archibald Constable and Co ., Limited .

The Case for the Factory Acts . Edited by Mrs . Sidney Webb . With a preface bv Mrs . Humphrey Ward ( 2 s 6 d ) . —Grant Richards . The Skirts of Happy Chance . Being some adventures of Francis , second son of the late Marquess of Auriol . B y H . B . Marriott Watson ( 6 s ) . —Methuen and Co . An Episode on a Desert Island . B y the author of " Miss Molly " ( 2 s 6 d net ) . —John Murray .

Ad00504

SPIERS . PONIh STORES ( No Tickets Required ) QUEEN VICTORIA STREET , E . G ., Opposite Blackfriars Station ( District Rly . ) AND St . Paul ' s Station ( L . C . & D . Rly . ) . PRICE BOOK ( 1 , 000 pages ) , illustrated , free on application . FREE DELIVERY IN SUBURBS Jbj / our ovQn Vans . Liberal terms for Country Orders . FOR FUIili DETAILS SEE PRICE BOOK .