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Article THE CENTENARY ← Page 7 of 7
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The Centenary
—we saw and wondered — we heard and admired , and other senses being abundantly engaged , and the creature comforts inviting , we made up our minds to take the matter coolly after dinner . The after-dinner anticipations , however , have their antagonists , which met us so courageously in the shape of a dessert , and such capital wine , that we yielded , nothing loth , to the gentle but certain means which the stewards took to make our leasure greater than their profit . Thus it is that we have
p omitted to give to the several addresses of the Worshipful Master , the force and point that graced them ; and , in sober truth , when we bear in mind that his Lodge labours commenced at three o ' clock , banquet at seven , and his duties as Chairman were resumed at half-past eight , and did not finally terminate till twelve , we pause to reflect on his great and ceaseless exertion , and plead guilty to the impossibility of doing him justice .
Others there are , too , who should claim at our hands proportionate apology . First , Brother R . Lea Wilson ; did we not perceive how ably the Master must have been seconded by him ?—the designing , the planning of a Centenary meeting is no common affair , as well we know . Brother R . L , Wilson had the practical knowledge of the Centenary meetings of Grand Stewards' and the Peace and Harmony , and what he saw good in those cases , he no doubt advised and effected in the present . The
Committee , including Brother Leeks , the Brothers Vink , verily the " Brothers Cheryble , " only there are four , if not five of them , all contributed their quota of utility to the exchequer of public service ; nor was the humblest of the Unity Brethren wanting in his duty , —we marked him for our own . He lacketh not that master-key to the heart ; a secret preference for those whom he esteemeth , and the plate of oranges , and another of sweeties , with which he tempted our mouth , and our tongue of good
report at the same time , reminded us that a friend in need is a friend indeed ; it brought to mind the English cantatrice , who sent a huge pie to a noble Westminster schoolboy , and received in reply , some lines concluding thus : —•
And when at a school-boy you level your dart , Mind the way to the stomach ' s the way to the heart . THE CONCERT . This part of the arrangement was , without exception , unique . The selection of Brother Blewitt to conduct it , marked equally the good sense tis good taste of the committee . There was no pretence—it was effect ,
good and true . Blewitt led , and occasionally sang ; Morgan rattled over an Irish hodge-podge with comic humour ; Ransford sang some songs with all the power his grand and noble voice could display . Stanbuiy ' s " Lads of the Village" was sweetly effective , and the glees and chorusses , by T . Young , Collyer , Ford , and Turner , became musical treats . In tbe east , " may you live a thousand years , " is a salutation ; to see the next Centenary of the Lodge of Unity would satisfy us . There is no mistake in Masonry—Floreat—finis coronat opus .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Centenary
—we saw and wondered — we heard and admired , and other senses being abundantly engaged , and the creature comforts inviting , we made up our minds to take the matter coolly after dinner . The after-dinner anticipations , however , have their antagonists , which met us so courageously in the shape of a dessert , and such capital wine , that we yielded , nothing loth , to the gentle but certain means which the stewards took to make our leasure greater than their profit . Thus it is that we have
p omitted to give to the several addresses of the Worshipful Master , the force and point that graced them ; and , in sober truth , when we bear in mind that his Lodge labours commenced at three o ' clock , banquet at seven , and his duties as Chairman were resumed at half-past eight , and did not finally terminate till twelve , we pause to reflect on his great and ceaseless exertion , and plead guilty to the impossibility of doing him justice .
Others there are , too , who should claim at our hands proportionate apology . First , Brother R . Lea Wilson ; did we not perceive how ably the Master must have been seconded by him ?—the designing , the planning of a Centenary meeting is no common affair , as well we know . Brother R . L , Wilson had the practical knowledge of the Centenary meetings of Grand Stewards' and the Peace and Harmony , and what he saw good in those cases , he no doubt advised and effected in the present . The
Committee , including Brother Leeks , the Brothers Vink , verily the " Brothers Cheryble , " only there are four , if not five of them , all contributed their quota of utility to the exchequer of public service ; nor was the humblest of the Unity Brethren wanting in his duty , —we marked him for our own . He lacketh not that master-key to the heart ; a secret preference for those whom he esteemeth , and the plate of oranges , and another of sweeties , with which he tempted our mouth , and our tongue of good
report at the same time , reminded us that a friend in need is a friend indeed ; it brought to mind the English cantatrice , who sent a huge pie to a noble Westminster schoolboy , and received in reply , some lines concluding thus : —•
And when at a school-boy you level your dart , Mind the way to the stomach ' s the way to the heart . THE CONCERT . This part of the arrangement was , without exception , unique . The selection of Brother Blewitt to conduct it , marked equally the good sense tis good taste of the committee . There was no pretence—it was effect ,
good and true . Blewitt led , and occasionally sang ; Morgan rattled over an Irish hodge-podge with comic humour ; Ransford sang some songs with all the power his grand and noble voice could display . Stanbuiy ' s " Lads of the Village" was sweetly effective , and the glees and chorusses , by T . Young , Collyer , Ford , and Turner , became musical treats . In tbe east , " may you live a thousand years , " is a salutation ; to see the next Centenary of the Lodge of Unity would satisfy us . There is no mistake in Masonry—Floreat—finis coronat opus .