Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS sp 7 Hoyal Masonic Institution tor Boys 3 ( 18 Roval Masonic Institution for Boys 370 Roval Masonic Institution for Girls 370 The Provincial Grand Lodge of Lincolnshire 371 Provincial Grand Chapter o £ Northumberland 37 i Roval Visit to Bradford 37 > C ORRESPONDENCEHouse Committee of the Girls School ... 37 . 1 The Lodge of Benevolence 372 Ancient and Accepted Rite—A Query ... 373 Arch Names 373 Admission of Visitors 373 Pure Water in Hotels 373 Reviews 373

Masonic Notes and Queries 373 RRI" , RTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 374 Instruction 375 Royal Arch 376 Ancient and Accepted Rite 37 6 Grand Lodge of New York 370 The Gold and Silver Wyrc Drawers' Company . * 376 The Theatres 377 Music 377 Science and Art 377 Masonic and General Tidings 378 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 379 Historical Calendar 3 * 0

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THE anniversary festival of the Boys' School took place on Wednesday , at the Royal Pavilion , Brighton , under the distinguished seasonable presidency of the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor , Sir H . W . ELLIS , our worthy and esteemed brother the J . G . W . of England . There were 266 Stewards ,

who returned the goodly amount of £ 11693 14 s . id . The fine weather and the attractions of " I . ondon-on-the-Sea " drew together a notable gathering , which was a very enjoyable one to all concerned . We shall call special

attention lo the returns next week , and rejoice to think that our Masonic Festivals still can so forcibly appeal to the sympathies and educe the liberal contributions of our excellent Craft .

* * THE recent proceedings at Bradford will have afforded much sincere pleasure to all English Freemasons , and not the least to our worthy and zealous brethren at Bradford . Both address and response were peculiarly happy

and appropriate , and our G . M . as usual , together with his amiable and charming consort , seems to have won all hearts and gained all suffrages . We call attention to text and context of the address and reply elsewhere . The opening of a technical , useful , and important exhibition in itself afforded

a fitting opportunity for another development of our Royal Grand Master s desire to aid in all movements leading to philanthropic blessings or intellectual culture , in which he so much always shines , and for which he deserves the thanks of all English and patriotic subjects .

* * OUR City Companies have been very important "factors" during the ages which have rolled on in maintaining and expanding the wholesome principle of municipal self-government , and fostering a

spirit alike of reasonable liberty , and yet of resolute order . We trust that in our era of somewhat hasty change and incongruous alterations , no rash hand will unseasonably tamper with ancient privileges or time-honoured rights , which have ever accompanied real beneficial action for

t he dignity and independencies of the most honoured and ancient of municipalities . Our Bro . KENNING presided as Master at the festival of one of the City Companies on Monday last , to which reference is made elsewhere , and was honoured by the presence of our distinguished Bro . the LORD

MAYOR , several members of the Court of Alderman , the Sheriffs , and many other brethren of the City Companies . Such a gathering under such auspices put us in mind of a portion of the Old Masonic Poem , in respect of the meeting of Craft Masons 500 years ago .

* * AT this time of the year Masonic work is at a discount , and recreation banquets are to the fore . Greenwich and Richmond , and many other sylvan retreats , receive pleasant companies of our worthy Brotherhood , in good

humour with themselves and one another , and anxious to please and be pleased . Whether it be the prospect of a fish dinner or dry champagne , whether it be the social gathering or the cheery jaunt , we always fancy , we may be wrong , that our good brethren , one and all , seem in a better

humour when the recreation banquet comes round . It may be hard work in lodge or stiff labour out of lodge ; it may be fluctuations at the Stock Exchange or vicissitudes at Lloyd ' s ; it may be domestic cares and sorrows or personal ailments ; it may be that unaccomodating wife of your bosom , or Amelia Jane , who will catch the " German Measles ; " but for all or any

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of these reasons during our " syllabus " of lodge work , during our Masonic " curriculum , " we all alike grow , we think , as we hinted before , a shade graver , a trifle thinner ; we speak more seriously and we look more anxiously But as the recreation banquet draws near , once again , like exulting

schoolboys , wc put by gladly our slates and our books and prepare for our welcome holidays . The W . M . is again smiling and serene ; . no more little hesitation ; no more trippings of the tongue ; no more amusingly nervous blunders for him . The TREASURER looks contented and comfortable , fot his balance

is on the right side ; the SECRETARY IS full of joyous greetings , foi now to his confidential circulars there comes even a temporary cessation . That indefatigable STEWARD talks with gratification of the " end of the seaion , " he means the Masonic season ) , and the " termination of his responsible , but most

agreeable duties , " ( the tag of a little after-dinner speech ) , while the officers and brethren are mutually trusting , confiding , and complaisant . And i . ow comes the outing . But here the discreet genius of Masonry bids us pause , arrests our pen , as into the hidden mysteries of the sublimest of degrees (?) ,

it is not for the uninitiated or the cowan to pry . Suffice it to say , that as they went down so they return home , agreeable and animated , full of anecdote and full of hilarity ; and of them as they bid each other farewell at friendly terminuses , the lines of the pleasant poet are still most true , in letter and spirit :

And some are gone home to their slumbers , And some are gone home to their wives ! * '" * NOTWITHSTANDING the unbefitting inuendo of that indiscreet poet , with

which our last leaderette concludes , ( we think he must have been a wretched and hopeless batchelor ) , we are glad to express our opinion once more that we think the ladies have just cause to complain of their exclusion from our Masonic recreation gatherings . Even the French Freemasons have their

" Maconnerie Blanche , " ( not that all the ladies are bound to wear white dresses ) , where the fair sisters are made pleasantly welcome , and enjoy " con amore , " yes , " uneaccoladefraternelle . " And somegood lodges in Londonand in the provinces have also been wise enough and far-seeing enough to introduce

so great an innovation , with vast personal pleasure to their gentle visitors and much improvement and good to themselves . For there is always something refining and elevating in the company and association of the " better part of creation . " Masonic banquets are sometimes a little heavy from formal

routine , and weary by incessant reiteration , while they are too often dominated by the somewhat dull and unmeaning formalities of years , until we can pretty nearly anticipate all that will be said , and discount the proceedings and outcome of the banquet itself . But ladies , like the flowers in the parterre , give

animation to the scene and lend enchantment to the view , and throw around the rougher habits and coarser tastes of man the softening and sublimer aspirations and sympathies of woman , —mostly ir . the right , always in " good form , " and quicker often to see the absurd and the baneful

than her assumed stronger proud director and protector man . We feel quite certain that new life and fresh interest mi ght be given to many a half-hearted , thinly attended recreation banquet if the ladies were invited to lend their bright smiles and exhibit their charming dresses , ( which

they would be nothing loath to do , unless dame Dame Rumour speaks untruly ) , to add pleasure to pleasure , and increase alike man's store of amusement and his sense of gratification . Some , we know , object to ladies presence on such occasions , but why we never could even affect to guess

There is , no doubt , a great prejudice still in some minds at female juxtaposition at a Masonic recreation banquet , but like other old world shadows and fads , it will , we hope , ere long fade away before a fuller development and manifestatation of Masonic manhood and Masonic common sense .

* * WE are . happy to note that the Hospital Fund for 1882 has already reached £ 30 , 000 in round numbers , a considerable increase on last year .

* * * BRO . DE KEYSER has been finall y admitted an alderman of the good City of London .