Presentation To Bro. J. M. Mcleod, P.G.S.B.

The CHAIRMAN then gave "The Health of Bro . James Stephens , " referring in very kindly terms to the services rendered by Bro . Stephens in connection with the testimonial , and congratulating him or , his appointment to office in Grand Chapter . Bro . J AMES STEPHENS , in response , said that had a committee been formed

and the brethren generally been asked to assist , they could doubtless have filled ( he Albert Hall , for there was no brother in the Craft more beloved than Bro . McLeod . He was grateful for the kind remarks made about himself and his appointment to Grand Chapter . He asked them to consent that any balance remaining in hand should be subscribed to the Miss Davis Testimonial Fund . During the evening an excellent selection of music was rendered by Miss Emily Foxcroft , Miss Ethel Winn , and Bro . H . Prenton .

Ladies' Night At The Columbia Lodge, No. 2397.

LADIES' NIGHT AT THE COLUMBIA LODGE , No . 2397 .

Monday , April 27 th , was a red letter day in the history of this vigorous lodge , which under the able rule of Bro . EHas Jessurun , its W . M ., held its first ladies ' meeting on that date . The lodge met at the Cafe Royal at 5 o ' clock for the purpose of passing Bro . J . B . Birkbeck , and the lodge being closed , the brethren immediately adjourned to the noble drawing-room of that establishment , where the W . M . and Wardens held a reception , which was attended by about sixty

members and guests . Among the guests the wives and daughters of most of the married members of the lodge were to be found , but there was also a sprinkling of ladies who will , no doubt , at some future date , appear again at a similar function , having in the meantime led some of the bachelor members under the gentle yoke of matrimony . Among the brethren present were : Bros . E . jessurun , W . M . ; H . S . Wellcome , P . M . ; F . C . Van Dazer , S . W . ; Col . F . W . Frigout , J . W . ; J . B . Gumming , Treas . ; W . J . Spratling , Sec . ; R . Newton Crane , I . G . ;

R . Clay Sudlow , P . G . Std . Br ., D . C ; Harry Phillips , Musical Director ; W . S . Penley , Org . ; W . H . Toone , Assist . D . C ; B . Franklin Stevens , Arthur W . Chapman ; W . G . Lemon , P . A . G . D . C ; Lawrence Stevens , J . B . Birkbeck , Col . G . Howes of U . S . A . ; j . Cooper , 3 ; J . C . Low , 3 ; J . Harrison , 2485 ; W . Beard , IOIJ W . Chapman , A . G . D . C , 2485 ; Lionel Harris , 2485 ; A . Oliver , 2265 ; A . O . Frigout , 2171 ; J . Drysdale , 263 ; C Beitram , 1614 ; H . Birkbeck , 534 ; J . H . Gretton , 108 ; W . Forster , 231 ; Dr . Murray Leslie , 1382 ; W . Marsham Rae , 1150 ; Bertram Phillips , F . A . H . Terrell , and Franklin Clive , 1319 .

When we state that the Committee for making the necessary arrangements comprised the W . M ., Bros . H . S . Wellcome , R . Newton Crane , and Harry Phillips , that Bro . R . Clay Sudlow and W . H . Toone are the D . Cs . of the lodge , and that Bro . Spratling is the Secretary , we have said enough to enable all who know these brethren to predict that with the resources of the Cafe Royal at their disposal , the celebration would be , as it was , an entire success , and the evening a most agreeable one .

After the banquet , the usual non-Masonic toasts were given , the W . M . proposed " Her Majesty the Queen , " and Bro . R . C . SUDLOW , P . G . Std . Br ., "The President of the United States . " The toast of " The Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M ., " was entrusted to Bro . R . NEWTON CRANE , who , in a graceful and humorous speech , alluded to the immense progress Masonry had made under the genial and efficient rule of his Royal Highness .

Bro . W . G . LEMON , P . A . G . D . C , responded for " The Grand Officers , " and Bro . W . E . CHAPMAN , A . G . D . C , for "The Visitois , " But the speech of the evening was that of Miss FLORENCE HAYWARD , who replied for " The Ladies , " in response to the invitation of Bro . Harry Phillips , She said : It is a truly remarkable state of affairs when men ask a woman to talk , but I do not think it more remarkable than it is for the woman to wonder whether

or not she is going to be able to do it , to doubt whether she will be equal to tak . ing full advantage of the kindest hospitality that , under these circumstances , has ever been offered to one of her sex . Why you should want her to talk is a mystery ; the only approach to an explanation is afforded by a somewhat parallel case in Chicago . Chicago is a town where they hold World's Fairs and do a great deal of pork packing . These pork-packing establishments are immense

establishments , conducted on strictly scientific principles , the machinery used is , perhaps , ' . he most wonderful that has ever been invented . You can see them put in a pig at one end of this machinery—a live , squealing pig—and presently out at the other end come , not only hams and bacon , and pork , and sausages , but bristles , already made into brushes , and pig skin already made into saddles . Everthing is utilised , nothing is wasted ; it is the boast of the pork-pickers that they turn

everything about the pig to some account , except the squeal , and they assure you 'hat if it had any value they would save it , too . Now . it occurred to me that the 'oast Committee appointed to arrange tor ( his dinner had heard of the Chicago methods , and had determined to improve upon them . In getting a woman to 'alk , they were endeavouring to utilise the « queal . For my own part , I tbink it is rather a mistake to have taken advantage of the opportunity

) ou have offered us , for there is no telling what it may not eventually lead to . Not that I fear the results of talking , but I do draw the logical consequences that are sure to follow upon women proving that they have in any way enlarged upon their capabilities . In America—I must talk about America , for I don't know anything else—the negroes have the greatest respect ¦ 'nd admiration for monkeys . They consider them by far the cleverest of all

animals ; indeed , they have no hesitation in saying that monkeys have proved themselves wiser and cleverer than the negroes themselves , and to convince you ° f it they will tell you this : That monkeys can talk , but that nothing will induce ^ nem to do it , for they know that if they do white people will make them work , Jist as they did the negroes . I leave it to you—don ' t you think it would be a Tstake for women to do what would bring about a condition of affairs with regard

to themselves that monkeys have successfully avoided by holding their tongues ? "id there is another consideration . Even granting that women ' s talking in Public is not a mistake on our part , I do not believe that the public is ready for the entire change , the essential difference that would surely be found to exist 'ctween what a man and a woman would say under a given set of circumstances . 'pi . ~ .. ^ . . . . w ....... . . ~ .. j „^ .. „ .. — — „ . — .. . . . 1

nis essential difference is of a nature that I find it difficult to allude to in terms "at shall be sufficiently plain , and yet that will not give offence to the SEX that " i until now , done all the speech-making . Perhaps I can best convey my "leaning by leminding you that among women telling the truth is such a matter j ? ' course that Sapphira stands solitaVy and alone as the one authenticated leinalc fibber of history ; while , on the other hand , a diligent search

Ladies' Night At The Columbia Lodge, No. 2397.

of all available chronicles , ancient or modern , sacred or profane , historical or mythical , yields just one authenticated case of a man who could not tell a lie . It does seem significant , does it not , that Sapphira should be as much of a rara avis among women , as George Washington among men 'i Facts seem to speak for themselves when a man's telling the truth mikes him as noted a character in history as the woman who did not adhere to it . And I am sure you anticipite the inference to be drawn from these facts , that is , that after listening all these

bygone years to speeches from the sex that has never achieved but one Gaorge Washington , the public would not know now to receive statements from the sex that has never produced but one Sapphira , who , by the way , was the wife of Ananias , that gentleman with a somewhat well-known record of his own . 1 am sure that one-half of the members of this lodge must be proud to reflect that George Washington , this one , single , solitary man in the whole world who could not tell a lie , was practically an Englishman . I am also sure that the rest of the

members of the lodge will take an equal pride in pointing out the fact that while he may have been an Englishman , he never amounted to much of a success until he stopped being an Englishman and turned himself into an American . But whether we women are a success or not at it , I assure you that if we ever get this matter of speech-making into our own hands we will never give it up ; I warn you that if we ever have the faintest chance we will drive you out of the talking profession . Indeed , I believe that to warn you now would be to warn you too

late , I ' m afraid that the thin edge of the wedge has already been inserted . You may go on for a while thinking that nothing is changed , that everything is as it always has been , but I believe that you are already in the condition of a turtle that I once saw . It was a turtle we had caught while we were out fishing , and we brought it home and told the cook to make soup of it . Of course , the first thing she did was to cut its head off . If you know anything of turtles , you know that this one , after the fashion of its kind , went on walking around the kitchen floor , precisely as if

nothing had happened to him . There was his head on the table , and the rest of him promenading about the floor as if nothing had occurred . Old Sally watched him , at first with astonishment , then with compassion , finally with contempt , and said •. " Just look at that fool turtle ; he is deid , and he don ' t know it . " The only consolation we can offer to you other turtles is that , when you are dead , when we have ousted you from all the professions that require fluency of speech as an essential element of success , we will show you the same care and consideration

that you have heretofore shown us ; indeed , if it is possible we will do even more . I cannot say just what this will be , in either politics or religion ; religion is such an uncertain matter nowadays , and you cannot count even upon a woman when it comes to politics . But in the law you can feel eminently safe in our hands . When we are the judges and the lawyers , and some poor , down-trodden , ill-used , miserable man comes to us praying for a divorce , we will give it to him , always with large alimony and the restoration of his maiden name . All this time there

are , I am sure , some who are wondering what all this has to do with the subject of the toast proposed by Mr . Phillips . It has nothing to do with it . I took great care that it should not have anything to do with it , and for this I had two reasons . The first was that I was following illustrious precedent . I believe that the very best after-dinner speakers keep as far as possible from their nominal subjects ; they say it gives them more scope ; I know that Mr . Chauncy Deyson , and Mr . Wellcome , and Mr . Crane invariably avoid , with particular care , any mention of

the supposed subjects of their toasts , and they are all considered rather good talkers , even if they are men . And , in the second place , I felt that it would seem like presumption on my part if I were to say anything that might look as if I considered myself capable of expressing in a representative way the opinions and sentiments of the other women here . As a new comer to London and an American , I have not the right , however much I may have the wish , to consider myself entirely one , either with my English kinswomen—if I may CJ . 11 them soor with American women who have lived here for any length of time . But 1 feel

entirely safe in saying this—that we appreciate far more than you hive any idea of the hospitality you have so generously extended to us to-night . I have , personally , no sympathy with the political agitators of my sex , nor do I aspire to enroll myself amongst those of my sex who envy your sex . But if I had ever entertained such rebellious ideas , I would have surrendered them this evening . You have voluntarily , and with the utmost freedom , extended to us that mutually ennobling companionship—the companionship of good men with good women . When we have such rights as these , what more can any woaian ask ? In the name of the ladies , I thank you for them .

An entertainment by the Sweet Singers , the Columbian Quartette , the clever sleight-of-hand tricks of Bro . Bertram , the guest cf Bro . W . S . Penley , the wellknown ability of Bro . Franklin Clive , and the assistance of several talented lad y guests amused and edified the audience until the hands of the clock pointing dangerously near to the hour which divided the 27 th ult . from the 28 th , brought to a close a festival which every one thoroughly enjoyed , and which it is hoped may be repeated in 1897 .

The Retirement Of Miss Davis.

THE RETIREMENT OF MISS DAVIS .

We have much pleasure in publishing the following letter which is beulg extensively circulated—but non-officially—among the friends and supporters of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls : " Dear Sir and Brother , In view of the retirement at Midsummer of Miss Davis from the past of

Head Governess of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , which she will then have occupied so honourably and successfully for the very long period of 35 years , it is proposed in addition to such retiring allowance as the General Court may decide on , tc present her with a ' Purse , ' as a testimonia . 1 ot the esteem in which the valuable services she has rendered are held .

Contributions ( which it is suggested should in no individual case exceed a guinea ) will be gladly received , between now and Midsummer Day , by any member of the House Committee , or by the Secretary , No . 5 , Freemisons' Hill , W . C . "

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Stirlingshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF STIRLINGSHIRE .

The Quarterly Communication of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held in the Masonic Hall , Falkirk , on Tuesday night , the 28 th ult . Bro . ex . Provost Christie , Prov . Gr . ind Master , presided , and was supported by Bro . Wm . Black , P . G . M . depute , and other office-bearers of Provincial Grand Lodge . The minutes of the last Quarterly Communication were read and adopted . There was submitted an application by Lodge Killearn , 780 , that that lodge be allowed to meet at Balfron and occasionally at Killearn and Bucklyvie .

A motion was made that the application be granted , but this was met by an amendment that the application be refused . After some discussion it was ultimately agreed that the matter be remitted to the Provincial Grand Committee for inquiry , and to report to next Quarterly Communication . Some busir . ess of a loutine character having been disposed of , t ' 12 loige was duly closed .