Correspondence.

meeting they had not a Grand Secretary present j Colonel Shadwell Clerke had died , and his successor had not been appointed . That night , however , they had his successor , Bro . Letchworth , with them . The Earl of Euston , replying , regretted that between dentists and lawyers he had been unable to be present at the ceremony of the installation . He was only too pleased to be present before the day ' s proceedings were over . He

was speaking the feelings of all the Grand Officers when he said they were always ready to do anything they could to assist in the advancement and prosperity of Masonry in general , not only in England , but all over the world , and not alone , for the friendly and kind feelings promoted by the Order , but on account of the enormous Charities practised by Masons all the world over . Masons ought to be proud of belonging to the Order , and he was sure the

Savage Club Lodge would always be ready to support all the great principles of the Craft . Sir Somers Vine , P . G . D ., in proposing "TheW . M ., " said that toast appealed to the hearty obligations and warmest sympathies of the brethren . Those obligations and those sympathies alike had their basis in the fact of the brethren ' s unanimous choice of their esteemed Bro . W . J . Fisher to occupy the chair of that lodge for the

ensuing year . He was proud to say on previous occasions of a character similar to that he had found it difficult to utter in the presence of a man all that one would like to say , and what was in his heart and mind to express . He would , however , not hesitate in saying to the brethren of the Savage Club Lodge that he felt perfectly satisfied that a brother so courteous in his general demeanour , so painstaking in all his duties , and so earnestly devoted to the

principles of Freemasonry , could not possibly do otherwise than achieve the most absolute success . He scarcely thought it was necessary to remind Bro . Fisher that he had succeeded to " a goodly heritage . " Whether they had regard to the personal qualities of the members of the lodge , to its numbers or to its finance , he ventured to prophecy that Bro . Fisher would have during the coming year to rule a very lightly-balanced and most genial

gathering . On the part of the lodge , he could say to him that in doing honour to him they were doing honour to themselves j they had chosen a brother who had advanced stage by stage to every position in the lodge , which was necessary and essential for the Master—not only to know , but also to be able to instruct those over whom he had to rule and guide . Bro . Fisher had a record to maintain , which he would maintain with all the dignity and lustre which were expected by the brethren of the Craft which it was his hearty desire to

adorn . The Worshipful Master , in reply , said he could wish that the duty of responding to that toast so eloquently proposed could have devolved upon some one else , for he felt it quite idle to give in fitting words his appreciation of the eulogistic words which had fallen from Sir Somers Vine . Moreover , at the present time he was haunted by the vision that he had done nothing , or but little , to deserve what had been said of

him . How it would be in the future , that future , of course , must decide j "the proof of the pudding , " as the proverb had it , " is in the eating , " and they had to watch him before they pronounced him satisfactory . At the present—if he continued this culinary simile—he was a newly-made pudding ; he was not cooked , and his aspirations were bounded by the fear that they might find him , to use a somewhat American form of speech , not in touch with them . He

cherished the hope with a certain amount of confidence that he might be able to stand at that table next year and feel he might piide himself—and it would be a source of great pride—that having discharged the duties of the high position they had delegated to his keeping with the same skill and aptitude that had been shown by his predecessors in the lodge . That his zeal to that end would not be wanting they who knew him well would believe , and he trusted when they

did meet that time next year , and at that table—as by God's Providence he hoped he should—it would be with the conviction that the brethren ' s choice of a Master had been a wise one , and also with the conviction that he had done his duty to the brethren , and with credit to the Craft and himself . Those were the poor and halting words he gave them for the eloquent words of Bro . Sir Somers Vine . But there were times when the heart was almost too full for

the tongue to give adequate expressions to one ' s feelings . If it was in his power they knew he would struggle to pass on the lustre to which he had succeeded in the same bright and lustrous form he had received it . The Worshipful Master next gave "The I . P . M ., Bra W . J . Ebbetts , " and presented him with a handsome Past Master ' s jewel , which he said was but an inadequate out ' ward expression of their gratitude for the services Bro ,

Ebbetts had performed to the lodge . 1 he brethren who had attended the lodge meetings during the year knew how admirably Bro . Ebbetts had performed the ceremonies . He was first among equals . It was not only a knowledge of the ritual of Freemasonry that was demanded of a Master j he must be more than a good worker ; he must know the business and affairs of the lodge if it was to run smoothly along , and ii he was to leave the lodge with a high and

enduring reputation ; he must have a profound knowledge of Freemasonry , and possess in an exceptional degree the Suavita in modo , Bro . Ebbetts had fallen short in none of these particulars . Thanks to his year of office , the lodge was still improving , and their course had been entirely unruffled . The W . M . then affixed the jewel to Bro . Ebbett's collar . Bro . Ebbetts , I . P . M ., in reply , said he need not assure

the brethren he should esteem the jewel as one of the most valuable he possessed , for it was impossible for him to look upon it without calling to mind the very pleasant year of office he had spent . His year of office had not been very eventful or exciting ; there had been no great amount of work to do , but such as there had been to do he had done it to the best of his skill and ability . He was glad to think that his efforts had met with the brethren ' s approval . In leaving the chair , he could only assure the brethren of the

Savage Club Lodge he should not leave his interest in the lodge behind him . He should attend regularly the meetings in the future as he had done in the past . He had attended all the meetings since the consecration . He should take a leaf out of his predecessor's book . He concluded by thanking the officers of the lodge for the assistance they had given him . Bro . Will . E . Chapman , P . M ., D . C , proposed "The Visitors , " to whom he offered a cordial and fraternal welcome . After enumerating the visitors , and calling attention to the fact that Bro . J . C . Remington , P . D . G . M . of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales , was present , he

Correspondence.

said he remembered when he was in Sydney a friend of his invited him to visit his lodge . He went , and enjoyed true Australian hospitality . A day or two afterwards he met the District Grand Secretary , and mentioned to him naturally the delightful evening he had spent in the lodge . He should never forget the look on the District Grand Secretary ' s face . "You went to that lodge , " he said ; " why you should know that they are working under the

warrant of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales ; they are a clandestine body , and you are violating your obligation . " Good heavens , he thought , how the violation of his obligation rose up before him , and the penalty he was to suffer . But afterwards , when he came to visit the genuine bona fide lodges , he used to sit and shudder when he saw initiates come in , lest ihey should visit lodges of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales . Since then all that

had changed , and New South Wales had a large and influential Grand Lodge , which was recognised by the Grand Lodge of England , and had a large and multiplying progeny of useful lodges , so that that night the lodge was guilty of no crime in entertaining Bro . Remington , the D . P . G . M . of New South Wales . Shakespeare had made the Archbishop of Canterbury somewhere speak of "The singing masons building roofs of gold . " The brethren

were that night Masons building roofs of brotherly love and friendship , roofs of brotherhood extending from sea to sea , so that a Mason might wander where he liked , and there were friendly hands to grasp him , and bid him welcome in true Masonic hospitality and friendship . Bro . J . C Remington replied , and said he had received during his stay with the mother of Freemasonry the most hearty welcome and the most cordial greeting from the

brethren of many lodges . The present meeting he looked upon as unique . The worshipful brother who had proposed this toast had alluded in a kindly and friternal way to a state of things long passed away in New South Wales . In times past he was—and always had been for 17 years—a loyal member of the Grand Lodge of England . When the Grand Lodge of New South Wales was started the late illustrious Bro . the Earl of Carnarvon , and Lord Carrington

were instrumental in getting the Grand Lodge of New South Wales recognised which combined the lodges ot England , Scotland , and Ireland over there . Unseemly discussions were thereby terminated . In New South Wales and in Australia they did not want to be considered secondrate Englishmen or as a troublesome offshoot to whom might be said " loose the bond and go ; " they did not want that , and until it was heard from this side it would not be

heard from the Australian side of the water . Freemasonry had sounded the keynote , and the Grand Lodge of New South Wales would be pleased when they heard of the cordial reception the Savage Club Lodge had given him that night . Over there they were part and parcel of this great Empire , although at such a distance from the seat of government . He thought that sentiment ought to be more widely cultivated . It was a great thing to be able to say Civis Romauus

sum . He himself was a citizen of the British Empire . If there was a different feeling abroad it was not for the good of the empire . Loyalty to the Crown and love to the old empire was the principle shared with the brethren in the distant Colonies , and that was the true feeling of brotherhood in the Dependencies . That was the last evening he would

spend in England , but for many years to come it would remain pleasantly in his memory . Bro . Col . Money , C . B ., also replied . Bro . Catling , P . M ., Treas ., responded to the toast of " The Past Masters ; " the S . W . replied to the toast of " The Officers j " and Bro . Swan gave the Tyler ' s toast , which closed a most successful and delightful evening .

Scots Lodge ( No . 2319 ) . —THE BURNS A . NNIVKKSAKY . —The regular meeting of this lodge was held on the 20 th ult ., and the occasion was taken advantage of for celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns . On such a great national occasion it was natural that a large gathering of Scotsmen should be brought together , and Lord Saltoun , being the W . M . for the present year , truly loyal Scottish brethren would be sure to assemble .

His lordship , however , was not present owing to his being obliged to take a tour in the East for the benefit of his health which has never recovered since he had an attack of influenza . His place was taken by Bro . Page , I . P . M , but his lordship wrote from India as follows : " 1 hope that you will have a good time and that Bro . Page will kindly fill the chair for me . You may mention

that on the occasion of Lord Haddington being re-elected Grand Master Mason of Scotland I took the opportunity of congratulating him in the name of the Scots Lodge , London , and saying that the honour of a visit to us was much appreciated . He answered desiring me to convey to the Scots Lodge his thanks and how thoroughly he had enjoyed the hospitality and kindness shown him by the brethren of the Scots Lodge . With kind greetings to all brethren of the lodge , 1 am , yours fraternally ,

" ( Signed ) SALTOUN . " Bro . John Page , I . P . M ., was supported by Bros . Jno . Whitehead , P . M ., P . Z . ; D . F . Gellion , P . M ., S . W . ; Thos . Grant , P . M ., J . W . j James Gray , P . M ., Trustee j Alex . Ritchie , C . C ., I reasurer j James Thomson , Secretary j Jos . Whitehead , S . D . j Dr . D . M . Forbes , J . D . ; D . R . Duncan , l . G . j E . Johnston Gordon , P . M ., D . C . j Wm . Craig , Steward , Ashley Gordon , and H . Gethardt ,

Organists ; W . Robertson , Tyler j Peter MacLean ( piper ); Drummond Duff , David Angus Ross , William Laurie , J . Duncan Balfour , Geo . W . Jones , Wm . Shaw Beaton , Douglas B . Hart , Thos . Sandilands , David M . Smith , J . Plenderleith , J . Bennett , P . Grieg , D . Charteris , T . Chartens , J . E . Sinclair , James Anderson J . Balfour , and Allan . Visitors : Bros . Richard Kve , P . G . T . j H . Massey , P . M . j Deputy Edmeston , P . M . 1035 j William Mills , P . D . M .,

223 ( S . C . ) j J . B . Loughborough , P . M . 140 j G . N . Minett , P . M . 1 ( 72 ; J . Cowan , P . M . 1572 j Thos . Roe , I . P . M . 1641 j Edward Gabriel , W . M . ISI . SJ T . C . Walls , W . M . 1745 ; N . McKay , P . M . 1 O 23 ( S . C . ); D . Campbell , J . W . 1365 j Dr . 1 ' oogood , S . D . cjGyj R . Gooding , 975 ,-Kerman taylor , 20 ; 11 . McLachlan , 1607 ; A . S . Naylor , 122 ; Wm . Dennison , 173 ; Dalgety Henderson , 2 iyo ; H . G . Batear , 913 ; H . Gebhardt , 1159 ; G . Evans , 100 S ;

and J . Brown , iub $ . The First and 1 bird Degrees were performed , the work beng admirably executed by Bro . Page and his officers . After the closing of the lodge , the brethren adjourned to a charming Scotch banquet , for which a menu had been prepared by the energetic Secretary , Bro . Thomson , tilled with quotations from Bro . Robert Burns—a menu probabl y of which the like has never been seen before .

Correspondence.

Ample justice having been done to the banquet , the toasts followed , and after "The Queen and the Craft " had been honoured , as well as the toast of " The M . W . G . M ., " Bro . Richard Eve responded to the next toast , which includes the Grand Officers .

Bro . Whitehead , P . M ., proposed The Worshipful Master , " stating that all the brethren knew that during that year they had been rather unfortunate in the absence of Lord Saltoun from bad health . But Bro . John Page , who presided for Lord Saltoun , was a host in himself , and he had done his very best in filling the chair which Lord Saltoun should have occupied . They were all very

grateful to Bro . Page for what he had done from the commencement of his career as one of the founders of the lodge . The lodge had made rapid headway . It would not be four years till next July that the lodge had been founded , and it spoke well for it that they had such good meetings . That was due really to Bro . Page that they saw the present state of things . It was more than they could have expected

of him ; but he had done it with that freedom and goodwill which had made him many friends in the lodge . Bro . John Page , I . P . M ., in reply , said he had responded so frequently to that toast , that it would be difficult for him to find something fresh to say . They knew his heart was with the lodge . Any office he could fill he was only too glad to fill if it would promote the interest of the lodge .

The support he had received , and the great kindness he had had from the whole of the brethren encouraged him to do the best he could , and the brethren might depend upon it that whenever he could he should be happy to serve them . Bro . Douglas B . Hart , in proposing "The Immortal Memory of Bro . Robert Burns , " said : Our Worshipful Master has taken me rather aback in asking me to propose

at a moment ' s notice such a toast as this . Bro . Faithful Begg was to have proposed it , but in his unavoidable absence I will do my best . Since I remember anything I remember this—the words and the name of Robert Burns have been the very breath of my nostrils . Scotchmen regard Burns with altogether a different feeling from that in which any other literary man is regarded . Englishmen

reverence the name of William Shakespeare ; Irishmen reverence and regard the name of Tom Moore—so do all men ; but with Scotchmen while we reverence and admire Burns , there is a feeling deeper than that in all our hearts . We love him , and would wish to put out our hands to him and say " Brother ! " There is something in his beautiful and magestic writings that inspires our manhood , makes

us hold our heads higher and say , " Thank God , he is a countryman of ours . " One hundred and thirty-four years ago to-night was ushered into existence this immortal , this heaven-sent ploughman . A wild and stormy night , the very devil himself seemed to be riding on the wings of the wind , striving with all his might to stifle the infant squall of the embryo bard , who was destined to bring such a

power of ridicule upon as absolutely to scoff him out of Scotland . As the years roll on we catch glimpses of the inspired boy wandering along the banks of Doon . He tells us himself that his earliest manhood was ushered in midst the unceasing 'moil of a galley slave ; and under

these depressing circumstances it was the kindling spell of first love that awakened in his soul the fire of poetry . I may here mention that Robert Burns was the direct incentive to myself becoming a Freemason . I well remember in my early years reading his magnificent "farewell" to the brethren of Tarbolton Lodge , of which he was Master :

" Adieu , a heart-warm fond adieu Dear bretheren of the mystic tie ; Ye favoured , ye enlighted few—Companions of my social joy . Though 1 to foreign lands maun hie , Pursuing Fortune's slippery ba' , With brimful heart and tearful eye ,

111 mind you still , though far awa ' . " I considered that if Masonry inspired Burns with g lowing feelings there must be something good therein , and ! determined to become a Mason immediately on reaching the years of maturity . My own town holds his grave , and in my own mother lodge he has doubtless frequently sat . It is difficult at a moment ' s notice to deal with ihis writings consecutively , but take the thunder song of "Scots wha

hae , " to which we have just listened . The whole world ' s history cannot produce such : another song . It strikes upon a Scotchman ' s ear like the blast of a trumpet — it makes them move to the front to certain victory . Then again there is that recitation " A man's a man for a' that , " which has just been given by our worthy brother and which 1 am sorry to think he should have

thought lit to preface with an apology . It is too late nowa-days to apologise for Burns . The words of Burns need no apology . I < ar less those glorious words of which the poet himself was not ashamed and which , to my mind , are the true p . con of liberty , the very tocsin of manhood , and will re-echo down through the ages until ultimately they are recognised as the anthem of the human race when they march abreast and nationalities are forgotten . Let me

sptak for one moment of his love songs . He was the chosen laureate of the tender passion and no laureate at any time , not Sappho herself could pour forth such burning verse . We can then understand what was his tremendous power over the tender heart of woman . Even on his deathbed he called his nurse , Jessie Lewers , to his side and requested her to hum a melody to him that he might endeavour to dictate words to it ; and the result was that beautiful lyric :

" Oh ! wert thou in the cauld blast , On yonder lea , on yonder lea , My plaidy to the angry aint , I'd shelter thee , I'd shelter thee . Or did misfortune ' s bitter storms Around thee blaw , around thee blaw , Thy beild should be my bosom , To share it a ' , to share it a ' . "

Now , the fame of Burns has been growing year by year , and age by age , and it is not alone in Scotland , but throughout the wide world that his words are heard . America appreciates him fully as much as we do . Their great poet Longfellow , among the last of his effusions , wrote an ode to the memory of Robert Burns on the anniversary of his birth , from which 1 remember a few lines -.

—" For still the burden of his song Is love of right , disdain of wrong ; Its master chords , are Manhood , Freedom , Brotherhood , Its discords , but an interlude between the words .