Twelfth. Night Entertainment At The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls..

days . On arrival the visitors met with a cordial reception from the children , as well as from Miss Jarvvood , the matron , Miss Sheppard , the matron ' s assistant , and the assistant governesses , Miss Jane Rumblow , Miss Triggs , and Miss Buck . All the visitors arc very well known at the school , as they seldom allow a" opportunity to pass which affords them the pleasure uf looking on the blig ht ,

happy faces of the children , and witnessing the admirable arrangements which have grown up from time to time to perfection for the health , happiness-, education , and comfort of these Masons' daughters . It was not long before tea was served , and at five o ' clock the visitors sat down together in the House Committee room , where the chief table was presided over by Miss Jarwood , who had Mrs .

Joshua Nunn on her left hand , and Mrs . Massey on her rig ht . The other tables were superintended by Miss Sheppard , Miss Rumblow , Miss Triggs , and Miss Buck , who were assisted in the discharge of their functions by Bros . Edward Cox and Joshua Nunn , most of the other brethren also lending a helping hand . After tea the children in the school and the visitors were entertained with some

excellent dissolving views , which had been kindly provided by Bro . F . J . Cox , the optician , of Ludgate Hill . These represented a very large variety of scenes of home , continental , Indian , Chinese , and American travel , interspersed with some of those lively slides of magic lantern notoriety , which , while supremely ridiculous , are on that account the more amusing . Some of the most beautiful of the

series—the serious scenes—were those moonlight sketches which showed Winchester Cathedral li ghted up , the country village covered with snow , the Matterhorn , and a splendid development of the fog bow witnessed in that dangerous region . As the Grand Master of Freemasons has been so lately in India , sketches of Indian life were also exhibited , and the children ' had the pleasure of seeing the

modes of travelling in high life , on the backs of elephants , which are adopted in that vast dependency . The story of " Lord Bateman " was highly amusing , if wc might judge ftom the hearty laughter which succeeded each little scene in the career of that intelligent nobleman . After the dissolving views , the children partook of cake and wine , both of which refreshments , however , seemed to have for

them not half the attraction possessed by the bon-bons , with their mottoes and the amusing head dresses with which every girl was very soon equipped . Extraordinary as some of these were , they nevertheless were very becoming to most of the pupils . All the visitors cracked bonbons with the children , and assisted most heartil y in making the evening a children ' s evening . While the

children were partaking of their refreshments , Master Dicketts , as the only gentleman sitting down with the pupils , drank to the health of all the little ladies , a feat which was received with hearty cheers and laughter by the visitors , and gracefully bowed to by the subjects of the toast . Dancing followed refreshment , and in the interval between the quadrilles , polkas , valscs , & c ., some of the

visitors became entertainers . Bro . John Boyd , who had sent a large box of oranges for the children , produced the little figures made of pasteboard , representing the "Cure , " " Harlequin , " and " Dancing Sailor , " which he made to perform in first rate style , both to the amusement and astonishment of even older people than the scholars . Bro . J . G . Marsh sang , Bro . Levy improvised " Mrs .

Brown ' s visit on Twelfth Night to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , " and Bro . Edw . Cox sang " Simon the Cellarer . " The pupils played the piano ; and music and dancing left no space of time unoccupied . It is doubtful whether the children cr the visitors were the happiest ; but we may safely say that the visitors spent a few hours of unalloyed pleasure , and the children , on the visitors' departure , regretted the parting moment as much as the visitors themselves .

Twelfth. Night Entertainment At The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls..

with one of its lions . Now , as I am an implicit believer in the statements of those who forestall my every want in those columns of the public prints which , as I take it , are the most interesting reading , I determined to pass at least some part of this spare time in a place close to the Hall , which is declared by its proprietor to combine the beforementioned advantages .

Accordingly , I turned into "the Holborn" for my luncheon , and then met with the little adventure , a succinct descri p tion of ivhich forms the heading of this , my communication . Turning into the passage to the restaurant , which leads from Little Queen-street , I first nearly stumbled down the steps into the stand-up-and-eat department , but as this is opposed to my most cherished

notions of "comfort , " I turned sharply to the right , intending to take the passage which skirts the handsome central hall . The corner here was somewhat dark , and I had only just time , by stepping aside , to avoid a collision with an individual coming rapidly in the opposite direction ; a quick step to the 1 ight , another equally rapid to the left , then straight forward—an ' I beg your pardon "—a

bump—a wondering exclamation , " How very like me that person is , "—a flash of light ( metaphorical of course ) , and then the consciousness of the absurd position that your " V . P . C . " had ( of course in a mirror ) run up against himself . A capital luncheon , well served , in a beautiful room , with every appliance to gratify the eye , secured your

correspondent s comfort , and made entire amends for the loss of self-respect entailed upon him , at least in his own eyes , by his want of acumen in having thus let a mere mirror , and that a London one , thus play him a practical joke . After having been thus gratified in both purse and

person , I hied me back to the Hall , determined to be in good time , and so I was—5 o ' clock sharp , Grand Lodge being summoned for 6 . I had no idea that I should have been so well known as to be , as I found myself , quite an object of interest to those brethren who act as Scrutineers and take care of our hats and coats .

T he time seemed long , but passed at length , " For all things here must have [ an end , " and so had my period of waiting . Of the opening of Grand Lodge I need say nothing , nor of the affection with which ouv worthy chief was greeted . To his speech , replete with the true spirit of Masonry and humanity , and full of loyalty and nationality , I can add no lustre of praise , nor

shall I dwell upon the next , which was as brim-full of heartv good will to all mankind as is the thoroughly jolly English uttercr . But upon that which followed it , in defiance of the wishes of all ( or within two or three of it ) of the brethren present , I must say that I think it was not only uncalled for , but in exceedingly bad taste , as it was forced upon an evidently unwilling body of listeners . I lowcver , it vvas like " the brook "—

" Men may shout , antl men may vote , But / goon for ever . " and so 1 believe the speaker would have done , only that he unexpectedly hit upon a thing so evidently true and practical that the brethren thought it unnecessary to trouble him further , which practical utterance was that " we had come there to vote . " This worthy brother having

at last sat down , another , equally irrepressible , arose , but although he talked an interminable time there were but few things he said with which I could agree , one of these , however , was that his course of proceeding in thus speaking to our Pro Grand Master ' s projiosition vvas " uncourteous and rude . " With the necessity for it I could not sympathise , although it was , the speaker assured , us essential to

vindicate his honesty , which I really should not have known was in such sore need of a defender if he had not so urgently pressnt the notice of the fact upon us more than once . Anyhow , the speaker seemed determined to let us know that he had discovered , and that we had before us , that rarity of rarities—an honest man . If onl y tbe

brethren present had taken the same view , what an opportunity of spending a little of our surplus cash , there might have been , in buying a glass case for this unique specimen , bearing of course , the inscription of the poetess so friendly to our order : — " Honesty

Is like the phantom spikes in grandam's tales—Much n / lencr prated of than seen . " A little bird sitting by me—if not tbe one to " make a summer , " it must at least have told a " hummer , " —here whispered in my car the startling words— " The Purple , " One thing more I could agree with in the concluding words of the speaker , which was that scholarships , new

wings , \ c , would be a " permanent memorial . " Indeed they would , but a permanent memorial of such unmitigated selfishness that no " honest" Craftsman would ever afterwards reflect , but with the deepest regret and self-loathing , U |) on our Thankoflering , whilst the outside world , eager to see what would be the outcome of our lofty utterances , would smile at our / ram , and write as ils

epitaph" Parturiunt Masons , Nascitur ridiculus fuss I " And here I reflected , if there could be but a mirror provided in this dark corner in which we were groping , we might see how selfish we were in danger of becoming in thus bowing to ourselves , and , what was more , see how wofully we should be running up against ourselves , by which I mean ,

depriving ourselves of just the one opportunity that this generation may afford us of showing ourselves not to be the selfish , narrow-minded people tiiat our enemies would fain have the outside world regard us . I was going on to think—when , somehow , here

our respected Registrar came down upon the bold orator , scattering all his eloquence to the winds b y pointing out that the member mnv impugning the action of the Committee vvas himself a member of that Committee , but had not chosen to attend its meetings . Those who represented themselves having been thus far

Twelfth. Night Entertainment At The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls..

patientl y borne with , those who represented the Craft proceeded to register a vote which in your " V . P . C . ' s" humble opinion will show them to be trul y thankful to the Great Architect for his merciful preservation to them of their Royal Grand Master and as truly unselfish in their national mode of shewing it .

How Our Vp.C.* Ran Up Against Himself, And His After Reflections Thereupon.

HOW OUR VP . C . * RAN UP AGAINST HIMSELF , AND HIS AFTER REFLECTIONS THEREUPON .

" Metley ' s the onl y wear . " —Such were my reflections the other night at Grand Lodge ; but I must not begin in the middle of my story , or I shall leave out the point

of the whole , although the whole might well be pointc d in more senses than one by my opening remark , which , by the way , when I come to think of it , is not mine at all , but that of one of whom a " melancholy gentleman did much remind me" in the course of the evening , one of whom it might have well been said , as of that his other self ,

that" They that were most galled with his folly , They most did laugh . " It was not only a Grand Lodge , but also a Special Grand Lod ge , and as I look upon myself as a " Special" as well as a " V . P . " correspondent , I considered it my duty to be there to supply that special information which might perhaps escape the quick-running pen of the r . rdinary reporter .

Taking warning by the discomfort of a somewhat late arrival on a former occasion , and having been kindly recommended by an " Under-Bow-Bells " brother to secure a seat in advance , I dropped in at the Hall early in the day . M y London brother must have been mistaken , for found that the . courteous attendant would not book my seat . He recommended me , however , to "come early . "

Meanwhile , the intervening time , which I had fondly "oped to have spent either in my place in Grand Lodge or at least in the conscious security that one was in waiting for me , must be got through somehow , and so ' thought I would do " one of the si ghts of London ; " but at the same time an inward monitor warning me that there were duties which must on nn account be neglected , was led to combine " one of the comforts " nf tile town

The Roman Catholics And Freemasonry.

THE ROMAN CATHOLICS AND FREEMASONRY .

We learn from the first Roman Catholic authority that Archbishop Vaughan has delivered an important lecture on " Masonry , " under the title of " Hidden Springs , " at Sydney . It is said that the lecture " has created quite a sensation in New South Wales . " The lecture has since

been published , and occupies ei ghty pages , and from it we learn that the governing principles of the past , the present , and the future may be summed up in three words Paganism , Supernaturalism and Materialism . He dwells at considerable length on Materialism , which he calls the hidden spring of the future , and whose prime movers are the members of the International Societ y of Masonry .

We who are innocent of the mysteries of the Craft have thought that Masonry is a cosmopolitan combination of men animated with good intentions towards each other in particular , and towards the human family in general . IE what Archbishop Vaughan says be true , we have been labouring under an extraordinary delusion . He tells us that the field of operations of the International Society , from

which flows the hidden spring of the Materialism of the future , "is as wide as the human family itself . It adopts many instruments to promote its end . Its ambition soars to the hi ghest class and the foremost intellects , and embraces all ages and conditions , from the philosopher to the artizan , from the statesman and civil ruler to the roughs in a country town . The pen and tongue are

Us two main engines , and it strives with sleepless energy to enlist in its service those who can work them with the most powerful effect . " Whether this is a correct representation of the Freemasons we must leave them to say , provided they think it worth while to say anything on the subject . We should consider it simply a silly exaggeration . Why are Roman Catholics so easily scared ? Why

do they see a hobgoblin in every bush ? In Italy they attribute all the evils which offend modern Society to that sleepless foe of the Church—the Revolution . And now a voice comes from Australia saying that the prime movers uf the hidden spring of the Materialistic future is the " International Society , " not the European International Society of Working Men , but another society which wields all other societies for malignant ends . —Echo .

Juvenile Fete And Ball.

JUVENILE FETE AND BALL .

It was a " happy thought" that suggested itself to some of the gentlemen who are interested in the success of the Surrey Masonic Hall , to devote an evening at this time of the year for the amusement of the young folks . Such a one was held on Thursday evening , when a large party of juveniles , accompaviitvl by their parents or friends , were

asFembled . The hall was very handsomel y and elaborately decorated with evergreen , mottoes , & c . The children also participated in the healthful recreation of dancing , which was kept up with much spirit during intervals of the evening . The Kentuck y troupe of minstrels also ap pearcd , and this evening to a much larger audience than on the night previously . The laughter of the audience

was excited by the droll performance of the troupe , and old and young were alike delighted . Some very comic business is introduced by this company , and this was fully appreciated . Refreshments , tea , coffee , orange , sweets , & c , were liberally provided , and this , of courst . kept the little ones busy during the evening . A magic lantern vvas exhibited , which represented the hard lot that

befel Cinderella . The reader who described the history of our unfortunate little fiiend explained that he understood it was essentially a child's party , and he did not expect the elder ones would find much amusement in the representation ; but the adults evidently enjoyed it as much as

any one . The galvanic battery had its fair share of customers , and the contortions of some who were operated on were ludicrous in the extreme . The evening's amusements were prolonged till nearly eleven o ' clock , when the " National Anthem " brought the proceedings to a close , and by the happy faces of those for whom this treat was organised , we are satisfied that they werehighl delighted .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . THOMAS WILLIAMS . Much interest was excited on Thursday , the 14 th ult ., by the attendance of the brethren at the funeral of thelate Bro . Thomas Williams , foreman in the shoj ) of Mr Lewis Lewis , draper , Bridgc-slreel , Carnarvon . He died suddenly , after a very brief illness , and being highly esteemed by the brethren of the Segontium Lodge , in

which he was a junior officer , a large number of th « fraternity assembled to pay him the last mark of respect in their power . The lod ge having been duly opened in the Castle , the brethren marched two-and-two to Bridgestreet , the van being ltd by two officers , with drawn swords , while the rear was brought up by four Past Masters , bearing the Hol y Bible on a cushion , with the W . M . in close attendance behind . In this order they

headed the long procession through the town to the cemetery at Llanllyfni , where the W . M ., standing at the head of the grave as chief mourner , was permitted , by the kind courtesy of the authorities , to recite the special Masonic office customarily used at the interment of a deceased brother . The ceremony being concluded , ! the brethren returned in the same order , when the lodge , was closed in due form .