Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

MARKIAGE . BATTERSBY--E NGLISH . —July 31 st , at St . Peter's Church , Dublin , by the Kev . T . D . Gregg , D . D ., assisted by tlie Rev . J . J . Welland , A . ltf , Bro . William Battersby , H . K . T ., of Eathmines , Dublin , to Letitia , only daughter of the late James English , Esq ., architect , Traleo , and sister of Bro . Henry English , Lodge 379 .

DEATHS . BABINGTOJT . —August 2 nd , at his residence , Pump-street , Derry , Thomas Henderson Babington , M . D ., Mayor of Derry , aged 56 years . BENNEB . —August Gth , at the Blennerhassett Arms Hotel , Tralee , Margaret , the wife of Brother Robert Bonner .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

? All communications for T IIK FREEMASON should bc written legibly , on one side of the paper onl } -, and , if intended for insertion in the current number must be received not later than 10 o ' clock a . m . on Thursdays , unless in very special cases . The name and address of every writer must be sent to us in confidence .

TATIFS AND TUIPE . -As the subject referred to bas been fully ventilated , we cannot insert your letter , at the same time we feel that you have just cause to complain of the tone of Br . Lawson ' s communication . which was inserted during nur absence from London . Our object is to cultivate friendly

feelings between Freemasons , not to afford opportunities for the display of unfraternal sentiments and satirical animadversions . For the future wc will exercise a strict supervision over the epistolary department , which has hitherto been confided to our sub editor .

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CljcJfmwmit, SATURDAY , AUGUST 14 , 1869 .

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Tnn FUEESUSOX is published on Saturday Mornings in timo for the early trains . The price of Tim FaiiBM . vsoM' is Twopence per week ; quarterly subscription ( incliKlinu ; postage ) 3 s . 3 d . Annua ! Subscription , 12 s . Subscriptions payable in advance . All communications , letters , & c , to bo addressed to tho BBITOB , 3 & 1 , Little Britain , U . O . The Editor will pay careful attention to all 3 ISS . entrusted to him , but cannot nniferlako to return thorn unless accompanied \> y postage btamps .

Endymion The Sleeper.

ENDYMION THE SLEEPER .

IT is an old story , reaching back to the fabled days when shepherd youths were kings—when gods and men were partners in adventure—when every forest glade had its nymph , and every fount its naiad . Endymion ! why , as poor Keats

sings , there s music in the very name ; the bare sound is full of enchantment , conjuring up visions of strange delight , and wafting us in blissful dream to the moonlight-haunted cave where the shepherd-prince lies wrapt iu statuesque calm .

Anon , his divine visitant approaches , and the grey gloom of the cavern is kindled b y her radiant beams . The enamoured goddess touches the marble brow of the sleeper , and he awakes from that wondrous trance , despite the adverse

decree of Jove . "Thirty years shalt thou slumber , " said the Thunderer , but he reckoned without Diana , who taking pity on the sleep-stricken offender , recalled Endymion to life by the celestial influence of her love .

Is it not a beautifully poetic and suggestive myth ? and who would not gladly be aroused from dreamland—especially from enforced drowsiness , and unwelcome immobilit y—by such a magic touch ? Now , wc all admit that sleep is

a good thing , and cheerfully concur with Sancho Panza in the propriety of invoking blessings on the head of him who invented it . But like some other good things , we may have too much of it , and were one of us doomed to-morrow to thirty

years sleep , like Endymion , we should probably look upon it as a kind of death-warrant . What ! leave all our pleasures of song and dance all our pageantries and pomp of stale , or , it may be , our simpler joys of homo and affection—to descend into the still caverns of sleep , and rest

Endymion The Sleeper.

for years in utter unconsciousness of all that passes around . No ! the lotus-eater ' s paradise is not for men of action endowed wi ' th faculties to conceive , and energies to execute their designs . For them the air must breathe business , progress

and life . For them Nature is a treasury ' -to be utilised by wide-awake brains , strong arms and willing spirits . Let no shadows of somnolency approach them till the day ' s work is done , and well done . Wave

no Lethean popp ies before their eyes while tho sun rides high in the' heavens , and the glooms of evening are afar . Like Longfellow ' s blacksmith , they will earn their night ' s repose by conscientiously working while it is yet day . Now these are

the men we want in Freemasonry ; not the sloths who fold their arms and look on while others speed the plough ; not the drones , steeped in torpor while earnest labourers build up the fabric of Universal Brotherhood . We want more

vitality—more reality , more truth , move vigourin the workmen , and greater results in the work . It is no secret that our Masonic Charities are mainl y upheld by the same men year after year ; thafc from the pockets of the few come those large

and generous donations , the burden of which ought to be shared by every member of the Craft ; thafc one of our institutions obtains abnormal support through tha eloquence of its secretary ; and , in a word , that our duty to promote one of

the grand principles of the Order—the relief of distress—is at tho best only imperfectly understood . But it is not only money that we want ; large-hearted brethren will always be found who to a certain extent can cover the deficiencies of

others . There is a greater desideratum , and it was forcibly indicated at the recent meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire by Brother John Havers , who , all will acknowledge , is himself an untiring toiler in the Masonic

vineyard . ll e want men . We want administrators of our charities—brethren who will see that the funds arc kept religiously sacred to the hi gh and holy purposes for which they arc designed . We want rays of light to penetrate the dark p laces ,

and magic touches to rouse the slumbercrs into life and action . It is the duty of every English Ficeniason not only to support the charities in a pecuniary sense , but to take an interest in the

appropriation of his subscription . Wo know how keenly shareholders scan their balance-sheets , and how loudly they denounce this and that expense , when it involves a reduction ot dividend . L n-

foi Innately , however , in many cases , when a donor gives his money ton charitable institution , it being no longer his own , he considers its subsequent disposal a matter of little moment . This is neither just to himself nor to the reci pients of

his bounty , and we hope so unwise an apathy will bo speedily dispelled with respect to our Masonic charities , in the administration of which a closer and more vigilant supervision should be exercised . We shall then be enabled to advocate

their cause with greater interest ; we . shall then be entitled to rouse the supine with greater zeal , and proclaim to all the world not onl y how admirable charity is in theory , but how perfect , how divine it is in practice .

We are requested to state that tho regular meetings of Koyal Arch , Chapter 1 : 28 , " Flowers ofthe Forest , " Galashiels , are held on the third Thursday of each mouth , in the Alasonic Hall , Bridgeplace ; Lodgo 202 , St . John ' s , Galashiels meet

on the second Alouday of each month , at the same place , at 8 o ' clock p . m . ; and also the lodge ( under warrant of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , ) holds meetings for the purposes of Alasonry , in the town of Melrose , in the lodge-room , Abbey Hotel .

Notes By A Novice.

NOTES BY A NOVICE .

SEA-SIDE GOSSIP . All the world and his wife are out of townruralizing in sequestered vales , sailing over waters blue , or climbing at the peril of their necks , those grand but dismal old Alps . However , as my native land hath charms for me , I ' m

here , enjoying the niggers on the sands , and the sound of the advancing sea . The ' •' Cockney ' s marine Elysium , " as a friend of mine in the " Echo" calls Margate , is now very full of heavenly visitants from the land of Cockayne . Of course you have read Edgar Allan Poe ' s " Bells " 1 well there are better belles now at

Margate than ever his were , and more of them . " Hear the bellesP says the poet—not the bells up in the steeple , but the belles among the people . Why you have only to walk in the evening on the Pier—sacred to the memory of Ingoldsbyand you will hear and see them in countless

numbers . Or you can go , as I did , to the Assembly Eooms in Cecil-square , where a very agreeable Concert takes place . The Great Vance has been down here , and charmed all hearts with his " Comic Impersonations . " Beally his " Walking in the Zoo " as a slightly exaggerated

representation of aristocratic manners , is inimitable . Vance is a brother of the mystic tie , and introduces a Masonic verse into one of his songs " Act on the Square , " which is very appropriate . I am glad to be able to testify to the fact thafc his songs were carefully selected , and rendered

with his usual versatile ability . After the Concert , dancing commences under the direction of Air . James , who is a capital M . C . Verily it brought back visions of boyish days to see them lightly tripping—tripping on the

light fantastic toe . I was enticed to join the " Lancers , " and thus gave evidence of those martial proclivities which I am known to possess . The Cliftonville Hotel which stands on the

Fort , near the Coastguard station , is a great acquisition to Margate , and it is so admirably managed by Bro . Sidney Spencer that , vast as is the accommodation , bed-rooms arc scarce . " More power to his elbow " says an Irish friend at my side , by name O'Ryan—the same individual , who , as . you may recollect , when

contending for the antiquity of his family , clinched the argument by saying . " The , I . mean St . Patrick , fly away wid ye , wasn ' t it an O'fiyan ( Orion ) that sang upon the dolp hin ' s back ages ago . " T remember my suggestion that one Avion had performed the feat , was somewhat pooh -poohed .

Masonic Orphan Boys' School Dublin.

MASONIC ORPHAN BOYS' SCHOOL DUBLIN .

We are much pleased to learn that an election for two more pupils to this institution will be held in the month of September next . We understand that from the large number of applicants desirous of becoming inmates of the Masonic Orphan Boys ' School , the committee have selected seven of the

most deserving and pressing cases to be placed on the voting-papers , from which number the selection of the two successful candidates will be made by the governors at large . The only regret that we feel is that the funds of this most deserving orphanage do not admit of the entire seven applicants being

admitted at once ; and , indeed , it must be acknowledged that it is somewhat of a reproach to the Masonic Order that the number of annual governors subscribing at the rate of one pound each are not much more numerous than they arc , when we consider the'array of our most worthy and influential

citizens , of all ranks and professions , who are proud to be known as brethren ofthe "Mystic Tie , " one of whose principal characteristics is to help the destitute orphans of their deceased brethren ; the mora especially when an institution like this possesses the advantage of being managed by a committee

consisting of ( amongst others ) such experienced and worthy gentlemen as the Vice-Chancellor , the Hon . and ltev . William C . Plunket , Sir John Marcus Stewart , Bart . ; Maxwell Close , Edward Kinaban , Diggcs La Touche , Bobert Warren , Yokes Mackey .

the Kevs . J . J . MacSorley and Henry Westby , Dr . Smyly , and Capt . Harte . We wero pleased to observe , amongst the most recent donations , £ 50 from the executors of the late estimable and much regretted Bro . Brown , and £ 20 from the sunny island of Ceylon . —Dublin Paper .