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Article SKETCHES OF MASONIC CHARACTER, No. IV. ← Page 2 of 2 Article ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. Page 1 of 1 Article MASONRY AND MASONS. Page 1 of 1 Article MASONRY AND MASONS. Page 1 of 1 Article PRINCESS'S THEATRE. Page 1 of 1 Article MASONIC SECRECY. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Sketches Of Masonic Character, No. Iv.
much to delight him , wherever he may pitch his tent , wandering Arab though he he , in whatever land he for the moment has the good luck to reside , which affords him protection , or lends him a domicile .
Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .
The Committee of this Institution held their monthly meeting on Wednesday last at Freemasons' Hall , Col . Creaton in the chair . There were also present Bros . Jos . Smith , Berrv , Head , John M . Stedwell , S . Rawson , Richd . Herve Giraud , Hyde I ' ullen , Thos White , A . H .
Tattershall , C . A . Cottebrune , William Hale , Wm . Hilton , Capt . N . G . Philips , L . Stcan , J . Newton , Charles Lacey , Raynham W . Stewart , Dr . Jabez Hogg , Fred . Acland , H . Massey , ( Freemason ) , and James Terry . After ' the reading and confirming of the minutes , Bro . Terry reported the death of Bro . K . Prescott ( Chichester ) , after having received annuity for six years , £ 209 ; Bro . R . T . Peters , ( London" ) , five years £ 183 ; Mrs . E . King ,
( London ) , three years , £ 95 ; and Mrs . C . Govier , ( Exeter ) , £ 67 10 s . " Bro . Terry also reported that he received from Grand Lodge £ 70 , to provide the annuitants at Croydon with conls . The application of a widow for half her late husband ' s annuity was granted , after which the Committee adjourned . ^^^^^
Masonry And Masons.
MASONRY AND MASONS .
It has been well said , that if to bc virtuous required no effort and no sacrifice , if to be exemplary in all things were just as easy as the reverse , then there would be no particular merit in virtue , the philosophy of which we understand to bc that as there is really merit in a virtuous life and walk , it is worth while for every man to make persistent
effort so to live and so to act in his journey through life that he may deserve , if he do not receive , the commendation of those whose approval is worth having . This thought applies with great force to the lives of those who wish to be consistent Masons and to honour the institution which has honoured them by admitting them to its rights and privileges . That they do not all walk on this level
must bc admitted , and it would bc strange indeed if they did , for Masonry has but comparatively little power for reforming the ways of men evilly inclined . Its force lies rather in the fact that it peeks only the companionship of those who arc acknowledged to be good at the outset , and if after admission they fall from their position they occupied in the beginning , this is their fault , not that of the
brotherhood . Most men are in the habit of putting their best foot forward when they wish to accomplish any given result or secure any coveted favour , and therefore when a candidate presents himself for initiation he is ' cartful not lo set forth with any great degree of ostentation the particular weaknesses of his own character . Then , too , the brethren are not infallible , but ,
on the contrary , as all experience shows , somewhat ioo apt to take on trust the bright side of the picture , and find in many cases that it would have been better had there been less haste and a more thorough testing of the proposed material . They have been told time and again that merely negative men arc not those upon whom wc can safely rely , for in Masonry , as in their private affairs ,
they wait for others ; if study , investigation and labour are needed , they let somebody else study , work and investigate , and it not unfrequently happens that they are too mentally lazy to profit by the results achieved . Three months after initiation they know more about the Craft than those who have devoted their lives to the service , and to the discovery at the end of many years how much there is
still to learn ; they do not want to read because nothing can be said that they do not already know , and the gems dug out of the dust-covered lore of the past do not glitter in their sight , in short , if all Masons were like them , the fraternity would be years behind even its present status , and yet in this class ambition finds its most ardent votaries , and from it come the men
who arc more than willing to bear the honours of the Craft , while refusing the time and labour needed to qualify even the mostinlellectualfortheptoperdischarge of the duties and responsibilities of office . From it come those who are ever ready to argue the case with the profane , and to present the spectacle , over which men and ingels may weep , of a person assuming to teach that
vhich he himself does not understand ; and from it come •hose who injure tbe Craft , delay progress , and awaken animosity by their senseless claims and assertions . These ire the men who assert that Masonry is good enough to live by and die by , forgetting , or rather not knowing , that \ 1 the whole arcana of Masonry there is nothing to ivarrant anything of the kind ; that on the contrary the
fraternity , being established on purely moral grounds , is not and cannot bc a form of worship , neither a sect , nor having any affiliation with nor affinity for any particular form of religious worship . These are they who give point and leverage to Papal Bulls and Protestants invectives ; the first invariably calling us a sect , and on this utterly groundless assumption
bringing to bear against us the prejudices of the countless multitudes who receive and obey without question the orders of their ecclesiastical superiors , and put us all down as devils simply because they are told so to do . The others with infinitely less justification because they arc not hemmed in , and cowed by a hicrachy that assumes to
hold the keys of Heaven and Hell , but on the contrarj claim as a special appendage of their civil and religious birthright , freedom of thought and conscience , blazon us to the world as " Christless " and " Infidels , " as desiring to lead men from the communion of the church , and into that easy and descending grade which leads to the fiery and malodorous regions upon which they are
Masonry And Masons.
so fond of descanting . Now every one who knows an *" thing about Masonry knows that the system of ethi comprising its morals and dogmas are the furtherc s possible removed from anything of the kind ; that a Mason maybe active and indefatigable in his attendance at lodge meetings , and never in his life hear a word calculated to weaken his faith in his own form of religion ,
whatever it may he , nor intended to lead him into any ether path whatsoever . He may be the firmest of Catholics , the most ardent of Protestants , Jew , Gentile or Moslem , and he will only bc asked to believe in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man . And this is the line of distinction between Masonry and
Masons . The world in general does not observe it , and a goodly share cf the religious world seems determined not to do so , and therefore it should be the endeavour of the brethren in their walk and conversation to make it apparent that we understand and live up to it . —New York Dispatch . „__
Princess's Theatre.
PRINCESS'S THEATRE .
This theatre opened for the season on Monday last under the management of Mr . Walter Gooch , who , however , retains the valuable services of that able stage manager and clever actor , Mr . Harry Jackson . The bill of fare was full of promise , comprising as it did a laughable rarce , by J . B . Buckstone , and a new drama , entitled
" Guinea Gold , " by H . J . Byron—the most prolific , and withal most popular and successful playwright wc havebut so far from the promises being like Adonis ' s gardens , " That one day blossm'd , and fruitful were the next , " it was evident long before the curtain descended oh the first act that the verdict of the public would be " Faith , I have heard too much , for your words and performances are no
kin together . Mr . Byron has achieved many successes and committed few failures—fewer , perhaps , than any living dramatist , but we question if either " Wrinkles " or even " Bull by the Horns , " so merited critical and public censure as " Guinea Gold . " We do not intend to till the story , if wc may employ a word that implies a certain continuity of incidents , for apart from the facts that we
hold it unfair bolh to the author of a play and to those of our readers who intend to witness it , wc question if in the present instance anyone but Mr . Byron could tell the stoty . A pretty orphan , the inevitable faithful servant , a detective of the " Ticket-of-lef . vc " type , two brothers , one the hero , the other the villain , these latter dragged almost in their entirety out of " Brothers , " and we
have new materials out of which Mr . Byron presents what purports to be a new and original drama . Why , these materials have been worn to threads long ago , and we are asked to take these old rags for new garments . We deem ourselves , as old playgoers , second to none in Ihe feelings of gratitude we entertain towards Mr . Byron , for the many hours of pure and true delight he has given
us , but wc maintain that no one should withhold the truth for the sake of gratitude . Is the author of " The Lancashire Lass , " " Blow for Blow , " " Dearer than Life , " " Our Bo ) s' " and many other plays equally good , losing his cunning , or , worse still , has his success proved a bad master , because too indulgent , and made him careless , idle and indifferent ? Since the production of " Married in
Haste , " Mr . Byron has written nothing but what his leisure should have afforded occasion for Tepentancc . To all the actors and actresses in " Guinea Gold , " nothing but praise , and high praise is due . Miss Lydia Kootc struggled manfully , if she will pardon the masculine adverb , to make the most of the poorest , weakest part ever awarded to the heroine of a drama ; she did her best , but
even the best of such a popular , charming and pretty actress as Miss Lydia l ' oote cannot make a bad counterfeit in to the semblance of the sterling coin . The new and realistic scenery by Julian Hicks is above all praise , and this artist together with the actors , had to bow his acknowledgements to an appreciative and critical but kindly audience .
BIRKBECK BUILDING SOCIETY * . —The 26 th annual meeting of the Birkbeck Building Society was held on Thursday ( at the Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution , Southampton Buildings , Chancery Lane , London ) . The report which was presented to the meeting stated that the receipts for the year were £ 6 , 129 , 128 , and the total from the commencement of the Society £ 3 * 1 , 416 ,
513 . Notwithstanding the reduction of interest to 34 and 2 * per cent , the deposits had risen from £ 1 , 929 , 965 to £ 2 , 120 , 823 , or an increase of £ 1 90 , 8 57 . The Gross Profits earned by the Society during the year were £ 106 , 017 , upwards of £ 9000 in excess of the previous year . Ot this amount £ 83 , 230 has been appropriated to the payment of interest , discount , and expenses of
management , leaving a net balance on the year ' s working of £ 22 , 787 . The Surplus Funds amounted last year to £ 1 , 3 63 , 061 , of which £ 1 , 220 , 386 was invested in Government , Indian , and Metropolitan Stocks , City of London and Colonial bonds , gas and water stocks and shares , freehold ground rents , and other readily convertible sccuities , and £ 144 , 674 remained at call in the hands of
the bankers . At the present time the amount invested in convertible securities is £ i , 57 . *' , 7 o 6 , being an increase of £ 335 , 320 , while the sum of , £ ' 170 , 742 stands to the credit of the Society at the bankers , being £ 26 , 068 more tban last year . The total increase of the Surplus Funds ' £ . 381 , 387 . The proportion of reserve to liabilities is now upwards of 77 J per cent . The total
liabilities of the Society are £ 2 , 263 , 719 , and the assets £ 2 , 34 8 , 603 , showing a nctt surplus of £ 84 , 884 . Of this sum £ 33 , 750 is invested in Consols as a permanent guarantee fund , leaving £ 51 , 134 to be carried forward . The number of investors and depositors at the close of the year was 38 , 427 , being an increase of 2525 since the last balance . —The Times .
Masonic Secrecy.
MASONIC SECRECY .
The secrecy of Masonry is its only sybil voice proclaiming , Procul , O , prucul estc profani . It is . onl y ule secrecy of the lawyer to his client ; of the minister to his penitent ; or of friend to friend . This trustworth y confidence is the glory of man ; scandal dies like an echo on the shore where the tongue is bridled by truth and honour ,
" W here there is no tale bearer the stnte ceascth . " Wrench from the heart of a Mason the secret of his brother ; and from the same heart you may blot out the image of his God , the vows made to a fond and confidine wife , or the duty he owes to his children , to country and home . The betrayer of secrets is a moral renegade too foul for the atmosphere of honour , he is the Judas of
friendship and the assassin of character . Nor never need an honest open-hearted Mason fear the better part of creation will urge against his order to its detriment the circumstances tbat the ladies are not ailmitted to its membership among Free and accepted Masons . Let him tell what is the fact , that Minerva , the goddess of Wisdom , presides in the Mason ' s lodge jn
which she would have indeed but a divided empire if the goddess of beauty were admitted along with her . \ VC surely would not trust Venus and Minerva together in our lodges , lest we should become too much distracted with the blandishments of beauty to hear all the severe teachings of wisdom . But it will be high time to attempt a laboured defence of this
Masonic usuagc when a lady shall complain of it or when she shall refuse making a secret-keeping Mason the lord of her affections ; pillowing on her pure heart , both the unlocked casket and the secret which it contains . Ah ! could she make him a renegade to honour , how could she loathe him . How unsafe in such hands and in such keeping would she consider her own fame and those gems of
affection which woman never gives save to the trusty , the brave , the unconquerable , the inflexible in purpose . There is a sublime secret connected with everything that is valuable . Says the great light of Masonry , the Bible , " The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him . " There is a secret in each profession of life , in every science , in every beautiful art . There is a secret in love , an outspoken language that sometimes glances from the eye
but which is oftencr hid by virgin modesty until the heart becomes an urn of suffering in which the fires of hidden attachment crimson the incense of the affections . There is a secret in hate , whispered only to the moon as its pale cold eyes gleam on the assassin ' s dagger . There are secrets everywhere in nature , from the pedestal to the capital of the pillar of the universe , over which the mysterious eye of Omniscitnce burns with its secret meaning . — Columbia Conrant .
BRITISH A . RCHJI : OLOGICAL ASSOCIATION . — The congress at Llangollen continued its proceedings en Saturday week , when a party visited the vale of Clwjil . Their first halting place was Denbigh , where they saw the Burgess Tower , St . Hillary ' s Church ( which has double aisles ) , and the Castle , which dates from Edward I . After luncheon the party proceeded to Ruthin Castle , which
contains a selection of antiquities , and where they had tea . At the evening meeting , [ Mr . Thomas Morgan , F . S . A ., honorary treasurer , in the chair , the following papers were read : — "On Welsh Converts of St Paul , " by J . W . Grover . CE . ; * ' Notes on Early Monumental Sculpture , " illustrated by drawings of crosses , & c , by B . Lynam ; and " Pen-y-Gaer ( chiefly in connection with Caractacus )
and the British Remains in North Wales , " by Mr . Dillon F . S . A . On Monday week , the last day of the Congress work , an excursion was made to Mostyn Hall , rich in good pictures and historical portraits ; the library contains a very fine collection of rare manuscripts and books , which was the subject of an address by Mr . W . De Gray Birch , F . R . S . L ., an honorary secretary of the association . The
patty visited St . Winifred's Well , near Holywell , which is said to posses miraculous curative qualities . The buililirg enclosing it was erected by Margaret , Countess of Richmond , mother of Henry VII . Basingwerk Abbey , the present buildings of which date from about 1250 , was the last place visited . In the evening Mr . T . F . Dillon
Croker read a paper by Mr . Westmacott Chapman , " On Harlech and Criccieth Castles , " the hon . treasurer , Mr . Thomas Morgan , F . S . A ., again occupying the chair . After the usual vote of thanks , the chairman declared the thirty-fourth annual congress of the British Arch . * rologi ' ' -l Association ended .
AN UPRIGHT J UDGE . —Somo young men m the town of , having " cut up " one night to tbe detriment of certain windows and bell pulls , were lodge * in the calaboose , and in due time the next morning confronted before the police magistrate , who fined them 5 dollars each ar . d an admonition . One of the tlwce foolishly remarked : " Judge , I was in hopes you wouli
^ remember me . I belong to the same lodge with you-The Judge , apparently surprised , replied with brotherly sympathy : " Ah , is it so ? Truly this is Bro . ' ¦ > did not recognise you . Excuse me for my dullness . > c ? ' we arc brother Masons , and I should have thoug ht D that . Mr . Clerk , fine our Bro . ten dollars . Being Mason , be knows better the rules of propriety than otne clerk
men ! Fine him ten dollars . You will pay the , Bro . 1 Good morning Bro . I call the next casc . ^ [ We can vouch for the truth of the above . The u l ' right judge" referred to was that good man and tr ^ i Judge Storer , of Cincinnati , O ., recently deceased . - > * ADVOCATE . ] ; . „ Query . —Was the Ed . of The Advocate the cm b brother?—AMERICAN PAPER .
The Queen left Balmoral yesterday for a shor sojourn at Loch Maree . She was accompanied by Princess Beatrice ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Sketches Of Masonic Character, No. Iv.
much to delight him , wherever he may pitch his tent , wandering Arab though he he , in whatever land he for the moment has the good luck to reside , which affords him protection , or lends him a domicile .
Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .
The Committee of this Institution held their monthly meeting on Wednesday last at Freemasons' Hall , Col . Creaton in the chair . There were also present Bros . Jos . Smith , Berrv , Head , John M . Stedwell , S . Rawson , Richd . Herve Giraud , Hyde I ' ullen , Thos White , A . H .
Tattershall , C . A . Cottebrune , William Hale , Wm . Hilton , Capt . N . G . Philips , L . Stcan , J . Newton , Charles Lacey , Raynham W . Stewart , Dr . Jabez Hogg , Fred . Acland , H . Massey , ( Freemason ) , and James Terry . After ' the reading and confirming of the minutes , Bro . Terry reported the death of Bro . K . Prescott ( Chichester ) , after having received annuity for six years , £ 209 ; Bro . R . T . Peters , ( London" ) , five years £ 183 ; Mrs . E . King ,
( London ) , three years , £ 95 ; and Mrs . C . Govier , ( Exeter ) , £ 67 10 s . " Bro . Terry also reported that he received from Grand Lodge £ 70 , to provide the annuitants at Croydon with conls . The application of a widow for half her late husband ' s annuity was granted , after which the Committee adjourned . ^^^^^
Masonry And Masons.
MASONRY AND MASONS .
It has been well said , that if to bc virtuous required no effort and no sacrifice , if to be exemplary in all things were just as easy as the reverse , then there would be no particular merit in virtue , the philosophy of which we understand to bc that as there is really merit in a virtuous life and walk , it is worth while for every man to make persistent
effort so to live and so to act in his journey through life that he may deserve , if he do not receive , the commendation of those whose approval is worth having . This thought applies with great force to the lives of those who wish to be consistent Masons and to honour the institution which has honoured them by admitting them to its rights and privileges . That they do not all walk on this level
must bc admitted , and it would bc strange indeed if they did , for Masonry has but comparatively little power for reforming the ways of men evilly inclined . Its force lies rather in the fact that it peeks only the companionship of those who arc acknowledged to be good at the outset , and if after admission they fall from their position they occupied in the beginning , this is their fault , not that of the
brotherhood . Most men are in the habit of putting their best foot forward when they wish to accomplish any given result or secure any coveted favour , and therefore when a candidate presents himself for initiation he is ' cartful not lo set forth with any great degree of ostentation the particular weaknesses of his own character . Then , too , the brethren are not infallible , but ,
on the contrary , as all experience shows , somewhat ioo apt to take on trust the bright side of the picture , and find in many cases that it would have been better had there been less haste and a more thorough testing of the proposed material . They have been told time and again that merely negative men arc not those upon whom wc can safely rely , for in Masonry , as in their private affairs ,
they wait for others ; if study , investigation and labour are needed , they let somebody else study , work and investigate , and it not unfrequently happens that they are too mentally lazy to profit by the results achieved . Three months after initiation they know more about the Craft than those who have devoted their lives to the service , and to the discovery at the end of many years how much there is
still to learn ; they do not want to read because nothing can be said that they do not already know , and the gems dug out of the dust-covered lore of the past do not glitter in their sight , in short , if all Masons were like them , the fraternity would be years behind even its present status , and yet in this class ambition finds its most ardent votaries , and from it come the men
who arc more than willing to bear the honours of the Craft , while refusing the time and labour needed to qualify even the mostinlellectualfortheptoperdischarge of the duties and responsibilities of office . From it come those who are ever ready to argue the case with the profane , and to present the spectacle , over which men and ingels may weep , of a person assuming to teach that
vhich he himself does not understand ; and from it come •hose who injure tbe Craft , delay progress , and awaken animosity by their senseless claims and assertions . These ire the men who assert that Masonry is good enough to live by and die by , forgetting , or rather not knowing , that \ 1 the whole arcana of Masonry there is nothing to ivarrant anything of the kind ; that on the contrary the
fraternity , being established on purely moral grounds , is not and cannot bc a form of worship , neither a sect , nor having any affiliation with nor affinity for any particular form of religious worship . These are they who give point and leverage to Papal Bulls and Protestants invectives ; the first invariably calling us a sect , and on this utterly groundless assumption
bringing to bear against us the prejudices of the countless multitudes who receive and obey without question the orders of their ecclesiastical superiors , and put us all down as devils simply because they are told so to do . The others with infinitely less justification because they arc not hemmed in , and cowed by a hicrachy that assumes to
hold the keys of Heaven and Hell , but on the contrarj claim as a special appendage of their civil and religious birthright , freedom of thought and conscience , blazon us to the world as " Christless " and " Infidels , " as desiring to lead men from the communion of the church , and into that easy and descending grade which leads to the fiery and malodorous regions upon which they are
Masonry And Masons.
so fond of descanting . Now every one who knows an *" thing about Masonry knows that the system of ethi comprising its morals and dogmas are the furtherc s possible removed from anything of the kind ; that a Mason maybe active and indefatigable in his attendance at lodge meetings , and never in his life hear a word calculated to weaken his faith in his own form of religion ,
whatever it may he , nor intended to lead him into any ether path whatsoever . He may be the firmest of Catholics , the most ardent of Protestants , Jew , Gentile or Moslem , and he will only bc asked to believe in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man . And this is the line of distinction between Masonry and
Masons . The world in general does not observe it , and a goodly share cf the religious world seems determined not to do so , and therefore it should be the endeavour of the brethren in their walk and conversation to make it apparent that we understand and live up to it . —New York Dispatch . „__
Princess's Theatre.
PRINCESS'S THEATRE .
This theatre opened for the season on Monday last under the management of Mr . Walter Gooch , who , however , retains the valuable services of that able stage manager and clever actor , Mr . Harry Jackson . The bill of fare was full of promise , comprising as it did a laughable rarce , by J . B . Buckstone , and a new drama , entitled
" Guinea Gold , " by H . J . Byron—the most prolific , and withal most popular and successful playwright wc havebut so far from the promises being like Adonis ' s gardens , " That one day blossm'd , and fruitful were the next , " it was evident long before the curtain descended oh the first act that the verdict of the public would be " Faith , I have heard too much , for your words and performances are no
kin together . Mr . Byron has achieved many successes and committed few failures—fewer , perhaps , than any living dramatist , but we question if either " Wrinkles " or even " Bull by the Horns , " so merited critical and public censure as " Guinea Gold . " We do not intend to till the story , if wc may employ a word that implies a certain continuity of incidents , for apart from the facts that we
hold it unfair bolh to the author of a play and to those of our readers who intend to witness it , wc question if in the present instance anyone but Mr . Byron could tell the stoty . A pretty orphan , the inevitable faithful servant , a detective of the " Ticket-of-lef . vc " type , two brothers , one the hero , the other the villain , these latter dragged almost in their entirety out of " Brothers , " and we
have new materials out of which Mr . Byron presents what purports to be a new and original drama . Why , these materials have been worn to threads long ago , and we are asked to take these old rags for new garments . We deem ourselves , as old playgoers , second to none in Ihe feelings of gratitude we entertain towards Mr . Byron , for the many hours of pure and true delight he has given
us , but wc maintain that no one should withhold the truth for the sake of gratitude . Is the author of " The Lancashire Lass , " " Blow for Blow , " " Dearer than Life , " " Our Bo ) s' " and many other plays equally good , losing his cunning , or , worse still , has his success proved a bad master , because too indulgent , and made him careless , idle and indifferent ? Since the production of " Married in
Haste , " Mr . Byron has written nothing but what his leisure should have afforded occasion for Tepentancc . To all the actors and actresses in " Guinea Gold , " nothing but praise , and high praise is due . Miss Lydia Kootc struggled manfully , if she will pardon the masculine adverb , to make the most of the poorest , weakest part ever awarded to the heroine of a drama ; she did her best , but
even the best of such a popular , charming and pretty actress as Miss Lydia l ' oote cannot make a bad counterfeit in to the semblance of the sterling coin . The new and realistic scenery by Julian Hicks is above all praise , and this artist together with the actors , had to bow his acknowledgements to an appreciative and critical but kindly audience .
BIRKBECK BUILDING SOCIETY * . —The 26 th annual meeting of the Birkbeck Building Society was held on Thursday ( at the Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution , Southampton Buildings , Chancery Lane , London ) . The report which was presented to the meeting stated that the receipts for the year were £ 6 , 129 , 128 , and the total from the commencement of the Society £ 3 * 1 , 416 ,
513 . Notwithstanding the reduction of interest to 34 and 2 * per cent , the deposits had risen from £ 1 , 929 , 965 to £ 2 , 120 , 823 , or an increase of £ 1 90 , 8 57 . The Gross Profits earned by the Society during the year were £ 106 , 017 , upwards of £ 9000 in excess of the previous year . Ot this amount £ 83 , 230 has been appropriated to the payment of interest , discount , and expenses of
management , leaving a net balance on the year ' s working of £ 22 , 787 . The Surplus Funds amounted last year to £ 1 , 3 63 , 061 , of which £ 1 , 220 , 386 was invested in Government , Indian , and Metropolitan Stocks , City of London and Colonial bonds , gas and water stocks and shares , freehold ground rents , and other readily convertible sccuities , and £ 144 , 674 remained at call in the hands of
the bankers . At the present time the amount invested in convertible securities is £ i , 57 . *' , 7 o 6 , being an increase of £ 335 , 320 , while the sum of , £ ' 170 , 742 stands to the credit of the Society at the bankers , being £ 26 , 068 more tban last year . The total increase of the Surplus Funds ' £ . 381 , 387 . The proportion of reserve to liabilities is now upwards of 77 J per cent . The total
liabilities of the Society are £ 2 , 263 , 719 , and the assets £ 2 , 34 8 , 603 , showing a nctt surplus of £ 84 , 884 . Of this sum £ 33 , 750 is invested in Consols as a permanent guarantee fund , leaving £ 51 , 134 to be carried forward . The number of investors and depositors at the close of the year was 38 , 427 , being an increase of 2525 since the last balance . —The Times .
Masonic Secrecy.
MASONIC SECRECY .
The secrecy of Masonry is its only sybil voice proclaiming , Procul , O , prucul estc profani . It is . onl y ule secrecy of the lawyer to his client ; of the minister to his penitent ; or of friend to friend . This trustworth y confidence is the glory of man ; scandal dies like an echo on the shore where the tongue is bridled by truth and honour ,
" W here there is no tale bearer the stnte ceascth . " Wrench from the heart of a Mason the secret of his brother ; and from the same heart you may blot out the image of his God , the vows made to a fond and confidine wife , or the duty he owes to his children , to country and home . The betrayer of secrets is a moral renegade too foul for the atmosphere of honour , he is the Judas of
friendship and the assassin of character . Nor never need an honest open-hearted Mason fear the better part of creation will urge against his order to its detriment the circumstances tbat the ladies are not ailmitted to its membership among Free and accepted Masons . Let him tell what is the fact , that Minerva , the goddess of Wisdom , presides in the Mason ' s lodge jn
which she would have indeed but a divided empire if the goddess of beauty were admitted along with her . \ VC surely would not trust Venus and Minerva together in our lodges , lest we should become too much distracted with the blandishments of beauty to hear all the severe teachings of wisdom . But it will be high time to attempt a laboured defence of this
Masonic usuagc when a lady shall complain of it or when she shall refuse making a secret-keeping Mason the lord of her affections ; pillowing on her pure heart , both the unlocked casket and the secret which it contains . Ah ! could she make him a renegade to honour , how could she loathe him . How unsafe in such hands and in such keeping would she consider her own fame and those gems of
affection which woman never gives save to the trusty , the brave , the unconquerable , the inflexible in purpose . There is a sublime secret connected with everything that is valuable . Says the great light of Masonry , the Bible , " The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him . " There is a secret in each profession of life , in every science , in every beautiful art . There is a secret in love , an outspoken language that sometimes glances from the eye
but which is oftencr hid by virgin modesty until the heart becomes an urn of suffering in which the fires of hidden attachment crimson the incense of the affections . There is a secret in hate , whispered only to the moon as its pale cold eyes gleam on the assassin ' s dagger . There are secrets everywhere in nature , from the pedestal to the capital of the pillar of the universe , over which the mysterious eye of Omniscitnce burns with its secret meaning . — Columbia Conrant .
BRITISH A . RCHJI : OLOGICAL ASSOCIATION . — The congress at Llangollen continued its proceedings en Saturday week , when a party visited the vale of Clwjil . Their first halting place was Denbigh , where they saw the Burgess Tower , St . Hillary ' s Church ( which has double aisles ) , and the Castle , which dates from Edward I . After luncheon the party proceeded to Ruthin Castle , which
contains a selection of antiquities , and where they had tea . At the evening meeting , [ Mr . Thomas Morgan , F . S . A ., honorary treasurer , in the chair , the following papers were read : — "On Welsh Converts of St Paul , " by J . W . Grover . CE . ; * ' Notes on Early Monumental Sculpture , " illustrated by drawings of crosses , & c , by B . Lynam ; and " Pen-y-Gaer ( chiefly in connection with Caractacus )
and the British Remains in North Wales , " by Mr . Dillon F . S . A . On Monday week , the last day of the Congress work , an excursion was made to Mostyn Hall , rich in good pictures and historical portraits ; the library contains a very fine collection of rare manuscripts and books , which was the subject of an address by Mr . W . De Gray Birch , F . R . S . L ., an honorary secretary of the association . The
patty visited St . Winifred's Well , near Holywell , which is said to posses miraculous curative qualities . The buililirg enclosing it was erected by Margaret , Countess of Richmond , mother of Henry VII . Basingwerk Abbey , the present buildings of which date from about 1250 , was the last place visited . In the evening Mr . T . F . Dillon
Croker read a paper by Mr . Westmacott Chapman , " On Harlech and Criccieth Castles , " the hon . treasurer , Mr . Thomas Morgan , F . S . A ., again occupying the chair . After the usual vote of thanks , the chairman declared the thirty-fourth annual congress of the British Arch . * rologi ' ' -l Association ended .
AN UPRIGHT J UDGE . —Somo young men m the town of , having " cut up " one night to tbe detriment of certain windows and bell pulls , were lodge * in the calaboose , and in due time the next morning confronted before the police magistrate , who fined them 5 dollars each ar . d an admonition . One of the tlwce foolishly remarked : " Judge , I was in hopes you wouli
^ remember me . I belong to the same lodge with you-The Judge , apparently surprised , replied with brotherly sympathy : " Ah , is it so ? Truly this is Bro . ' ¦ > did not recognise you . Excuse me for my dullness . > c ? ' we arc brother Masons , and I should have thoug ht D that . Mr . Clerk , fine our Bro . ten dollars . Being Mason , be knows better the rules of propriety than otne clerk
men ! Fine him ten dollars . You will pay the , Bro . 1 Good morning Bro . I call the next casc . ^ [ We can vouch for the truth of the above . The u l ' right judge" referred to was that good man and tr ^ i Judge Storer , of Cincinnati , O ., recently deceased . - > * ADVOCATE . ] ; . „ Query . —Was the Ed . of The Advocate the cm b brother?—AMERICAN PAPER .
The Queen left Balmoral yesterday for a shor sojourn at Loch Maree . She was accompanied by Princess Beatrice ,