Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible tor the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

A LAUDABLE EXAMPLE . To the Editor ot the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and'Brother , One nig ht last week I visited the Bective Lodge , No . 1532 , Carlisle on my return to town from Scorland .

At the social board , the W . M ., Bro . George White , P . S . G . W ., and ex-Mayor of Carlisle , made a special appeal to the members of the lodge present , in behalf of the Soldiers ' , Widows ' , and Orphans' Fund , the " whip up " resulting in close upon £ 2 $ , although there wis not by any means an average attendance . A circular , however , has to be sent to the bulk of the members .

A similar procedure , I heard , has been taken in connection with tbe Union Lodge , No . 310 , and it may be added , that both lodges had previously donated 25 guineas each from their funds , whilst the proceeds of the coming Bective Lodgeball have to be given to the fund also . I would only further remark that the Union and Bective Lodges number nearly 100 members each . Masonry is clearly flourishing in the ancient border city . —Yours fraternally , W . F . LAMONBY .

December nth . A PHOTOGRAPHIC MASONIC LODGE . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , May I call the attention of those of your readers who may be interested in photography to a proposal which has been made to found a Photographic Masonic Lodge ?

Already a fair promise of support has been obtained ; but no doubt , ' hrou B \ the medium of your widely-read paper , far greater support both from London and Provincial Masons would be obtained . If anyone interested in the matter will send his name and address cither to Bro . E . j . Wall , Editor of the Photographic Nevus , or to myself , we would communicate further details . —Thanking you , I am , yours fraternally , W . E . DUNMORE , 139 * .

no , Shaftesbury-avenue , W ., December 6 th .

AN EXPLANATION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Will you kindly give me thc hoipitality of your paper to make the following

statement?—It is with the greatest grief that I have learned that my silence at the Empress Lodge , on the 13 th instant , when the health of the visitors was proposed , has been utterly misunderstood , and not attributed to the real cause—namely , a morbid dillidence to speak , without any preparation , before a large meeting . If I had suspected that my silence would be misunderstood , 1 should have overcome the reluctance I feel to hear my own voice in public , and I should have said , on behalf of the La France Lodge , that every member entertains towards England

and the English people the most cordial feelings of friendship ; that every member in it profoundly respects the august lady who reigns over this great nation ; that every member in it is a loyal English Mason paying due allegiance to their Most Worshipful Grand Master , H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , and promoting everywhere they go , by every means in their power , the entente cordutle between England and France . I should have added besides , that , personally , during the 35 years I have lived in England , I have learnt not only to respect it , to admire , but also to love it .

Thanking you in anticipation for kindly inserting the above , I remain , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , HENRI BUE , P . G . Std . Br ., Treasurer of La France Lodge .

December 14 th . APPEAL FOR A DESERVING MISSION To thc Editor of the "Freemason . " Sir ,

" An unequal Combat" is the title of the pamphlet we are now issuing to our friends and supporters . It shows how acutely the innocent wives and children of prisoners suffer , and explains how we assist them . It also shows that we do not confine our efforts to any one parish , district , or class , but that we assist large numbers of families , no members of which have ever been in prison . There are many in such dire distress , that unless they are helped quickly they will be without adequate clothing , firing , and food during the trying winter

season . We want to distribute as many Christmas dinners , and as much other relief , at least , as we have for the past 50 years ; and beg your readers' kindly aid . Contributions should be sent to our bankers , Messrs . Barclay and Co ., 54 , Lombard-street , E . G ., or to yours faithfully , WM . WHEATLEY , Superintendent , St . Giles ' s Christian Mission . 4 , Ampton-street , Regent-square , W . C , December , 1 S 99 .

Reviews.

Reviews .

"Tuft D ROIT ' MINU ; OK , AFIMHT ion F OKTUNI' . "—By Charles R . Kenyon , author of "The Young Ranchman , '' " l'he Sole Survivor , " "Gold from klondyke , " A Polar Eden , " Sic , with eight illustrations by J . Ayton Symington . London : John Hogg , \\ , Paternoster-row . IS < > "I ' , KMIAMVS VVOKU : OK . lunt * Alum ' s AUVKNTUKHS IN MADAGASCAR .

With abiitl natiativeof further events in that country . —By Robert I hynne . author of "The Story of Australian Exploration , " "Matthew Flinders , " Sic With eight illustrations by ] . Ayton Symington . London : Same publisher . Bro . John Hogg is always well to the front at this Christmas seasm with books of various kinds and different degrees of merit , that are suitable either for presentation as prizes or as gift books which are certain to be welcomed by their recipients and afterwards

Reviews.

most cordially included among their treasured literary possessions . Perhaps the class of book for the publication . of which Bro . Hogg exhibits the most decided preference are those that are crowded from title-page to colophon with stirring adventures of every description ; and the more crowded the pages , the more stirring the adventures , the better calculated are they , in the publisher's opinion , to find a ready market . These books of adventure have this further recommendation—that in very many cases the leading incidents described are more or less directly based on facts that have actually taken place in recent times . Thus

''THE DACOIT ' S MINE" introduces us into the country , which was once under t ' ne despotic government of King Theebaw , Lord of the White Elephant , Si :., but which has now passed under the enlightened rule of the Empress of India . I'he plot ot the book is pretty well indicated by its title , the hero of the story and his bos > m friend having resolved to win their fortunes by searching the country through for mines and obtaining from them the more or less priceless rubies for which Burma is celebrated . In their researches they meet with all kinds of adventures , in not a few of which

they barely escape with their lives . However , Fraser , who is a sub-lieutenant in-tbe Goovkhas , and his friend , Watkin Jones , who is a clerk in the employ of a firm of diamond merchants , have in them the stnff of which heroes are made , and in additon , the happy knack of emerging with safety from difficulties apparently insurmountable But at the time to which their adventures belong , Upper Burna was over-rua by dacoits—that is , highway robbers—who were numerous enough , and powerful enough ,

to attack and rob whole communities in open day , and as mav be imagined , Lieut . Fraser and his friend Watkin Jones , familiarly spoken of as " Wat , " with their faithful little Goorkha attendant , are continually meeting bands of dacoits , from whom they ultimately get off scot free , but not without being every now and then in a tight place , while dacoity , which in the earlier chapters is rampant , is graduall / brought into a state of abject submission to the English ideas of law and order .

" KING KADAMA ' WORD " is a story full of stirring incidents concerning the island of Madagascar in the days when the country was ruled by the native Hova dynasty , and long before the French had succeeded in establishing a footing on the island , from which small beginning they gradually succeeded in bringing the whole of Madagascar under the government of the French tricolour . The hero is a certain Joha

Aikin , and the time to which the events and personages described in these pages belong follows closely upon the British conquest of the Mauritius—ihi Us de France —and the installation of Mr . Farquhar as Governor of the new possession . Mmy of the personages played in real life the parts ascribed to them in these pages , so that the book has the two-fold advantage of being full of thrilling adventure and , at the sime time and to a certain extent , true to history .

It remains for us to add that both authors have discharged their duties admirably . The stories are well told , and those who may be on the ' 00 k out for Christmas gift books suitable for boys , will not make a bad choice if they select " Kin ? Radima ' s Word " or " The Dacoit's Mine " for their purpose . They have the further advantage ot being illustrated by an artist of repute , and are well printed and bound .

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR CARDS , & c—Messrs . C . W . Faulkner and Co ., the celebrated Artistic Colour Printers of 7 ) , Golden-lane , London , are publishing some veritable gems in Christmas and New Year Cards . Not a few of these little souvenirs of the period are real works of art , and deserve much more than a season's show and use . Many are well worthy of being framed as miniature reproductions of some of the best works of Gainsborough , Reynolds , Morland , & c , and the choice sea pieces , views of public Buildings , Cathedrals , and other examples of perfect printing

assuredly place this firm in the forefront as Art Publishers . The Illustrated List of Calendars ior the Season iS < jo ,-i <) oo include some 150 distinct varieties , comprising choice selections in colour and black and white , hanging , mechanical and monthly tearoff , and turnover kinds , as well as Daily block Calendars . Their new Publications in photogravure and platinotype are all of the highest excellence , and range in price from is . to 63 s ., but the Calendars , undoubtedly , are the great feature of this year ' s publications , and will make the Firm ' s name popular and widely known throughout the land as Christmas and New Year Publishers of the first rank in this country .

. "THE BOOKMAN . "—For December , Messrs . Hodder and Stoughton , 27 , Paternoster-row , have published a Christmas Double Number , but without raising the price , being sixpence , as before , and may be ordered throjgh any bookseller . It is certainly a marvellous production , for the Illustrated Christmas Supplement would be very cheap ( being of a very artistic character ) for that sum alone , and yet , besides that valuable publication , there is the " Bookman" proper , full of accurate , carefully written , and most interesting information and numerous articles of great excellence ,

duly signed by men of such eminence in the literary world , that their contributions should , and doubtless will , make this number an immense success . "Stevenson's Letters , " by Mr . S . R . Crockett ; " ihe late Grant Allen " ( with life-like portrait ) , by Mr . Clement K . Shorter ; "Social Life of Scotland in the iSth Century , " by Rev . D . Hay Fleming ; "The Encyclopedia Biblica , " by Dr . Marcus Dods ; and pap : rs by Dr .

Richard Garnett , of British Museum fame , are all contributions that call for special mention . The work is lavishly illustrated and his rainy additionil features this month as well as the ordinary book routine ; and , moreover , there is a fine presentation plate of J RU . SKIN , from a new portrait by J . McClelland , which is a real treasure and most creditable to all concerned . We strongly adviss our readers to speculate in sixpence at once .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

1-41 ] — ORDER OF ODDFELLOWS , U . S . A . The many friends of General John Corson Smith , Past G . M . of Illinois , who are resident in Great Britain and Ireland , will be glad to hear that the Grand Encampment of Odd Fellows ot the United States of America presented to our dear , brother a handsome arm chair as a token of the appreciation of the active service of the recipient of the gift fur a quarter of a century . General Smith

now retires from the onerous olli : e of Grand Scribe , which be has held so long to the great advantage of this large and influential society , which in the U . S . A . is a friendly rival of the Masonic body as respects numbers and importance . Eig ht hundred members were in attendance , and passed a voted of thanks to the General for his invaluable services . Bro . Robert Smith , the son of " our General , '' has just retired from the highest honcur in the power of the Grand

Encampment to btstow , viz ., Grand Patriarch , ard on the completion of his term was presented with a gavel made ot wood , from the old Illinois State House and from the Lincoln Homestead in Springfield . Father and Son , therefore have been the recipients of gifts testifying to the esteem and appreciation of this great Society , and as Freemasons we rejoice to hear of our good brethren and friends being so honoured . W . J . HUGHAN .

Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

Moira Lodge , No . 92 . The 144 th anniversiry meeting of this distinguished lodge took place at the Albion Tavrrn , Aldersgate-street , on Thursday , the 7 th inst . Present : Bros , lohn Webb , W . M . ; Charles E . Russell , S . W . ; Sir Norman R . Pringle , Hart ., J . W . ; T . L . Wilkinson , P . M ., Treas . ; R . F . Gould , P . M ., Sec ; | . Norman Noakes , S . D . ; Stuart B . Noakes , J . D . ; F . A . Donnison , I . G . ; H . M . Carter , P . M . ; Sydney Shorter , P . M . ; G . Greiner , P . M . ; E . Greiner , P . M . ; M . A . Tweedie , P . M . ; A . 15 . Walters , C . A . Elgood , A . W . Smith , and A . J . Saunderson . Visitors : Bros . G . Piddu : k , 1107 ; J . Joel , W . M . 2647 ; J . Peeke Richards , 1584 ; John Dives , I . G .