A Breach Of Promise.

tion that the plaintiff" was ten years older . She is the widow of a cabinetmaker , who died five or six years ago , leaving her three small houses near Penzance , in one of which she resided . According to her account she had known the defendant in her youth , and met him again at a

friend ' s house in April last . Some one then , whether in jest or earnest did not appear , suggested a match . The idea seems to have impressed the defendant , for about six weeks after he called and proposed to the plaintiff , who , after a little coy hesitation , consented .

The defendant ther . went to live as a lodger in the house next door to the one the plaintiff occupied . The banns were put up , the ring bought , and a wedding dress and bonnet , which were paid for by the defendant , as were also the wedding-cake , some pounds of beef , and a

gallon of brandy for the wedding feast . The two had a tiff" some days before Tuesday , the ist of August , for which the marriage was fixed , and again on what was to be the last Sunday of their unmarried life , when the defendant dined with the plaintiff , and she made a beef steak-pie ,

and he declared it was not ht to eat and that it made him ill . The plaintiff said , however , that this was a mere lovers' quarrel , and that the first she heard of the defendant ' s intention to cry off was that on the Monday night he declared to some one that " it was as broad as it

was long , and that his name was Walker . On the Tuesday , when he should have got up and gone in a fly to church , he stopped in bed and declared he was too ill , until the driver , tired of waiting , drove away , when , according to the p laintiff ' s account , the defendant suddenly

recovered and got up and took himself off . The laughter which had greeted this strange tale , and the still stranger appearance of the no longer youthful plaintiff ) and the fervent way in which she affirmed that on the first of August she was quite ready and willing to marry the

defendant , and added , " but , of course , when he would not have me , I could not have him , " was icdoubled when the defendant went into the box to give his version of the affair . With regard to his pecuniary position , he declared that he only had a Post Office annuity of about

a mi a week ; that he had been lame for some years and wanted some one to look after him , and thought " Nanny " ( the plaintiff ) would do , but that the match was broken off" entirely by her as she found she had enough to do to look after herself : and that it was all a joke on her

part which he thought had been carried too far . He hinted further that the too high seasoning of the Sunday pie was done purposely by the plaintiff , and he described by voice and action his sufferings from this cause . The defendant admitted in cross-examination and after some

pressing , that he had a sum which might be £ 700 in Bolitho ' s bank . Witnesses were called on both sides to confirm the stories told by the two principals . At the close of the case the jury very speedily announced that they agreed as to their verdict , but not as to the amount . After

three hours' consideration they fixed this at £ 10 . An application was made for an order that the plaintiff should have her costs , but this was strongly opposed on the ground that the action should never have been brought . The learned Judge reserved his opinion as to this for

further consideration . We confess , when we perused this striking account of a very peculiar trial , we felt not a little nervous and alarmed . Is there no limit , we " asked mentally , " to the age , when some fair complainant can sue that deceptious biped , man ? " If a stout " old gal "

of 76 can get __ . 10 damages from a compassionate jury of her fellow countrymen , what will an alert and ancient party of 80 obtain ? It seems that there is no limit as to age , so that practicall y no one is safe , though we had previously understood that above 44 , at any rate , the man

might plead the " statute of limitations . " In "lis , however , we are clearly wrong , and we hope that the result of this last trial will be a warning to all gay Lotharios and unprincipled deceivers , whether Masons or others , who seem sometimes

'o forget that age has its privileges as well as youth , and that an injured female of 76 , injured 111 loss of affection , prestige , & c , & c , that is ^ spite her many years , can still claim pecuniary damages f- < - « q a fickle and faithless young man

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do net hold ourselves responsible for , or even _ 9 approving of the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . —EoJ

SERGEANTS' INN . To the Editor of thc "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Rrother , — Has it ever occurred to any of your readers to endeavour to secure Sergeants' Inn as a Masonic Hall for the loelges in the City of London ?

If the complaints are well founded about want of accommodation at Freemasons' Hall , why not form a City company and make that historical hall the centre of our Masonic City life and work ? Yours fraternally , CIVIS LATOMICUS .

THE GIRLS' SCHOOL . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I quite agree with the remarks in Bro . C . Tombs's letter in your last number , and unless it cm be shown that all the girls are pretty sure to be married to men who will be able to keep a first-class cook ( which is very

unlikely ) there is no doubt they would all be very much better qualified to " add " to the happiness and comfort of a home of their own by being able , if required , to cook a plain dinrjer , or to instruct their own cook how to do so . There are too many ladies now who can pretend to talk French , & c , but are perfectly at a loss how properly to order a dinner , much more to cook one . The importance

of this deficiency in their education is being so thoroughl y acknowledged , that hundreds are now taking lessons and adding this useful knowledge to their previously acquired accomplishments . I shall be glad to see some other brother's remarks on this important subject , and then , after a free discussion , we shall be glad to see an article or remarks from you ,

Mr . Editor . It is scarcely fair on your part to rise up in arms at once , as you have done at the foot of Bro . Tombs's letter , for he says distinctly he docs not find fault with the education given , but wishes that this practical education

should be added , and " not to leave the other undone . " I am , yours fraternally , CHAS . FENDEI . OW . [ Wethink that there is some mistake about the children not learning to cook . We quite agree that a knowledge of cioksry is most desirable . —En . ]

A CORRECTION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — On looking over the Freemason of March io , 18 77 , I found , in page yq , a clerical error , at least I suppose so , of such importance , that it should be rectified : — " In a congregation held at Oxford on Saturday last

the degrees of Batchelor of Divinity and Batchelor of Arts were conferred on Bro . the Right Hon . Lord Donoughmore . S . G . W . " ( P . S . — " Bachelor " is more in use now ) . It should be MASTER OF ARTS , for none but a clergyman can be B . D . I am sure you will excuse my pointing this out to you . Yours most fraternally ,

AUGUSTUS A . BAGSHAWE , M . A ., P . M ., P . Z . 1233 , P . P . S . G . W ., and P . P . G . Chap . Derbyshire .

TO HUNGARIAN BRETHREN . To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — As the following appears in the " Hajnal " of February , and is the only " morccm " not translated into German , perhaps some kind Hungarian brother will translate it for the benefit of yours fraternally ,

CARPATHIAN os . A ,, rcemason" egy hire szcrint Ujseeland nagymestere engedelyt adott egy uj paholy alakulasara „ Kumar _" - ban . E hie raagabin veive nem reudkivuli ; de erdekesse teszi az , hogy „ Kumara" egy nem re ' g felfedezett aranytermo videk mintegy 80 mertfoldnyire Hokitikitol , s mar is 7000 lakossal bir , kik kii - iil 5 o-ne-l tiibben szovctse ' giink tagjai .

A SUGGESTION . To the Editor nf the " Freemasoyi . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Permit mc to throw out a suggestion wliich may effect three objects : — ist . To promote economy in the expenditure of our Charities . 2 nd . To give a pleasing variety to our festival

entertainments . 3 rd . To further the improvement and the happiness of our Boys' and Girls' Schools . The engagements of skilled professionals to conduct the musical portion of the entertainments at our three festivals costs the Charities close on £ 100 a year . Instead of this arrangement , why should we not have ,

say a dozen of our boys and of our girls previously well trained , brought in to sing part songs , & c „ with a simplicity and sweetness for which children's voices are preeminently proverbial . And as a large portion of the company on such occasions

consists of ladies , and all the company have many opportunities of hearing professional performances , it is to be supposed that the presence and the efforts of our Masonic children would awaken special interest and produce a most pleasing variety . To the children themselves it would be a great treat and

Original Correspondence.

a stimulus to their progress in music , while to the funds of each Charity it would certainly be a great relief . The adoption of this plan would probably add to the funds of the Charity rather than take from them . And I

may add , that an institution with which I am connected effected this change with great pleasure to thc children and their friends , and decided profit to its funds . I am , dear Sir and Brother , fraternally yours , R . J . SIMPSON , P . G . C .

UNITED GRAND LODGE . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I notice in your issue of March 10 th , that you hope to comment on the last Quarterl y Communication in your next . May I be allowed to suggest that it will be

interesting to your readers to be informed whose portrait has just filled up the tenth compartment of Freemason's Hall . Many doubtless will know , and others will imagine , but the fact would certainl y be best confirmed in your world-wide columns . The portrait emanates from the Lodge of Friendship ; there ar _ many bearing that name ;

am I right in presuming it is Lodge of Friendship , No . 6 ? I am sorry to trouble you , but the report of last Grand Lodge does not appear definite on these points . Fraternally yours , J . E . J . 1458 . [ The portrait is that of H . R . H . our Grand Master , the Prince of Wales . —ED . ]

MASONIC QUERIES . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother ,- — Just one line to say that in my reply to J ' R . W . O . ' s" question as to P . P . G . Stewards , I did not intend to offend him , but finding , from the tenor of his

letter , that I have unintentionally done so , I apologize accordingly . I take this opportunity to inform "Rough Ashlar " that he can get a cheap edition of the Book of Constitutions , at Grand See ' s . Office or through the publisher of this paper . I agree with him that a copy should be

given to initiates , and during my Mastership of two lodges I always handed one to the initiate to keep . Yours fraternally , MAGNUS OHRE * . . P . M . 33 & 452 . To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir , and Brother ,

I notice in yours of last Saturday a letter from " F . L . E . J ., " in which hc states that the ritual of initiation is not complied with unless a copy of Constitutions , as well as the bye-laws of the lodge , are handed to each initiate for persual at his leisure . If this is correct , I am afraid the ritual is often neglected ,

as in my own case , and many others I know , the bye-laws of thc lodge only have been presented j and should it be necessary to have both , as " F . L . EJ . " asserts , I shall feel obliged if cither " F . L . EJ . " or any other brother will kindly give the page , & c , in the Book of Constitutions

where the . instruction for so doing is given , so as to enable me to draw our W . M . ' s attention to this neglect . I may also ieiform "F . L . EJ . " that I have never seen but one copy , and that in the hands of our W . M . Yours fraternally , STEWARD .

To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Will any brother kindly inform me what are the essential points to be observed in the investment of a Steward , for instance , is it necessary that the brother , after he has received his appointment from the W . M . elect , and . accepted it by post , that lie should be present at the

installation , or any lodge night afterwards , and be invested in open lodge ? Or is it necessary that his name should appear in the minute book as having been appointed ? and oblige , yours fraternally , " J . D . T . £ *""* [ As a rule Stewards arc invested with the other officersfc A record ot his appointment by the W . M . appears , o » course , on thc lodge minute book . —ED . ] \

A correspondent of the Masonic Record of Western , V India sends the following : — £ Dear Sir and Brother , —Could you or any of your I readers give me correct advice as to how I should act in if the following case ? 2 There arc two lodges working within a short distance S

of each other . One , the senior , under the E . G ., the other iV under the S . C . Mr . A . is proposed for initiation in the- ' former , and is blackballed . Shortly after he is proposed M accepted , and initiated in the latter . Would I , if I were ^ ruling the Lodge E . C , at the time , be justified in refusing

admission to Bro . A . in case he came as a visiting brother , or would I be obliged to admit him ? If I could , have this point settled authoritatively through the columns of your valuable journal , I would be much obliged . It is one which might arise , and has therefore exei / cised me much . f-y .- . ,.-- ,- ^ , j > .- . [ We should say you must ad ' ,

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

MASDNIC TOASTS DRUNK ATHOI . I . OWELI . ON THE FESTIVAI OF ST . JOHN . ist . —George Washington , the Illustrious Grand Master of America , may his Masonic virtues never forsak . him in this world , and may they be productive of a rich

inheritance in the Grand Lodge above . 2 nd . —The Fraternity throughout the Globe . May they be wholly governed by the principles of their profession , act On the square of rnncripnliniiei mi . ri « .- __ n MJY (> •**¦''*¦ '¦* the compass of truth . '¦ ' ^ T ^"'" ^ " ***"'¦*