Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

GEORGE KENNING ANII SON ' Manufactory and Show Rooms , i , 2 , 3 , 31 , 3 b , 4 , Little Britain , 195 , tcfi , and 197 , Aldersgate-street , E . G ., will be closed on Monday and Tuesday , the 26 th and 27 th inst . BRO . THE EARL OF F EVERSHAM has left town for Duncombe Park , Helmsley , York .

BRO . THE DUK & AND D UCHESS OF PORTLAND left London on Monday afternoon for Welbeck . BRO . ARCHDEACON SINCLAIR occupied the pulpit ofthe Chapel Royal , St . James's , on Sunday morning . BRO . THE DUKE AND D UCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH have gone to Blenheim Palace foVChristmastide . THE ANNUAL BALL of the Cripplegate Lodge , No . 1613 , will be held on Tuesday , 17 th prox ., at the King ' s Hall ofthe Holborn Restaurant .

BRO . THE M ARQUIS OF GRANBY left Kings Cross on 1 uesday for Belvoir Castle . It was the birthday of " his father , the Duke of Rutland , vvho entered on hisSist year . H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES has again graciously sent 30 pheasants to the Royal Eye Hospital , Southwark , S . E ., for the use of the poor in-patients , to whose diet it will make an acceptable change .

ON SATURDAY LAST , after the marriage of Lady Isobel Stanley , and the Hon . F . Gathorne-Hardy . Bro . the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire left town for Chatsworth , where they have been entertaining a large shooting party this week . H . R . H . P RINCESS HENRY OF BATTENBERG , attended by her suite , honoured Mr . and Mrs . Henry White vvith her company to luncheon at Wilton Park , Beaconsfield , on Saturday last . Her Royal Highness returned to Windsor Castle during the afternoon .

PRINCESS LOUISE , Marchioness of Lome , accompanied by the Marquis of Lome , attended a meetin * at Grosvenor House on Monday morning , at which the scheme was explained for rebuilding the Victoria Hospital for Children , of vvhich Her Royal Highness is patron . PRINCESS CHRISTIAN , with Baroness von Egloffstein and Major Evan Martin in attendance , visited Brixton on Tuesday with the double purpose of laying the memorial stone of the new building for the congregation of Christ Church and of opening a bazaar to meet the cost .

T . R . H . THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES , accompanied by Princess Vic toria of Wales , arrived at Marlborough House on Monday afternoon from Sandringham , and thence proceeded to Windsor Castle on a visit to the Queen . Miss Knollys and Commander the Hon . Seymour Fortescue vvere in attendance . ACETYLENE G AS . —The Acetylene Gas , Light , Power , and Calcium Carbide Company , have just acquired the manufacturing premises in High-street , Homsrton , formerly occupied by the Xylonite Company . These line premise are in everyway exactly adapted for the carrying on of this new and rapidly growing industry .

HER MAJESTY leaves Windsor Castle to-day ( Friday ) , accompanied by the Empress Frederic and Princess Henry of Battenberg , for Osborne , where the Queen and Court will spend Christmas . The Royal special train vvill run direct from Windsor to the private station at the Clarence Victualling Yard , Gosport , vvhere Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour and Major-General Stewart will be in waiting . During the Queen ' s absence from Windsor the State apartments will be open every day , except Wednesdays , on and after the 22 nd inst .

H . R . H . P RINCESS HENRY OF B ATTENBERG visited Reading on Tuesday , the object being to open a bazaar in the Town HaU in aid of the Church of England Waifs ' and Strays' Society , vvhich is doing so much good vvork . Her Royal Highness vvas received at the station by the Mayor of Reading , Mr . W . G . Wellman ( High Sheriff of Berkshire ) , Bro . C . E . ( Keyser , together with Mrs . Keyser and Miss Keyser , the latter of whom handed the Princess a lovely bouquet ; Bro . Hermon Hodge , M . P . ; Mr . G . VV . Palmer , M . P . ; Mr . G . H . Morrell , M . P . ; Bro . W . G . Mount , M . P . ; Mr . Henry Day , Town Clerk , and many other prominent members of the municipality .

UNDER THE presidency of the Lord Mayor ( Bro . Sir J . V . Moore ) , the constituents of the Hospital Sunday Fund met at the Mansion House to close the business for the present year . It vvas stated that the amount collected this year wis £ 40 , 397 25 . iod ., and the Bishop of Stepney made a suggestion , which was very redily received , to the effect that , as £ 95 2 , 000 vvas the total sum vvhich had been collected through the medium of the Fund since its establishment , a big effort should be made next year to bri-ig it up 0 a round million sterling . This , the Bishop pointed out , msant only the collsction of an extra £ 7000 over the total secueed this year .

GREETING CARDS . —Now that Christmas is so nearly come , and the New Year is approaching very rapidly , it is well to remember that Bro . George Kenning has very successfully catered for the Masonic Fraternity as respects the greeting of friends and brethren during the festive season . Some of the cards are very appropriate and artistic and others can be specially arranged to suit the needs and fancies of particular brethren , so that the varieties may hi classed under _ general or special ; all being of a Alasonic character and effective . A representation of the P . M . 's jewel in two colours and

arranged inside , in book form as required , is good , but one of the best is complete in one folded card , having on the outside of the flip the three columns or orders , in silver , with the square and compasses resting on a Masonic floor cloth in black and white . A dozen varieties can be had post fra for 3 s . Cd ., or 18 for 5 SW direct from iC , Great Queen-street , London . THE W ORK AT ST . PAUL ' S . —Few persons probably are aware of the large number of services that are held during the year at St . Paul ' s Cathedral . According ,

however , to a statement made a few days ago by Bro . Archdeacon Sinclair it is impossible to put the sacred edifice to better or morefrequent use than at the present time . Hundreds of people visit the church daily , while no fewer than SOD persons always attend the service on Saturday afternoons . At the daily services there are always 100 people present at 10 o ' clock in the morning , and 400 at four o ' clock in the afternoon . On Sunday the morning service is attended by 2500 persons , the afternoon service by

between 1500 and 2000 , and the evening service by 4000 . During last year 92 special services were held , many of them being on a very large scale . Neither clergy nor vergers , says the Archdeacon , could do more than they do now . _ The Dean has to control four canons , 30 prebenders , seven minor canons , two organists , two schoolmasters , 18 choirmen , 40 choirboys , 12 vergers , and 30 workmen . The strength of the Cathedral work lays , the Archdeacon asserts , in the personality of deans and canons , who should be carefully selected for the labours that have to be undertaken .

Masonic And General Tidings.

UNDER the presidency of the Duke of Westminster , the Executive Committee of the National Memorial to Mr . Gladstone met on Monday . BRO . THE EARL AND COUNTESS OF WARWICK have returned to Warwick Castle , vvhere they will remain in residence for the winter . THE AMOUNT oi " , " subscriptions received or promised towards the national memorial to Mr . Gladstone is £ 21 , 985 . THE MERCHANT TAYLORS' COMPANY have voted 10 guineas to Bro . Alderrr .-n Treloar's fund for the entertainment of crippled children at Guildhall .

THE EMPRESS FREDERIC left Sandringham on Monday morning , on the conclusion of her visit to their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of VVales , and came to London , -aid Cambridge . Later in the day her Imperial Majesty and suite went to Windsor . BRO ALDERMAN SIR HORATIO DAVID DAVIES , M . P ., visited Windsor last Saturday in order to receive from her Majesty the honour of knighthood , and to be invested vvith the insignia of a Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St . Michael and St . George .

MOURNING ROSETTES , in two qualities , can be obtained at Bros . George Kenning and Son , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 A , 3 B , and 4 , Little Britain , 195 , 196 , and 197 , Aldersgate-street , and 16 , Great Queen-street , London ; 47 , Bridge-street , Manchester ; 23 , Williamsonstreet , Liverpool ; and g , West Howard-street , Glasgow . No . 1—per set of threeis . 6 d .: No . 2—per set of three—is . —ADVT .

THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY announce that on Friday night , December 23 rd ( for four , five , and eight days ) , and Friday night , December 30 th ( for four and eight days ) , cheap excursions will leave London ( Woolwich ( Arsenal and Dockyard , Greenwich ( S . E . ) , Victoria ( L . C . and D . ) , Ludgate Hill , Moorgate , Aidersgate , Farringdon , King's Cross ( G . N . ) , & c ) , for Northallerton , Darlington , Richmond , Durham , Newcastle , Alnwick , Berwick , Edinburgh , Glasgow , Helensburgh ,

Dumbarton , Stirling , Verth , iJuadee , UalmiUy , Oban , Fort William , Montrose , Aberdeen , Inverness , and other stations in Scotland . Passengers by the excursions on 23 rd return onJMonday , 2 Gth , Tuesday , 27 th , or Friday , 30 th December , and those by the excursion on 30 th December return on Monday , 2 nd , or Friday , 6 th January , according to period of ticket taken . Tickets at a single fare for the double journey vvill also be issued by above excursions to places named , available for return by one fixed train on any day within 16 days , including days of issue and return . For further particulars see advertisement column .

THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY issue tickets at their principal City and West-end offices , and this arrangement cannot fail to be a boon to those travellers who desire to avoid the trouble of obtaining tickets at a crowded railway station , particularly at holiday times , and the booking office at Paddington Station will be open all day for the issue of tickets on December 19 th , 20 th , 21 st , 22 nd , 23 rd , and 2 ith . Ordinary tickets obtained in London between December ioth and 24 th will be available for use on any day between and including those days . Cheap third class tickets at reduced fares will be issued at Paddington , Clapham Junction , Victoria ( L . C . and D . ) , Kensington AddisonroadHammersmith & to Bath

( - ) , , c , , Bristol , Taunton , Barnstaple , llfracombe , Exeter , Torquay , Plymouth , Falmouth , Penzance , Yeovil , Dorchester , Weymouth , Guernsey , Jersey , & c . ; similar tickets will also be issued from those districts to London ( except the Channel Islands ) . For further particulcrs see advertisement columns . In order to meet the extraordinary demands upon the company ' s resources ' occasioned by the enormous parcel traffic despatched both from and to London at Christmas time , special fast trains , carrying parcels only , and calling at the orincipal intermediate stations vvill run between London and Plymouth , Birkenhead , Worcester , and New Milford .

THE MIDLAND RAILWAYCOMPANY . —On Christmas Eve the pressure of traffic will be relieved by the running of duplicate trains from St . Pancras as circumstances may require . On Monday , December 26 th , and on January 2 nd , certain booked trains vvill be discontinued , of which due notice vvill be given by special bills at the stations . Early issue of tickets . —The Midland Railway Company , to prevent inconvenience and crowding , have arranged for the booking offices at St . Pancras and Moorgate-street stations to be open for the issue of tickets all day on Thursday , Friday , and Saturday , D ;

cember 22 nd , 23 rd , and 24 th , and tickets to all principal stations on the Midland Railway can be obtained beforehand at the Midland Railway Company ' s City and Suburban O . fices . For further particulars see advertisemsnt column . In connection with the Christmas and New Yeir traffic the Midland Railway Co-npany will makespe : ial arrangements for the collection , quick transit , and prompt delivery of Christmas partds in all the chief towns on their system , and for their conveyance at the reduced fares . Through vans will be attached to the principal express and mail trains to acco-nmodite the %

xceptional parcels traffic concomitant upon the Christmas season , and vvhich , in view of the recent reduction in the rates , applicable to both English and Scotch towns ( now , in some cases , less , and in no instance higher than the Parcels Post rates ) , will no doubt be much heavier than usual . As a timely reminder to many sending parcels at the " owner ' s risk " rates , such as game , poultry , tobacco , cakes , cheese , Sic , the Midland Company announce that the minima as to weight formsrly applied to this class of traffic has been abolished as from December ist , and the charges are now based upon the actual . weight of the packages .

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SMOKERS SHOULD USE CALVERT'S DEMTO-PHENOLENE . A DELICIOUS ANTISEPTIC LIQUID DENTIFRICE . A few drops in a wineglass of water makes a delicious wash , for sweetening tho breath and leaving a pleasant taste and refreshing coolness in tlio mouth . Editor of Health says : — " Most effectual for strengthening the gums in case of tenderness nnd ridding the mouth of tho ni-oma ot tobacco . " ls . Gd . and 2 s . 6 d . Bottles , at Chemists , & c , or Post Free for Value . Illustrated Pamphlet of Calvert ' s Carbolic Preparations sent post freo on application . F . C . CALVERT & CO ., Manchester .

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