Christmas.

Christmas .

I ^ f-HIIISTMAS hero once moro with all ] S $ ^ its sacred and social associations , and * JZ ° seems to Lid us welcome once again as ( 5 * 5 )» wo journey * on amid the cares and * T troubles oi life . Christmas is an old

friend to ns all , and we always ' , n we arc rightly constituted beings , hail its appearance with p leasant sympathies and p leasing- memories . It is a period of religious association , domestic reunion , and social festivity all combined , which seems to speak fullvoiced ever in most attractive tones to our

worn and wearied humanity year by year , licmemlicring what Christmas proclaims from age to ago , its message of peace , brotherhood , and goodwill , it seems to accord so thoroughl y with every portion of onr Misonic lore that words are useless to proclaim its blessedness , its reality , its appropriate teaching , and its

elevating memories , Indeed , it is not so much to dilate upon Christmas , or to moralize on Christmas , that we pen these lines to-day , but simply to offer to all our readers and friends , and our kind patrons , many of them far , for , away , our heartiest aspirations for a Merry Christmas and a Happy Now Year to them and theirs . Wherever Masons aro found there the

Freemason- is read , and with this our Christmas number wc arc anxious to convey our most "hearty good wishes , " as well for this festive season as for the new year , to all who peruse our pages or support our efforts to diffuse a sound , a readable , a health y Masonic paper .

To all associated in happy homes to-day , when the scattered surviving members of the family have gathered once again in time round thc " old hearth stone , " whether old or young , wo tender our sympathetic congratulations and our warmest hopes that as Christina Day ,

1879 , is leaving them in health , happiness , and peace , so their onward career in 1880 may be dimmed b y no cloud and marred by none of the storms or tempests of life . As on Christmas Day thoy assemble from all quarters round tho family dinner table or tho Christmas

Tree , may all of undimmed felicity be theirs , and wifch lig ht hearts , rejoicing strains , and general greetings , and kinder memories , may they hail the precious hours of a transient Christmas season . A few years make a great havoc in loving circles and happy families . Sonic arc

missing , some are far away ; those who constituted our pride and our grace are perhaps lying in thoir graves , and when we close up our ranks wc see how many of our dearest comrades are missing , for the roll-call tells that , alas , thoy cannot be here to answer to

their names or join m our harmonious and harmless revelry . Christmas lias always two voices for ns—a voice of uhecriness and sadness ; a voice bidding us rejoice , a voice bidding us reflect . And we shall best enjoy the good things

of our gay and gonial gathering if wo remember two points , most Masonic both in utterance and reality , that some aro not so blessed as we , and that Christmas inevitably racalls to us the loved and the lost . But wo do not wish to scorn to sermonize or moralize

to-day . Wo have thought it well thus lightl y for tbe moment to touch upon obvious truths and solemn duties and sacred associations and tenderest memories , and we wish , with all unfeigned sincerity , to our readers for themselves and their families , u Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year .

Our Christmas Freemason.

Our Christmas Freemason .

S ^ foUR Publisher has thought that a Special $ ZFi Christmas Freemason mi ght be ac-S ZSZ ccp ^ -k ' * ° our ma , l J readers at home j f " and abroad . Wc feci sure that in this J *\ respect his expectations will be realised " - " and his anticipations rewarded .

Whereover tho Freemason roaches on this wide earth to-day , wherever it is rend , and liked , and cared for , as we have often flattering tokens and pleasant reminders , we trust that the Christmas Nnmber will bc Masonically hailed and kindly received . Indeed , we have ourselves no doubt whatever of its seasonable

form and its opportune appearance , and therefore it is that the publisher wishes to commend it to-day to all his friends and patrons , as containing uot only what is needful for the Masonic reader and student , but what is pleasing , amusing , and edifying to thc general

public . Ihe l ' reemasoii is , oi course , primarily and mainly intended for Freemasons , and " bright" Freemasons too ; but at this special season of the year , thc publisher very wisel y conceives , in our opinion , that it may be made " for the nonce" equally acceptable to the

members , old and young , of all Jlasons * families , and that even the outside world may be pleased and profited by its careful perusal . And so once more he begs to call the attention of liis readers to this his Christmas number of his widely circulated Freemason , and asks for

it the friendly criticisms of non-Masons , and the warm support of all Freemasons , not onl y up and down Great Britain , but everywhere whore Lodges exist , Masonic principles prevail , and the good old banner of Masonry holds out its pleasant folds to friends and foes . The publisher bogs to thank his many kind friends for

their original tales , whose merit , from a literary point of view * , is nofc a little striking , and also his Masonic contemporaries , such as the Keystone , Masonic Advocate , and Voice of Masonry , from whom , " pace" their fraternal permission , he has ventured to reprint a few interesting stories for his Christmas number .

Uviyuq.

Uviyuq .

BY AN OLD MASON . * - StffiT has often struck mc , in Mnsonic meetings , how ffl very wonderful arc two facts connected with 6 f ! j S > Freemasonry , namely , its Antiquity ami itsUnig" vorwility . I need not liore dilute upon tlio former , S for fear of making my littlo communication too » prosy ; anil the more so , ns I wish to illustrate tbo

latter by a little incident of which I was nn eye-witness , and which , though it happened many , many years ago , is as vividly impressed upon my tenacious memory as if tho scene and tho persons depictetl were only of yesterday . Someone has said , " As vve grow old wo forgot , anil

oblivion steals gradually from a weakened memory the things that were ; " bnt for my part , I fintl to-day how very retentive is the " silent warder of tbe mind" of old days and scenes and friends—how loth to forsake them and reluctant to part from thorn . Anil so I am ablo , in those fi-ienelly pages , to " point tlio moral and adorn the tale " by the narration of a facfc , as clear , as

coi'tain , ancl as unelouljteel as anything well can be which is governed by the laws of human testimony as evidence . Yes , the universality of Freemasonry is a wonderful thing , look at it which way you will , for there is Freemasonry in its mysterious adaptations and secret organizations " cropping up" from beneath your very feet . iu tho most unlikely places and in the most distant realms . Amid nations civilized and barbarous , among

Uviyuq.

the houseless tribes of the desert , and the dwellers of crowded cities ,- there it is unmistakcably , permanently , vitally , apparently testifying of thafc remarkable period in tbo world ' s history which we term to-day the " time of the mysteries , " and Vfhich links us distinctly with tho patriarchal ages and antediluvian truths ! Of course , there is also thc operative sodality side to this

great feature of Universal History , and a most striking phenomenon it is , too , and thc two combined make up thafc " perfect whole " of the real true history of Freemasonry , without which , perhaps , its wondrous annals afc first sight appear to somo an cmbarassing enigma or a childish paradox . It has been long known to many travellers that in

the East especially , there lingers a secret fntenrity , very much akin to Freemasonry , if not altogether identical , now , in aim anil practice , bufc which has this great peculiarity , that it preserves thc same great landmarks of Universal Freemasonry as we do , and wo in England and thoy in the East arc able , by the mysterious laws of Hceosmitioii to make ourselves known to

one another . This i'aternity exists equally among the Arabs and tho Druses , tho Turks and the Egyptiaus , the Mnronitcs and thc Ausayi-ic , anel extends all over Africa , and is to bc foiintl as well in tho Sahara as at Fez ancl Mogadorc . Somo years ago , when a very young Mason , nnd that is why tho incident made so deep on impression on my

miuil , I went over from Gibraltar with a large party of English ladies and olliccrs to Tangiers . Tangiers , ns some of my readers woll know , is in tho Straits of Gibraltar , and ouce belonged to us , being part of tho dowry of Catherine of Brag . aiu-.-i , wife of King Charles 11 . 11 vvas afterwards abandoned by us , Ifc is a curious town in some respects , and has an interest for travellers

eveu to-day . Just before our visit to tangiers , several outbreaks of fanaticism , had occurred in Tangiers on the part of thc " santous , " or holy men of Africa , towards all Europeans—not English especially , but rather all " unbelievers , " and our then respected Consul-General , Sir J . D . llay , had ollicially warned the garrison to bo very careful uot to offend any of these

unfortunately dirty and repulsive representatives of a dominant belief , when on casual visits or shooting excursions . Ono of tho favourite pi-ocecelings of these aroused Mohammedans , aroused by the mere presence of au unbeliever , was to " spit in his faco , " and then to raise tho people by accusing him of " insulting tho religion of the Holy Prophet !"

" Mashallah 1 " as thoy say themselves , this was a very fine position of affairs . So , after many injunctions to bo very careful , wo started in high spirits for Tangiers . Tho day was cloudless and tho sea tranquil ( which it is not always in theso straits ) , and we soon maelo our

" run" over to Tangiers , where wo wore met by tho politest of consuls , and , after repeated good advice from him , and a " soldier" given us to take caro of us , we started in a broiling sun to seo Tangiers . Oh ! happy days of youth . To-day , when we who survive are weak nnd shivering old men , what a bright memory of stal wart youths and gay and gracious dames comes before mo

as I write . Wo held a " council of war" what we wore to do , and tho first point determined upon , especially hy tho ladies ( dear , self-willed creatures that they are ) , was to see the mosque . In vain " caution " was preached and " danger " was pointed out—seo it they would . So "Alloiis , e * ifaiifc do la pafcrie , " we said , and away vve wont .

" Beware , " said Sir J . D . llay , " of a santou . " Tho writer of this was leading the joyous party , whoso laughter made the staid soldier stare , and did not raiso us , 1 fear , in his opinion , wheu we came full upou tho mosque , and 1 saw to my horror a santou , sitting close to the door , counting his chaplut , for there arc chaplets in tho East as well as in the Homan Catholic Countries .

Even tho soldier seemed uneasy . All of a sudden , I remembei-cil the statement I had hatl from good authority , and , stepping forward , uiipeieeived by tho party , 1 made a Masonic sign to hiin , known to all my readers , dropping a small golden dollar piece into his lap ! To my intense' delight—ho answered it , and made a how with his head , and then

without raising his head any more , he remained in a bowed attitude , and allowed the party and myself to file peacefully into the Mosque . When we came out ho was gone . Tho soldier was so astonished that ho kept staring at me and him . Anil thus it is , believe me , explain it as we will , that

Freemasonry is everywhere- to day ! May we not say , as a great personage said of old , according to our traditions , when wo consider the actual existeuce of Freemasonry , and realise its mysterious influence in the wide , wide world , and position in all countries at the present time"Oh , mighty brotherhood ! oh , wonderful Masons \ "