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p REAT NORTHERN RAILWAY . CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS . DECEMBER 20 , 21 , 22 , and 24 , TICKETS WILL BE ISSUED IN ADVANCE AND DATED AS REQUIRED at King ' s Cross , Moorgate , Aldersgate , Victoria ( L . C and D . ) , Ludgate Hill , Farringdon , Holloway , Finsbury Park , the various West End , City , and other offices , at the offices of Swan & Leach , 3 , CharingCross , and 32 , PiccadiIly Circus ; of William Whiteley , 151 , Queen ' s-road , Bayswater ; Robertson & Co ., 191 , Fulham-road , S . W . ; at the Army and Navy Stores , 105 , Victoria-street , S . VV . ; Civil Service Supply Association , 136 , Queen Victoria-street , E . C . ; Civil Service Co-operative Society , 2 S , Haymarket . S . VV . ; of Hernu , Peron and Co ., 9 S and 100 , Queen Victoriastreet ; and of A . Jakins and Co ., 99 , Leadenhall-street ( Leadenhall House ) , E . C . ; 30 , Silver-street , Notting Hill Gate , VV . ; "Red Cap , " 6 , Camden-road ; and 7 , Beresford-square , South Woolwich . DECEMBER 22 and 24 , additional trains will be run to meet requirements of traffic . The 10 . 40 p . m . express from Kind ' s Cross , which does not usually run beyond Berwick on Saturday nighls , will , on Saturday 22 nd and Monday 24 th December , be run through to Edinburgh , and be due in Edinburgh at 10 . 15 a . m . on December 23 rd and 25 th . Monday , December 24 th , the 5 p . m . express from King ' s Cross vvill be continued to Mellon Constable , calling at all stations east of Peterboro ' . A Special Express , at ordinary fares , vvill leave London ( King's Cross ) at 12 midnight on Monday , December 24 th , for Welwyn , Stevenage , Hitchin , Biggleswade , Sandy , St . Neot's , Huntingdon , Peterboro ' , Spalding , Boston , Grimsby , Grantham , Lincoln , Nottingham , Newark , Retford , Doncaster , Wakefield , Leeds , Bradford , Halifax , Selby , York , & c CHRISTMAS DAY , the trains vvill run as on Sundays , except that the 5 . 15 a . m . express from King ' s Cross ( at ordinary fares ) will be run to Peterboro' , Bourne , Stamford , Grantham , Lincoln , Nottingham , Doncaster , Wakefield , Leeds , Bradford and Halifax , stopping at the intermediate stations at vvhich it ordinarily calls , and will be continued to York , Newcastle , Edinburgh , Glasgow , Perth , Aberdeen , CHEAP EXCURSIONS . FRIDAY NIGHTS , DECEMBER 21 st and 2 SU 1 , to Newcastle , Berwick , Edinburgh , Glasgow , Stirling , Perth , Dundee , Montrose , Aberdeen , and other stations in Scotland , will leave Woolwich Aisenal , Woolwich Dockyard , Victoria ( L . C . and D . ) , Ludgate Hill , Moorgate , Aldersgate , Farringdon and King ' s Cross ( G . N . ) Passengers by the excursions on 21 st , return on Wednesday , 26 th , or Saturday , 29 th December , and those by the excursion on December 28 th , return on Wednesday 2 nd , or on Friday , 4 th January . TICKETS AT A SINGLE FARE FOR THE DOUBLE JOURNEY vvill also be issued by these excursions to places named , available for return on any day within eight days , including days of issue and return . SATURDAY , DECEMBER 22 nd , Cheap Express Excursions will be run from LONDON , Woolwich Arsenal , Woolwich Dockyard , Vicloria , Moorgate , Aldersgate , Farringdon , and King's Cross ( G . N . ) , to Cambridge , Lynn , Norwich , Cromer , Yarmouth , Lincoln , Leicester , Nottingham , Derby , Burton , Tutbury , Stoke , Sheffield , Huddersfleld , Manchester , Liverpool , Wakefield , Leeds , Bradford , Keighley , Halifax , Hull , York , Darlington , Durham , Newcastle , & c . Returning Dec . jCth or 2 . Sth . For fares and full particulars see bills , to be obtained at Company ' s stations and town offices . HENRY OAKLEY , London , King's Cross , General Manager . December , 1 S 94 .

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/~* REAT WESTERN RAILWAY . CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS . On DECEMBER iSth , and during the week preceding Christmas day , CHEAP THIRD CLASS HE I URN TICKETS available on forward journey from December 22 nd to 2 *) th and for return up to December 29 th inclusive , will be issued from PADDINGTON , Kensington ( Atldison Road ) , Hammersmith , & c , tn Bath , BRISTOL . Taunton , Barnstaple , II . FRACOMBK , F . NK I ER , TORoUAY , PLYMOUTH , Falmouth , Penzance , \ 'KOVIL , " DOR . CHESTER , WEYMOUTH , Src . ; and for u .-e on D-cerr .-ber 22 nd ar . d 24 th only , to GUERNSEY and JERSEY . The tickits will be available by . ill ( rains . CHEAP hXCURSIONS will leave I ' AIHIINGTI . N STATION as under : SATURDAY NIGHT , DI-CI-. VIIIKR 22 nd , n . i . ip . m . for BATH and BRISTOL , returning Wednesday ni ^ ht , December 2 lith . 11 . 40 p . m . fcr Oxford , Chipping Norton , Evesham , Worcester , Malvern , Hereford , Banbuty , Leamington , Birmingham , Wolverhampton , Shrewsbury , Aberystwyth , Dolgelly , BarmoutV , Chester , Liverpool , etc ., returning Wednesday Night , December 20 th , or Friday , December 28 th . 12 . 40 a . m . ( Sunday Morning ) for Cirencester , Stroud , Gloucester , Che'tenliam , Cardiff , Swansea , Carmarthen Junction , Haverfordwest , New Milfoiil , Pembroke Dock , Tenby , & c „ returning Wednesday Night , December 2 G 1 I 1 . Tickets , Bills , Pamphlets , and full particulars of alterations in ordinary train arrangements can be obtained at the Company ' s Stations and Receiving O . lices at 19 . ; and 407 , Oxford-street ; 2 , 1 , New Oxford-street ; 4 , Holborn-circus ; 26 , Regent-street ; 2 ( 111 , Strand ; 17 , Brompton-road ; 29 , C hating Cross ; 5 , / iithiir-slreet Kast , London Bridge ; 82 , Queen Vicloiia-stieet * , Minories ( opposite Goodman ' s Yard );; 157 , Borough High-street ; ( Nag's Head Yard ); 67 , Giesham-street ; 4 , Cheapside ; 1 S 1 , Tottenham Couit-road ; Cambridge-ciicus , Shaftesburj-avenue ; The Piazza , Covent Garden Market ; and the L . B . and S . C Office ( under Grand Hotel ) , Trafalgar-square . HY . LAMBERT , General Manager .

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THE FREEMASON -FOR SALE a complete set from the commencement ; bound in cloth ; price £ 20 . Apply li . C , Freemason Office , iC , Great Queen-street , W . C ,

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GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTER MASONS . ELECTION OF GRAND TREASURER , 1895 . ' Bro . W . F . LAMONBY , Past Provincial Grand Secretary Cumberland and Westmorland , is the Country Candidate , Has been a Subscribing Member to one or more lodges , over 22 years ; Founder of three lodges , two of vvhich he consecrated ; Life-Governor and three times Steward Mark Benevolent Fund ; Life-Governor and Steward Boys' and Girls' Schools .

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T- 'HE EAST ROOM , CRITERION , PICCADILLY . Enlarged to meet its Constantly Increasing Patronage , and entirely Re-. lecorated for the service of Hie most RECHERCHE DINNERS AND SUPPERS . Is the Best Ventilated and Most Elegant Restaurant in London .

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PARTRIDGE & COOPER , "THE" STATIONERS , 191 & 192 , FLEET STREET , LONDON , . Would invite attention to their LARGE AND WELL-SELECTED STOCK OF . GENERAL & FANCY STATIONERY , Suitable for presents , such as Inkstands , Stationery , Cabinets , Ladies' and Gentlemen ' s Dressing Bags , Travelling and Brief Bags , & c , all of vvhich are enumerated in their New Illustrated Catalogue , sent free on application .

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HSfflTas w ^

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

SATURDAY , DECEMBER 2 „ * , 18 94 .

The pleasant duty again devolves upon us of wishing our friends and the Craft generally the compliments of the approaching season . The surroundings are not such as we are in Ihe habit of associating with Chtistmastide . There is no bright sunshine , no crisp frost , no endless sheet of snow to look out upon , bill instead

plenty of mud and slush , a temperature which almost equals that of an average May or June , while over . ill there hangs a kind of uncoloured wet blanket , the effect of vvhich is the very reverse of exhilarating . However , it is an ill wind that blows nobody good , and

if , 011 the one hand , there is an absence of extreme cold , wilh its accompanying pleasures of skalinp , sleighing , tobogganing , and the like , there is , in all probability , less distress and suffering among the poor . So , in spite of rain and mud , murky atmospheres , ar . d

Masonic Notes.

June warmth , vve are looking forward hopefully to Christmas and all its genial accompaniments , and sincerely trust our readers are of the same mind , and vvill enjoy themselves as fully as in the years that

have passed . Besides , if vve lived at the Antipodes , vve should be celebrating Christmas under a sweltering sun , and our thoughts would be directed to cricket and athletic sports instead of skating and sliding . * # *

There are , indeed , many Masons to whom Christmas as a season for special rejoicing holds out no particular attractions , lt is not a fV-te that is looked upon as sacred by the whole body of the Craft , though it is respected by all . However , it is a holiday , if not

a holy day , and Masons are as apt as other people to make the most of such an occasion . Besides it used to be under the" Ancient" Grand Lodge of England , and it still is in Ireland , and in Massachusetts , Pennsylvania , and other jurisdictions in the United States and elsewhere , the most important season of the year , when the

newly-elected Grand Master was solemnly installed in ofiice and appointed and invested , or where they vvere elected by Grand Lodge , invested the Grind Officers for the ensuing i ? . months , the day set apart for the important ceremony being Si . John the Evangelist ' - Day , the r > 7 th December .

» * » Indeed , both the St . John ' s Days , that of St . John the Baptist ( 24 th June ) as well as that of St . John the Evangelist , are held in veneration and respect by the Freemasons , not so much , we opine , on account of the

holy personages to ivnom they are dedicated as on account of their being nearly coincident with the summer and winter solstices , and , as our readers well know , the sun plays as important a part in the symbolism of the Craft as it does in the planetary

system . Under the Ancient Grand Lodge of England , however , St . John the Evangelist ' s Day appears to have been associated vvith the installation nf the new Grand Master , and the observances proper to the day were of a more solemn character , while

festivity and the drinking of the proper healths belonged lo the day of St . John the Baptist . Thus on the 24 th [ une , 1758 , Bro . Goodman , S . G . W ., who presided , ordered "the proper healths to be drunk" anil Ihe Grantl Master's vvas drunk with nine , the D . G . M ' s .

with seven , the G . Warden ' s with live , " all regulai lodges " vvith live , and the G . Secretary with three On the 24 th [ tine , 1760 , "The King and the Craft ' vvas drunk with nine , and " Lodges in General " with the same number , I hough five would seem to be correct ,

On the 27 th December following , the Grand Lodge appears lo have been guilly of an extravagance which , seeing tlial a new Grantl Master in succession to the Earl of Blesinton , to wit , Ihe Karl of Kelly , had just been installed and proclaimed , vvas perhaps excusable

under tbe circumstances . We read that— " The Grand Lodge also unanimously OrtlcrM that Bror . George Donovan shall stand upon Ihe Middle Table in the Grand Lodge &¦ shall there autliably read a certain paper given to him for thai purpose , which paper contained

the following words , viz . : 'The Grantl Lodge of Antient Masons ( now under Ihe sanction of Ihe Rig h ; Honourable Thomas Karl uf Kelly ) tinly sensible of the eminent and disinteresled servicc-i done by the secretary Latireiice Dermott ( particularly in his oilice at the Instalation this day ) have this day thought proper tj

Order the Geneial thanks ul the braterni y lo begiveu to him the said Laurence Dcrmotl , and lli . il this Resolution shall be recorder ] in our Transactions . Not only as a Testimony of onr Approbation & high Esteem but also as an Encouragement to future Secretaries to endeavour to immitale him . ' "

'This appears to have been almost loo muoh for Dermoll , who , except when be was affected with the gout , airing his grievances against a Dickey , or rating a Robert Leslie for his carelessness anil general incapacity , vvas noi easily perturbed , and he "Told the Grand

Master and Fraternity—Thai the F . xlravsgar . cy of the last Resolution in favour of his conduct had surprized him so much that he vvas totaly incapable of malting a suitable Ansr . Nevertheless Ihe Grand Lodge would

do him slrirl justice in believing two things , viz ., ' Thai he though ! himself as happy in his Secretaryship as Ihe Great Pitt was in being . i-: relary of State . J . dly , that he would exert I , is utmost powers for the good of the Anliunt Fraternity so long as ho lived . ' "

Bui even this " Kxlravagancy " w . is exceeded Ihe year following . ll i ; rcrnrdeil in Ihe minutes of the . ' 4 th June , lhat alter Ihe usual toasls had been honoured , Grand Lody . e " Order'd Bror George