To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The FREEMASON is a Weekly News paper , price 2 d . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscription , including postage :

United America , India , India , China , & c . Kingdom , the Continent , & c . Via Brindisi . Twelve Months ios . 6 d . 12 s . od . 17 s . 4 d . Six „ 5 s . 3 d . 6 s . 6 d . 8 s . 8 d . Three t „ 2 s . 8 d . 3 s . 3 d . 4 s . 6 d . Subscriptions may be paid for in stamps , but Post

Office Orders or Cheques are preferred , the former payable to GEORGE KENNING , CHIEF OFFICE , LONDON , the latter crossed London Joint Stock Bank . Advertisements and other business communications should be addressed to the Publisher .

Communications on literary subjects and books for review are to be forwarded to the Editor . Anonymous correspondence will be wholly disregarded , and the return of rejected MSS . cannot be guaranteed . Further information will be supplied on application to the Publisher , 108 , Fleet-street , London .

Important Notice.

IMPORTANT NOTICE .

It is very necessary for our readers to advise us of all money orders they remit , more especiall y those from the United States of America and India ; otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them . Several P . O . O . ' s are now in hand , but having received no advice we cannot credit them .

To Advertisers.

TO ADVERTISERS .

The FRIIKMASON has a large circulation in all parts ol the Globe , its advantages as an advertising medium can therefore scarcely be overratcel . ADVERTISEMENTS to ensure insertion in current ¦ week ' s issue should reach the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , by 12 o ' clock on Wednesdays . SCALE OF CHARGES FOR

ADVERTISEMENTS . Whole of back page ... ... ... £ 12 12 o Half , „ 6 10 o inside pages ... ... ... ... 7 7 ° Half of elillo , 400 Quarter 1 - 'it to ... ... ... .. 2 10 0 Whole column ... ... ... ... ... 2 10 o

Half ,, ... ... ... ... 1 10 o Quarter „ .. ... ... 100 Per inch 030 These prices are for single insertions . A liberal reduction is tnaele for a series of 13 , 26 , and 32 insertions . Further paiticulars may be obtained of the Publisher , 198 , Fleet-street , London .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

HILDA . —There is no actually recognised jewel for a M . M ., though one is often worn , namely , the five-pointed star . There is certainly none for a Lewis . The emblem of the five-pointed star is very appropriate and graceful in itself , and no objection can really lie against it . FRESHWATER .. —In our opinion decidedly yes . But allowances a , e sometimes made at the formation of a new loe ' ge . Still we confess to a strong opinion on the point .

BOOKS , fi : c ., RECEIVED . " La Chaine d'Uniop , " " Bulletin des Tiavaux du Supieme Constil de BiTgiijur , " " Cay gill ' s Touiist Chroni . le ' , " " Dublin Express , " " Masonic Advocate , " " Masonic Eclectic , " " Der Triangel , " " Hebrew Leader , " " Proceedings Great Priory , Canada , " " Die New Yorker Bundes Presse , " Masonic Review , " " Keystone , " " Masonic Newspaper . "

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . ud . for announcements not exceeding Four Lines under this heading . ]

BIRTHS . CHOSHIE . —On the 17 th inst ., at 107 , Chatham-street , Liverpool , the wile of Major C . Crosbie , of a daughter , stillborn . LAMUEIIT . —On the 18 th inst ., at 11 , Chcsham-road , Brighton , the wife of Licut .-Col . Lambert , C . B ., Con . naught Rangers , of a son .

MARRIAGE . BUTLER — NAISII . —On the 17 th inst ., at St . Mary ' s , Reading , by the Rev . N . Garry , Vicar , the Rev . J . B . M . Butler , Rector of Maresficld , to Janet , daughter of Mr . Charles and Mrs . Elizibcth Naish , formerly of Lenton .

DEATHS . BI ' . SHAM . —On the 3 rd inst ., at Rectory Villa , East I loathley , Sussex , Mr . George llenham , late of Her Majesty ' s Customs , ageel 71 . Dm 11 v . —On the 171 I 1 inst ., at Lingmoor Dean-park , lli . uineniouth , Mary Elizabeth Drury , wife of Mr . William V . Drury , M . D .

Ar00608

THE FREEMASON . SATURDAY , MAY 24 , 1879

The Stewards' Lists For The Festival Of The Girls' School.

THE STEWARDS' LISTS FOR THE FESTIVAL OF THE GIRLS ' SCHOOL .

The Stewards' lists for the last festival are very remarkable in their way , and deserve attentive perusal and consideration despite the wearying reiteration and often confusing accounts of long rows of figures . As often happens in this good world of ours , truth lies sometimes hidden

in very common things indeed , which the careless and the unthinking pass contemptuously by . There are some unfortunate beings to whom " a daisy is a daisy and nothing more , " but as we do not profess to write for such , we trust that , for all who like to think and care to learn , what we

are about to say may be neither boring nor unedifying . Let us then take the Stewards' lists for the last festival and look at them thoroughly and minutely , for depend upon it under their startling rigures lies much of instruction , encouragement , and even warning for us all . They are not

merely figures , arithmetical tokens , but profess a Masonic language of their own , easy to be understood by the sagacious and the intelligent . Let us begin with the metropolitan returns . The whole amount as returned at the festival was in round numbers £ 11 , 700 , but which sum has

been increased since , and will , no doubt , be augmented ( as we said last week ) to £ 12 , 000 before many days have elapsed . Of this the metropolis contributes £ 5 850 . Of the metropolitan lodges the largest amount sent in is by the Creaton Lodge , 179 1 , Bro . J . L . Cantle ,

Steward , namely , £ 238 is . Now , this is very noteworthy , because the Creaton Lodge has been consecrated , so to say , but recently , and is one of our youngest lodges , and yet here it is , to the fore of all the metropolitan lodges , with £ 238 . No doubt the lodge has wished to show their

regard for their first W . M ., the Grand Treasurer , the Chairman of the festival , and who well deserves the good opinion of his brethren , but the result is highly creditable to the Creaton Lodge , and we congratulate Bro . J . C . Cantle most sincerely on this , his goodly list . We wish all other

younglodges had followed his bright example , but we are very sorry to note , we beg our readers to lay the remark to heart , that from No . 1700 only eight lodges have sent gnything at all . This is by no means a creditable state of things , and , we fear , is attributable to one of two causes , either

that the entrance fees are insufficient for the expenses , or that the lodges are already in debt to their Treasurers . As this was also the case at the Benevolent Festival , and , we fear , may be the case at the Boys' School gathering , we beg to call the attention of many worthy brethren to the

subject . The next lodge to the Creaton Lodge is No . 25 , Bro ; G . R . Shervill , Steward , which remits £ i , $ 7 s ., and which , curiously enough , is tied by No . 1383 , Bro . J . M . P . Montagu , Steward , with its £ 175 7 s . Bro . J . Cowan , Steward , No . 1572 , brings up £ ijt 13 s . 6 d .,

and which is succeeded by Chapter No . 8 r 3 , Bro . J . Gabb , Steward , with £ 141 ijS ., and , most curious coincidence , this is tied again by No . 17- / 8 , Bro . T . W . B . Bush , Steward ( a most creditable 1 eturn , by the way ) , also with £ 14 . 1 15 s . No . / 421 , T . S . Taylor , succeeds with £ 131 5 s .,

and this is hardly pressed by No . 27 , T . J . Maidwtll , with £ 125 . We note with much pleasure No . 174 , C . J . Perceval , with ^" 115 ios ., and No . 211 , Alfred Withers , with J I _ $ 4 s ., No . 2 , E . H . Letchworth , £ 113 9 s ., Nos . 179 and i / , 86 , W . Hopekirk , £ m 6 s ., No . 657 , Edward

Cox , £ 111 , and No . 5 8 , W . Smithett , £ 101 17 s . The remaining returns vary from £ () , as . to £ \ 1 i ; s , and all seem to point to the great and vivid interest taken by the metropolitan brethren in the support and success of the Girls' School .

Ihe provincial returns are equally stiiking and suggestive . West Lancashire leads on this occasion with £ ty \ 17 s ., and is followed by West Yorkshire with £ 420 , which again is closely pursued by Kent with £ 407 i < 5 s . Warwickshire

The Stewards' Lists For The Festival Of The Girls' School.

is near at hand with £ 380 , next to which comes Cornwall , under the able leadership of Bro . W . J , Hughan , with £ 378 , while Staffordshire presses on Cornwall with £ 3 , 6 3 s ., and Cheshire and Middlesex appear with £ 356 4 s . and £ 352 ios . 6 d . respectively . East Lancashire next

appears on the scene with £ 285 , to which follow after a little interval , Gloucestershire with £ 260 Somersetshire with £ 247 16 s ., Devonshire with £ 242 is ., Sussex with £ 231 is ., and Durham with £ 227 17 s . We also have to note Hertfordshire with £ 144 2 S ., Worcestershire with £ 141

i . ^ s , and South Wales ( Eastern Division ) with £ 105 . The remaining provinces vary from Hants with its £ 99 ijs . < 5 d ., down to Lincolnshire with its £ 2 1 . But thus equally the provincial returns testify to the great interest felt b y the Craft in the progress and prosperity of that

excellent Institution , our well-managed and efficient Girls' School . As a general summary London , with 119 Stewards , has collected £ . 5850 in round numbers , the provinces , with 131 Stewards , have sent up £ 5826 in round numbers , leaving a very small balance in favour of

London , but this may be affected on either side b y the lists which have yet to be received . While the fact speaks volumes for the zeal and energy of the metropolitan brethren , it also betokens the general interest of the Craft in this woik and claim of true Masonic charity . The London

brethren may certainly feel proud of their cheery efforts to support the Girls' School , as , though there is a popular delusion afloat that the London brethren are a degenerate body , which is not the case , they claim , as they will have , the thanks of their brethren , when they remember what has

been done by the 105 lodges and chapters represented , and one Mark Lodge . Equally , however , we must give all praise to the efforts of our good provincial Stewards , and thank them and our provincial brethren for their zealous and continuous support of the great Charities of our Order ,

Indeed the considerations which the magnificent returns of the festival give rise to are both gratifying and encouraging in the highest degree , because they testify better than words can speak , to the great if simple fact , that Masons' hearts are in the right place , and that with them charity is

not merely a name , a word , or a profession , but a reality , a truth , a living and gracious power . Once more we congratulate the Stewards and all concerned , and not the least , Bro . Hedges , on the really noble returns to the anniversary of the Girl ' s School for 1879 .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do wot hold ourselves responsible lor , or even approving of , the opinions expressed by our corresnoiidents , but wc wish in 1 spivit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . ]

THE ACCOUNTS OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . 7 b the Editor if the " Freemason . " Dear Sir anel Brother , — On reading these always , to me , interesting and almost sensational statistics , I was struck with two points ,

about which I should like to have a few words from our good Bro . Terry . 1 . Why in the general statement are dividends from stock omitted ? We are told in a special paragraph that there are invested on the male account £ 32 , 870 stock , and on the female account £ 20 , 6 55 , and that the permanent income from both accounts is £ 244 ; ; and yet under

male account I only find £ 59 10 s ., and under female account £ 33 3 s . lod . ; clearly some great mistake somewhere . 2 . It seems that there is a balance on the two funds and deposit accounts of £ 8170 . Is not this too large a balance ? I ask these e ) Ucstions in all deference as a YOUNG MASON .

THE EARLIEST USE OF THE WORD " FREEMASON . " To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — In the history of the Lodge of Edinburgh ( Maiy ' s Chapel ) , No . 1 , of Scotlanel , it is stated that the minute < T the lodge of 27 th December , 1616 , contains the earliest in '

stance then discovered of the word " Freemason " being in Scotland applied to designate members of the Craft , anil that the word is not again used in the minutes until Ja " " arv i ' 7-5 , a pcrioel of about ninety years , but that its " became common after 1729 . The Past Grand Chaplain of Scotlanel , the Rev . . 1-Thomson Grant , a well-known archaeological scholar , na kindly given me the following extract , which be recently