Original Correspondence.

" ' Bro . How " says , for the exigencies of every stage of life . We feed and clothe ihe young , we provide annuities , and an asylum for the distressed brethren and their widows in tiie decline of life ; whilst for th . e relief of casual and sudden calamity wc administer a noble income

through the Board of Benevolence , and no one , acting up to the first principles of our Order , need be ashamed to accept assistance from a fund to which he himself contributes , and his self-respect cannot suffer , if our great principles have made him affectionate , generous , and just .

Practical Sympathy and Practical Benevolence may indeed be proudly inscribed on our banners , and the noble monument to Practical Sympathy and Benevolence , instituted and maintained by the Brethren of the Order , are a refutation of the charge made against v . s .

The " shameful slur " lias been cast by your correspondent himself . I will maintain that it does not exist , and I am proud and grateful to Masonry to acknowledge the contrary . Though I have not acted as " an official ar . a Charity dinner , " I have a life interest in all our Masonic Charities , am a Subscribing P . M . of a Lodge ,

First Principal of a Chapter , Senior Grand Warden of a Province , and 1 am willing , and perhaps able , to help an unemployed P . M ., if he is worthy , and generous enough to apologise for his mistake in casting a slur , ''vv '" ?< n'il the J a :::, upon the < ) rder he proposes : o love . fraternally Yours . H . B . II .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

ST . P .: ; . ' .- Hi : A n Loin . , ;• . The following petition to the Grand Master of the Lodge meeting at St . Paul ' s Head , is curious in itself , and interesting , as giving ns the names of many of the London brethren of . 111 earl y date .

Lord Montague v < . ; s installed Gi . tml Master , April 19 th . 1732 , but T confess , that as lie was succeeded , according to Predion , by Lord Strathmore on the 7 th June . :. ' ¦ , . -,, I cannot explain

the allusion to Bro . Moody , and 17 ; :, except by supposing that , the pct ' tlou was presented at the first quarterly commvnication . in 1 7 ' " , when Lord Montague was -. rill ihe forma ! Grand Master .

A . r . A . \\ 00 m or .. \ P . G . C . May 1 . 5 , 187-1 . " The Memorial of tie St . Paul ' s I lead Lodge . "To the Ri ght Worshipful Anthony Lord Viscount Montague . Grand Master ; T ' tos . Batson , Esq ., Deputy Grind Master : Geo . Rooke , K ? q ., and James Moor ,- Smyth , Fso ., Grand Wardens .

Ihe Memorial of : Le Master , Wardens , and Brethren of the Lodge , held at ( he St . Paul ' s Ik-ad , in Ludgate-street . Humbly represents .

l'h . at ever since a Sy otd of State has been carried before the Right Worshi pful Grand ( -Master , at the Annua ! Grand Feasts , the Master of this Lodge has car-ieu the same , except when Bro . Moody carried it in - - ' . 2 .

That your Memorialists apprehend , that this is an invasion of their right , and a dishonour to Masonry . And , therefore they hope that Bro . Mood y shall not be permitted to carry the Sword of

State at the annual feasts , but that the right of the Master of the St . P : ii : I ' s Head Lodge to carry the same at such , feasts , for th . e future will be declared and estubl'shcd by this Grand Lodge .

[ no . Jesse , Master . Wm . Jackson . } -,.. . Jno . Mordaunt . ) > S :, rtk'ns-Wm . Archer . ltd . Cock . Andr . Beach .

Jno . Davenpoil . Jno . Coward . lidwd . Good . Wm . Davis . Jno . Bradley . W . Williams . Edmund Bick . ltd . Rawlinson . D . C . L .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

ltd . Hill . F . Baker , ltixton . B . VK \ 'S ov MOTHER KILWIXXOTG , No . o . ( Page 313 ) . The Scottish brethren ought to be aware that " bairns " are not eligible as Freemasons . It ought lo be men of the age of twenty-one years , not

eig hteen as in Scotland . A man cannot receive his inheritance until he is of age twenty-one , so also , he ought not to receive the light of Freemasonry until he arrives at , what is termed in Scottish law , proper age . The great doctrines of Freemasonry should only be intrusted with men of mature age . —ONE KXOWN IN * THE CRAFT .

American Indian Festivals.

AMERICAN INDIAN FESTIVALS .

The Onondaga Indians in each year hold five stated festivals . The first is held in the spring , directly after the season for making sugar is past . Second is immediately after corn planting . When the green corn becomes fit for use , and directly after the first ears are broken off , they hold the

third festival . , called the green corn feast , which , every year , draws large numbers of people from all over the United States to witness the songs and dances which make up largely- the ceremonies on this occasion ; and the famous SucaU ' . sh dance concludes the whole . The fourth

is celebrated immediately after the corn harvest ; usually about the 1 st of November . The fiftli , and the one of which I am about to give an ; xcount , came off at the Onondaga Reservation ., on the i _ "th , r 6 " th and 17 th of January . This festival is the crowning one of the year ,

and the one to which most importance is attached , and is celebrated late in the month of January , or early in the month of February , according to the phases of the moon . How long or at what period the Onondagas adopted their peculiar religious custom of

celebrating the solemn sacrifice of the White Dog , I have not the means of knowing . When the \\ liite people first came among them , their practice--, in all respects were nearl y the same as at present . It is truly gratifying and worthy of remark that their pagan rites are not as rigidly

adhered to as formerly . The principal actor at the last celebration \ sas Captain George , who was the only presou present arrayed in full Indian custom . The services were not as impressive as those I saw several years ago . W hil the dog was burning , Captain George kept up

a solemn chant , and appeared to be the person most impressed by the ceremony . —Home Journal . The above has been going the rounds of the press . We found it in a recent number of our contemporary , the Keystone . As many portions

or the ceremonial ol the sacrifice of the white dog have a similarity to some points in the Masonic ceremonies , we supply the following from an old note-book of ours , which we feel , sure will be found interesting : —

' 'A similarity of a few points which characterises the principal festival of the Onondagas , a nation of the Iroquois ( a remnant of whom still live near Syracuse , X . Y . ) , to some which attain aniongFreemasons of the present day , is noticeable . We will . here briefly state what they were :

—Circuiriambulation round the Council Room , which is i . lways of an oblong square form , while , their old wigwams , in which they lived , were circular . At each round the procession ( which of course moved in Indian file ) , following the course of the sun , stopped at the east end of the room , where

the three oldest chiefs were seated , dressed in the most ancient costume of the nation . When the procession arrived at the east end , each time , questions were asked of these venerables , and answers returned . The procession consisted of nine males , two of whom were the bearers of

the animal to be offered as a sacrifice to the great Spirit , ' Ho-wah-ne-o , ' whom they recognised as their Creator , Governor and Benefactor . Previous to this procession round the room , the products of the earth , Indian corn , potatoes , the flesh of animals , moccasins , leggings and other articles

manufactured by themselves , were presented to their priests ( arrayed in spotless robes ) , who , after blessing them , handed themtotheirtreasnrer , and those articles were , after the festival , distributed among the poor of the nation . They have from time immemorial , for several thousand years , as they say , kept on hand , raising them

American Indian Festivals.

from year to year , a breed of dogs , of a white colour , without spot or blemish . The dog is strangled , and of course the sacrifice is bloodless , and therefore does not refer to another great sacrifice , because without shedding of blood there can be no remission of sins . Besides the colour

of the dog , which has a significant allusion , we of the Royal Craft can explain , the colours of the ribbons ( formerly deer skins dyed ) are significant ; blue , green , and red ; Faith , Hope and Charity ; Wisdom , Strength , and Beauty .

" In public the word * Ho-wah-ne-o , is never used ; they simply say ' Ne-o , ' even at their most sacred festival of the White Dog . The words ' Ho-wah , ' are evidently a corruption of the ineffable name of God , about as near the real word as the common English word , ' Jehovah . ' "

Masonic Tidings.

Masonic Tidings .

BRITISH , FOREIGN , AND COLONIAL . The foundation-stone of the new chancel to Southend Church was laid on the 21 st inst ., in full Masonic form , by It . W . Bro . Robert John Bagshawe , Povincial Grand Master of Essex . A

sermon was preached by the Vicar of Southend , who is also the Prov . G . Chaplain . All the lodges of the Province were represented . Bro . It . Limpus , organist of St , Michael ' s Church , Cornhill , has just been the recipient of

two very handsome presentations , consisting of an elegant ivory baton , richly mounted in gold , from the lady members of the Benhilton Choral Society , of which Bro . Limpus is the conductor ; and a large Bible , handsomely bound , with maps

and p hotograph illustrations by Frith , the spontaneous g ift of the chorister-boys of St . Michael , Cornhill . Messrs . Mathews and Quilter , of Cloak-lane ,

are the architects for the Midland Counties Idiot Asylum , near Birmingham , the foundation-stone of which was laid by Lord Leigh , acting for the Grand Master , assisted b y the Prov . Grand Lodge on Thursday in last week .

The fifteen sections will be worked at Brother Gable ' s , Rosemary Branch Tavern , Rosemary Branch Bridge , Hoxton , on Wednesday evening , at seven o ' clock , Bro . Austin will preside .

Births, Marriage And Deaths.

Births , Marriage and Deaths .

MAUKI . AGK . At St . ]> liilli i ' ' . s , O . -iUton , London , on the iRth inst ., by thi Key . Raymond L . Daniell , ALA . Brother James 1 larlaml Coi . tes W . M . oi the Williamson Lotl ^ c . No . 949 , Sunderland , to Kate , second daughter of the late Bro . lohn Swain of St . John ' s Lodtre , So . So .

Poetry.

Poetry .

LILAC BLOSSOMS . Reflections of a Freemason on beholding a Lilac tree , growing in his garden , budding forth into bloom . Fair and fragile lilac-blossoms .

Waving gently 111 the breeze ; With returning Spring are op ' ning ; Once again upon the trees , Partly veil'd ' ueath silken foliage ,

Beauteous are they in their bloom , And the air around is fragrant . With their delicate perfume . Fair and fragile lilac blossoms ,

Budding forth in sunny May , Soon—too soon—they droop and perish ; Soon alas ! they fade away . Short the season of their beauty ,

Radiant in the bright Spring morn : For a few days only lasting , Er ' e their loveliness is gone . Fair and fragile lilac blossoms , Every war with Spring ' s return ,

From their sweet but brief existence , May we all a lesson learn . May the y teach us time is fleeting ;

We like them , must pass away , Let us then prepare f-jr Heaven Fo- ' the resurrection day . A . C . S .