Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

PROVINCIAL GRAND RANK . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , After carefully reading the article of July 29 th , it seems as if the point which has called forth criticism is the opinion expressed regarding the P . G . M . ' s consultation of Worshipful Masters before conferring P . Grand Rank . If

your correspondents will read the article again they will observe that it was not the procedure that was commented upon unfavourably , but the District Grand Master ' s official announcement of the course he proposed to take and embodying the same in the printed proceedings . Whatever the P . G . M . does in this way , however excellent it may be , it is necessarily an unofficial and private transaction and

should not therefore have gone into the printed proceedings . The rest of the article was put together with the object of consoling the vast majority who never attain the purple—and the best and most effectual way of doing so seemed to be to show how comparatively limited the patronage of the P . G . M . actually was , and an argument well fitted for the purpose was to reduce the nominal patrjnige to its actual working dimensions .

I still maintain that this duty is one of the most difficult a P . G . M . has , because however carefully he performs it there will always be some who will feel left out in the cold . Anything that can tend to alleviate any feeling of being neglected should therefore be welcomed . I might add my experience is extensive both at home and abroad and under foreign Constitutions as well as the E . C . — Yours fraternally , THE WRITER OF THE ARTICLE P . D . G . W .

A REAL CASE OF CHARITY . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I beg respectfully to bring before your kind notice the case of two orphan children of the late Bro . B . C . Curtis , P . M ., P . Z ., who died in February last , at the Bexley Arms Hotel , Bexley Heath , Kent , and who left behind him a

widow and nine children , eight girls and one boy , the oldest just 15 years of age , the youngest a girl of two years . He had put the savings of twenty years' hard work into the business ; was only in it seven months ; and died suddenly , after a few days' illness . The poor widow and the fatherless children have had to sell the house , and are at the present moment existing on the charity of her relatives and a few friends who loved her husband , and pity her .

Bro . Curtis had been 11 years a Mason , and I wish to show you what a good man he was . He was initiated in the Henley Lodge , No . 1472 , at North Woolwich , and passed the chair . He was one of the founders and first W . M . of the Zodiac Lodge , holden at East Ham , E ., and was ita Secretary at the time of his death . He was exalted in the Henley Chapter , No . 1472 , and had filled

the office of M . E . Z . twice . He was for some time Secretary and Preceptor of the Henley Lodge of Instruction . He was a most genial hard-working Mason , and ¦ was Life Governor and Steward of two of the Charities . He was the instituior of the Henley Benevolent Association , and through him over a £ 1000 wis sent up to the Charities . He was a grand cricketer , and had in his day played for his county , Essex , and was very much beloved , and is deeply regretted .

A Committee has been formed to try to get two of his children , a boy and a girl , into the Masonic Schools , and I respectfully ask for your support and the patronage of the brethren generally for the achievement of that object . May I therefore be permitted to plead for every support of this deserving case . —Your most obedient servant and respectful Brother ,

C . JOLLY , P . M . and Sec . 1472 , P . M . and Sec . 21 S 4 , and P . P . A . G . D . C Esstx , P . Z . 1472 , P . Z . and S . E . 218 4 , and P . P . G . S . B . Essex . 143 , Burrage-road , Plumstead , S . E ., August 23 rd .

To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir , We have the pleasure of giving you below copy of letter received from Sir Aithur Bigge , writing on behalf of her Majesty the Queen , and shall thank vou if vou will kindly take notice of same . —Yours faithfully , E . ASCHERBERG AND CO .

Osborne , August 4 th , 1899 Messrs . E . Ascherberg and Co ., Sir ,

lt has only now come to tl e Queen ' s knowledge that under ordinary circumstances the opera of " Pagliatci" could not have been perform-d at Windsor Cattle without the payment ol fees to you as the owner of the performing rights , which , however , in this instance I understand you were good enough to waive . I am accordingly desired to expiess to you the thanks of her Majesty for your consideration in this matter , —Yours faithfully , ARTHUR BIGGE . 4 6 , Bcmcrs-strcet , London .

Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

St Lawrence Lodge , No . 2078 . 'Ihc monthly meeting tf this lodge was held on Monday , the 14 th inst ., atthe Masonic Rooms , Scunthorpe , Lincolnshire . The officers present b : ing Bros . R < bert lni / bam Swaby , W . M . j J . H . Dewhurst , I . P . M . ; T . Morrison , S . W . ; T . A . Kel . in « n , I . W . j Rev . K . M . Weigall , P . P . G . C , Chap . ; W . Campbell , P . M .. Sec . ; W "" » llanby , S . D . , * J . VV . Graham , J . D . j W . Langbridge , P . M ., P . P . G . S . of W ., D . C . j F . T . li . Smith , I . G . ; J . Long , Std . Br . ; J . Long , J . T . Pallister , and A . M . Coiban , Stwds . ; and S . Hadley , Tyler .

lirr ** ,. j . Cr . mt-. ble and E . Dunkin attended from St . Nicholas Lodge , No . 2251 ) , to advocate lhe case of a widow of a brother of that lodge in her petition for relief from I ' rov . Grand Lodge Charity . 'Ihe application received the unanimossupport of all the biethrcn present . Bro . Campbell , who is leaving for America , paid his farewell visit to tb < - leeke when an addicts and a -iurse of gold were presented to him as a memento of tte ' nr . udfe . clir *! every member i . f thc '" dge felt towards him wishing him truly " God spit A . " Hro . Tiippcit was passed to thc Second Degree , and B ; o . Woodley raised to the Sublime Degiee of a M . M . ,.,...,. . ' 1 he brethren afterwards partook of hi * ht refieshment .

Craft Masonry.

Kingswood Lodge , No . 2278 . A regular meeting of this lodge was held at Broxbourne on the 12 th inst ., those attending being Bros . C . C . Renaud , W . M . j E . N . Beninsfield , S . W . ; H . R . Bower , J . W . j J . Petch , P . M ., P . P . G . S . B ., Treas . j J . F . Bell , P . M ., P . P . G . Std . Br ., Sec . ; F . Page , P . M ., S . D . ; C . Nicole , l . D . ; D . Taylor , I . G . ; H . Rackham , Stwd . j T . Williams , Tyler ,- R . W . Nicole , P . AL , P . P . G . P . ; C . M . Coxon , P . M ., P . P . G . D . ; A . C . Little , F . H . Johnson , O . P . House . A . Palmer-Palmer , J . Perceval , S . Butler , G . H . Redding , and S . L . Brewer . Visitors : Bios . S . Napper , P . M , 1471 ; S . Reichenheim , 2579 j VV . Pearson , 3 S 2 , * and W . Marr , 2047 .

_ The business of the meeting was to pass Bro . S . L . Brewer , and the ceremony having been admirably performed , the lodge was closed . . After dining , the brethren were entertained , during the intervals between the toasts , with songs by Bros . R . W . Nicole , H . R . Bower , A . C . Little , J . Perceval , F . H . Johnson , and Harry Hall . Bro . C . Nicole at the pianoforte , and the time for departure came all too early .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . ASHER BARFIELD , PAST G . TREASURER . Bro . Edmund N . Asher Barfield , whose death on Monday , the 2 ist instant , it is our mournful duty to record , was a brother of high rank and long experience , who had played a distinguished part both in Metropolitan and Provincial Masonry . He was initiated , upwards of 53 years ago , in thi Medina Lodge , No . 35 , West Cowes , Isle of Wight , on the ist June , 1846 , and was in due course elected and installed its W . Master . In 1850 he joined the Zetland Lodge ,

No . 511 , was elected W . M . in 1 S 53 , and in 1855 undertook the duties of Treasurer , retaining the office for many years . In 1877 he assisted in founding the Londesborough Lodge , No . 1681 , was installed W . M ., and subsequently elected Treasurer ; while in 187 S he had a hand in founding the Kensington Lodge , No . 176 7 , which for some years after its consecration he served as Treasurer , and of which , at the time of his death , he was an honorary member . In 1881 his services to the Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight were

recognised by his appointment as Prov . J . G . Deacon ; and two years later he became a founder of the Lodge of Emulation , No . 1990 , Portsmouth , membership of which is r ; stricted to Installed Masters , and in 188 7 had the honour of presidirg over it as W . M . In 18 S 8 he was elected by an overwhelming majority of votes Grand Treasurer of England ; and at the Grand Festival the following month was invested with the insignia of his

office . He was exalted in the Mount Sinai Chapter , No . 19 , in March , 1853 , was installed its First Principal in 1858 , and subsequently was elected Treasurer . He was also a P . Z . of the Andrew Chapter , No . 8 34 , Hammersmith , a founder and honorary member of the Stuart Chapter , No . 504 , Bedford , and in 1 S 95 , became a founder and at his death was Treasurer of Chapter No . 35 , Cowes , which is named in his honour the Asher Barfield Chapter . In addition , he was a member of the Chapter of

Harmony , No . 309 , Fareham , and in 1888 , was invested Grand Treasurer of Sup ' reme Grand Chapter . He had likewise been advanced to the JIark Degree , and elected to the chair of A . in the Medina Lodge , No . 140 , Cowes , but he resided at too great a distance from the place of meeting and was compelled to decline the honour . But after all his greatest claim to the respect of his brethren rests

on the generous support he was always ready to give to our Masonic Institutions and a reference to the published lists of Governors and Subscribers will show not only that he was a Patron of the Boys' and Benevolent Institutions and a Vice-Patron of the Girls' School , but likewise that he had served as many as 45 Stewardships , namely , 17 for the Boys' School , 16 for the Benevolent Institution , and 12 for the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls .

Last year he was the recipient of an exceedingly handsome illu-ninated address from his mother lodge ( Medina , No . 35 ) , congratulating him on his jubilee Masonic year . In 18 S 4 he received from the Londesborough Lodge , No . 1 G 81 , an illuminated address . This set forth that it was given " by the brethren of the Londesborough Lodge , No . 1681 , as a slight acknowledgment of the eminent services he had rendered to the lodge from its consecration as Founder , Worshipful Master , and Treasurer , as an expression of affectionate regard and

esteem in which he is held by all the members , and also to mark their sincere appreciation of the uniform kindness , attention , and ability with which those services have been performed . " This was signed by Bro . Lord Londesborough . At his beautiful home , " The Maylings , " Fareham , Herts , which he made for himself , and at which he died in the 82 nd year of his age , one entire room was devoted to Masonic insignia , pictures , and literature--averitable museum ; and the walls , crowded with addresses , bore silent testimony to his useful life , and the esteem in which he was universally held . It was here , also , that many of the