At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar

slenderest description . In one of them the heroine ' s father caught cold at a Masonic funeral , and this fact is relied upon to justify the heading " Stories Illustrative of Freemasonry . " In another the connection with the Craft is more attenuated still , and depends on the fact that the lovers arranged to meet near the Masonic Hall .

< S > ' «> < a > Few of our readers will dispute the fact that Masonic dances and ladies' festivals have clone much to soften the feelings of resentment towards our ancient Craft which had hitherto been felt , and in some cases shown , by the gentler

sex , but it has been left to the Commercial Travellers' Lodge , No . 2795 , to secure the affections of the rising generation by giving a children ' s party , under the auspices of Freemasonry , which took place on Saturday , December 21 st , in the Victoria Hall at the Hotel Cecil . Refreshments of a light and varied

kind were plentifully provided for the vast number who attended on pleasure bent , after which they looked and listened with Avrapt attention and unmistakeable enjoyment to the performance of living marionettes , conjurers , Punch and Judy , clowns and ventriloquists . The W . M ., Bro . Herbert

O . Budd , must have felt amply repaid for his experiment by the happy faces . and joyous laughter of the little ones ; and the Secretary , Bro . John Irwin , is to be congratulated upon the admirable arrangements which secured its undoubted success .

< € ? ' >& The Avorld moves fast , and Masonry , which we are told is spread over its surface , must perforce move with it . It seems but yesterday that the Soudan was a howling wilderness , and if anyone had predicted that the city of Khartoum ,

then the abode of cruelty and Avrong , would in a few short years witness the establishment of a temple of peace in the shape of a Masonic lodge he would have been considered a crazy Masonic enthusiast . A lodge , however , has been formed , and on Thursday , the 19 th December , it was dulv

consecrated by the District Grand Master Sir Reginald Wingate , AVIIO installed Captain W . E . Bailey ; is Worshipful Master .

Bro . Sir Horatio Lloyd , Recorder of Chester since 18 C 6 , and County Court Judge since 1874 , celebrated , on December toth , the fiftieth anniversary of his initiation into Freemasonry . In honour of the occasion a special Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire Freemasons Avas convened , at which a handsome presentation was made to Bro . Sir Horatio Lloyd . ii a tj .

The Incorporated Society of Musicians will hold its seventeenth Annual Conference at the Hotel Cecil , London , during the week ending January 4 th , 1 9 , and a most elaborate and extensive programme has been arranged . The Lord Mayor will preside at the opening meeting at the Mansion House on Monday , 31 st December , and meetings

will take place daily , in some cases commencing as early as 10 a . m ., when addresses will be delivered on a variety of subjects of interest to the musical profession . Entertainments have not been forgotten , and one special feature of this Conference will be the performance of seven new orchestral

works , six of them by British composers . The series of meetings will terminate with a banquet in the Grand Hall . Bro . W . H . Cummings , Mus . Doc , P . G . Organist , is announced to preside at a lecture on Tuesday at 2 . 30 to be delivered by Miss Marg ; uet O'Hea , R . I . A . M ., on " Some Practical Results

of the Modern School of Music , " which should prove not the least interesting of the series . It is of interest to the Craft to note that it is in contemplation to petition the M . W . Grand Master to grant a warrant for a lodge in connection with this society . < $ E 1 $ , ( £ *

Ths inauguration meeting of the St . Bride Lodge oi Instruction , No . 2817 , tvill be held at the Hotel Cecil on Saturday , January 4 th , 1902 , at 5 . 30 p . m . R . W . Bro . Sir Frank Green , Bart ., P . G . W ., W . M . of the St . Bride Lodge ,

Avill preside , and W . Bro . R . Clay Sudlow , P . A . G . D . C , Senior Member of the Committee of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , will instal the Preceptor-Elect , W . Bro . John F . Roberts , as W . M . Future meetings will be held at the St . Bride Institute , Fleet Street , every Wednesday evening at T o ' clock .

* o < t > A considerable number of installations Avill be carried out during this month , and before our next issue appears a very large number of brethren will assume collars , and discharge duties quite new to them . As to the selection , the

matter is one in which the Worshipful Master lias but little choice . Assuming good behaviour , each collar is a question of promotion , and the Worshipful Master has , practically , only the choice of Inner Guard among his regular officers . As regards the officers themselvesthey will pardon our

, drawing attention to one or tA \ o important points . What may be often passed over in a private brother is inexcusable in an officer . Punctuality and regularity are quite as essential as a knowledge of the work . Loyalty to the Master is absolutely necessary . No officer should ever be concerned in

furthering expressions of discontent . If he feels such he should keep them to himself . Inattention to these points nearly always brings with it its OAVH punishment in deferred promotion .

We cull the following account of the adventure of Bro . the Rev . Finley ' s regalia from the Daily Mail , for it is sufficiently extraordinary to justify attention in these columns : — "Among the foreign delegates to the convocation of Knights Templar of Illinois held at Chicago , " stated our contemporary , " was the Rev . and very eminent

Sir Knight Russell Finley , Grand Prior of the Grand Priory of England . When the reverend gentleman landed at New York , the Customs inspector discovered a handsome uniform and a dazzling regalia . He pronounced them to be dutiable , demanded exorbitant duty , and threatened to line the owner

for not declaring . Protests being in vain , the Grand Prior was obliged to leave his uniform and regalia at the Customs House , and go to Chicago without them . The newspapers denounced this barbarous and outrageous treatment . The New York Times said that Mr . Finley ' s wearing apparel should

be immediately returned , and that it Avas to be hoped that the Secretary or Treasurer would tender a proper apology tit the same time . " The sequel to the story has not yet come to hand .

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