Labour.

LABOUR .

BY BEO . IV . ROBINSON . The sound of the gavel is heard in the East ; Ye Craftsmen , for labour prepare ; There ' s work for the greatest as well as the least , Rough ashlars in hundreds to square .

Foundations for structures superb must be laid , By builders both skilful and wise—By plans of the Architect , faultlessly made , The walls of the turrets must rise .

But ere the grand structure can rise to the view Must gavel and chisel and guage Be placed by apprentices faithful and true , In honestly earning their wage .

The level , the square , and the line of the plumb , By Craftsmen of skill , must be plied ; To prove all your labours the master will come—Each angle and wall must be tried .

The compasses , pencil , and skerret with line—Must mark the foundations and plan ; Apprentices , fellows , and masters combine To finish the work they began .

The sound of the gavel is heard in the East , The sun ' s in the south at his height , Then Craftsmen away to your noon-day repast ; Refreshment makes labour more light .

For profit and pleasure you labour and toil , As Craftsmen both skilful and true -. Unless the material for building you spoil , Your wages are honestly due . The sound of the gavel is heard in the

East , The western horizon is bri ght ; With sunset your labours as Craftsmen have ceased : Then rest and be happy to-night .

"Little Dan."

"LITTLE DAN . "

AVe take the following interesting little story from the New York Despatch , an important Masonic journal in the United States , and we trust that it will commend itself to our readers .

You see , the people at the post-office soon recognize faces and names , and after a man or woman has appeared at the general delivery window three or four times they are pretty well known . It is a real pleasure to hand out letters to some , while the .

clerks care little for the calls of others to get hold of their epistles . One clay a year or two ago , a funnylooking little old woman , wearing faded garments , but having a tidy look and a motherly face , appeared at the window

and asked for a letter . There was one for her , sent from a distant city , and any one could have told that an unlearned boy directed the envelope . There was a little " d " in " Detroit , " with a big " T " to end the word , and it seemed wonderful that the letter ever reached its destination .

The old lady felt so glad that , tears m her eyes and yet trying hard to smile , she put her head into the window aud said : " Thanks ! It ' s from my boy Dan , and you don ' t know how much good it does me !"

The lady delivery clerk rose up to look after the old woman , and when a second letter came she was looking and watching for " mother" a whole day before the letter was passed out . "It ' s from my little Dan again" cried

, the old woman as she noted the superscription . " He ' s in Buffalo , learning a trade . He ' s only a bit of a boy , and there wasn't a show for him in Detroit , and beside he was running out nights and going to the bad . I sent him away , and he ' s working

hard and trying to be good , God bless my Dan ! I'm a lone widow , with onl y him to love , and I hope he'll be good . " " I hope so , too , " added the clerk , and after that the two were friends . Sometimes the letters were far between

, and when the old woman would worry over the delay , and the big tears would fall , the lady would almost shed tears with her . " Mother" would open her letters at