Extracts From The Minute Books Of The Royal Arch Chapter Of Paradise, No. 139.

marked as paid 51- each— which resolution seems to have been afterwards overlooked , until 13 th Decr . 1811—when it was again adopted . Beginning at tbe other end of this Minute Book I find a " Form of a Royal

Arch Superexcellent Summons" Most AVortby Companion you are hereby required by the most excellent Grand Masters ( or A . M . G . ) to attend your companions at tbe Lodge on your—AH 13 " ( monogram ) .

Another page gives a list of ( 29)—— " Members names summoned to attend the Supreme Royal Arch Chapter 24 th Decr . 1797 " ( evidently written by the same person as the minutes of that meeting , for which see page 27 ) .

Another page gives a list of ( 19 ) " Brothers AVIIO have agreed to become Companions of a Royal Arch Chapter this 19 th Dec . ' 97 " ( here follow the names ) . Here folloAVS ( on another page)—" A prayer for a R . A . candidate " : —

" Almighty and everlasting Jab , AVIIO openeth eternity , whose eye pervade the immensity of space , look down with condescending goodness upon us assembled here before thee , and graciously grant that in all ourworksbegun , carried on , and ended , they may be for thy glory and the good of our immortal souls so that when this Mortal shall

have put on lmmortaliTTY , and this corruption shall bave seen incorruption , He , Avitb us , may sing praises in thy heavenly Chapter for ever and ever . 0 God , in a particular manner we pray and beseech the ( e ) to bless and prosper our present undertaking that this Citizen of the Avorld we

are about to exalt into tbe Supreme '' T . H . " ( monogram ) may , Avhen he shall be called upon to give in his account , do it without fear or trembling . Do thou , 0 Lord , our common parent , enable Mm to go through the

rusrsed Arches which are both strait ( 1 straight ) and low with courage , and so guide him by the holy Precepts that Avhen the Curtain falls and the invisible world appears , be may have the Portals of eternal glory opened to him . Amen .

So mote it be to us all . " 20 th July , 1806 . ) ( Then follows a list of members , dated P . S , —In tbe Chapter Ave have just

Extracts From The Minute Books Of The Royal Arch Chapter Of Paradise, No. 139.

commenced of our 4 th Minute Book , Nos . 2 and 3 ( from 1812 to 1875 ) , I have now in band making extracts from , Avhich I hope to have ready for publication iu the next issue of this magazine . Although it is scarcely to be exjiected that they will disclose as many " gems" as No . 1 has done .

I bave taken tbe opinions of two or three brethren on those Avords that are rather ambiguous , and they snriport my views . Old Royal Arch Chapter Histories are unfortunately very rare , and from the correspondence I bave had on this subject

with Bro . AV . J . Hughan and other Masonic students , I am lead to suppose that that of the Chapter of Paradise , No . 139 , will be watched with considerable interest . The Editor , as Avell as Bro . Hughan , have promised to make some observations on these

extracts . Asythe Books , & c , of tbe Chapter will remain in my hands this year out , I take the opportunity of saying that I shall only be too happy to afford any Brother all the information in my power . S . B . ELLIS , S . E . 139 . Brocco Bank , Sheffield , 31 st March , 1876 .

The Women Of Our Time.

THE WOMEN OF OUR TIME .

BY CALEBS . YOUNG MAKKIED AVOMEN . THAT marriage is a good thing per se Avho will venture to deny * 1 That our younger people are wise in marrying " de bonne heure" isthough ' a moot pointone on

, , Avhich a very great deal may be said on the affirmative side of the question . Much may be urged , I admit , pro and con . this delicate subject , but in my humble opinion tbe balance of probability and of argument is in favour of early marriages .

Hence it is most important Avhen we are considering the women of our time to keep before our coup d ' ceil that large and increasing section of society—namely , our young married women . I announce at the onset that I am wholly with them . Their

virtues are emphatically their own , and many they are ; their faults are the faults of their age , of their clique , of their coterie , of their bringing up , of tbe " chic " of the hour , of the fashion of the day . Just now , for some reason or other , they are vebo-