P. P. C.

And Maggie may say to Sophy , " Here's Mr . Gator ' s P . P . C ., AVhat a dreadful bore we all were out , He and I so well agree ; I wanted to tell him lots of things , And to talk about the ball , How very provoking we miss'd him ,

When he made his farewell call . " And paterfamilias may say to mater , "Here ' s young Hodgson's P . P . C ., I wish , mamma , you'd open your eyes ,

And very particular be ; For I ' ve a strong suspicion that Lucy Is taking to that young man , And give consent to such a marriage , My dearest , I never can . " And Walter A anewho ' s calling

, , Says , " Why here is Bolter ' s P . P . C ., I thought that that dreadful fellow , Had gone across the sea ; He ' s making up to Ellen , And he's always full of chaff , So that when I stand quite sulkily by , He and she do nothing but laugh . "

" Oh , here are those dreadful Higsons , Have been leaving their P . P . G . ! And here are those tiresome Tippers , Have sent in their pasteboards three . I am heartily sick of London , And going out every night , And 1 feel sure that the Cowes Kegatta , Will be the thing to make me right , "

How vain are tho hopes of mortals , Their dreams as well as their fears , How idle are all their longings , AVhich float away with their fading years ; Yet how much often may here depend On some trifle that may be ,

No trifle perhaps to one or two , And only a P . P . G . C '__ ELEDS .

The Danbury News says that a NCAV Haven editor last Sunday attended church . When the contribution box came round he was in a doze , but on being nudged , hastily exclaimed "I have a pass . "

Records Of The Past.

RECORDS OF THE PAST .

NOTICE I . Masonic students , like ' Freemasonry itself , take always' cognisance of all things pertaining to the history and archaeology of the past .

For though it may be true that the annals of Freemasonry proper are independent and distinct , yet the true Masonic student despises none of the cognate branches of research and of science whicli tend in any Avay to

illuminate the roll of ages , or to throw the clear light of historic truth on the legends and traditions of mankind

Hence all Masonic students must gladly Avelcome from time to time any discoveries or records of the past which , commended to us in their vernacular form ancl utterance , like the account of Dr . Sehliemanii ' s "Excavations of

Troy" or "English Translation from Assyrian and Egyptian . Monuments , " place before us the result of great learned ingenuity , careful labour , ancl archaeological discovery . In the Times of September 12 th appears a very

elaborate and able review of some " l . ecords of the Past , " Avhich are taken from Egyptian and Assyrian sources . From that most striking " resume " of the toils ancl translations of many years and many Avriters Ave have culled

for our readers a feAV extracts Avhich , Ave think , may serve to afford them the same interest and gratification as they afforded us .

For to us Ave confess the monumental remains of Egypt and Assyria haA r e always been fraught with much of awakening curiosity . Those " speaking stones , " as some one has termed them , equally above

ground and below , are still to us Ihang voices of a dead old past , Avhich require only a key to unravel their strange annals and their solemn Avitness . After many vain attempts , after the idle and ridiculous suppositions of the