Masonic Notes And Queries.

iii colleges . My brother , turn your mind back for a moment to the happy years of early boyhood . What thrilling scenes and p leasing reminiscences come rushing back to memory , shaded by the melancholy reflection that they are gone for ever . ' Do you not remember the beautiful grove ; the spring that gushed up at the foot of the hillaud sent its briht waters

, g leaping and laughing through the vale ; the playground , the nimble feet that bounded after the fly ingball , and the merry voices that mingled their shouts iu the youthful sports ; the pretty girl for whom you constructed the summer-house of the branches of the green treesand embellished ifc

, Avith flowers , and whose sweet smile awakened the first tender emotions in your youthful heart ? But do you nofc also remember the old-fashioned schoolmaster , who , morning and evening , Avith the rod in his hand , and the glasses on his nose , dreAV up the

whole school in a half-circle , and drilled them iu the art of spelling ? How intently you studied tlie pages of the spelling-book to master the hard Avords . How ambitious you were to stand at the head of the class , aud how deeply mortified you were to find yourself at the bottom of ifc on the close of the exercises ? My brother

, why does that laudable ambition sleep now since you have grown up to be a man and a Freemason ? Why do you not strive to excel in Freemasonry as you did then in spelling ? Why are you content to stand at the bottom among your brethren in the lodge ? The same industry and lication that

app made you spell when a boy , will place you side by side with the brightest of your brethren , if nofc at the head . The only distinction recognised among Freemasons is that of an excellence iu virtue and intelligence . In all other respects they stand upon a level . — Cincinnati Masonic Ecvieio ' .

MASONIC SEOEETS XX VEESE . Ifc is frequently asserted that there are many poems which are full of Masonic secrets , and treat of the mysteries of the Order . Can an authority for this statement be adduced ?—J . E ., P . M . —[ There are thousands of such works extant . Will Sir Philip Sidney satisfy you?—He says , "there are many mysteries contained in poetry , which of purpose were written ¦ darkl y ; lest by propluine ivits ifc should be abused . " ]

A 1 II 3 IAST EEZOS " . What is the meaning of Ahiman Kezon ?—DESD . —[ Ifc is a corruption of three Hebrew words—achi man ratzon—which signify the thoughts , or opinions , of a true and faithful brother . The " Book of Constitutions" is termed Ahiman llezon in more countries than one . j

Ar00702

VAXTJABM KKOWHSDGE . —Valuable knowledge can lie obtained only by personal effort . Every one must traverse tlie lnlls _ anel valleys for himself , anel it is only by unremitting application and perseverance that tlie attempt ivill be crowned with success . But to tho devoted , persevering seekers , success is ¦ certain . Their state of mind is such as to insure the best uso being made of any accessible helps , and of the exercise of

ingenuity and application in surmounting difficulties , even in absence af . all foreign aid . Whatever may be Ills present ¦ deficiencies and disadvantages , the person—especially the young person—who is sensible of the value of knowledge as to apply his heart to understanding—to seek for it as for silver , and to search for it as for hidden treasure—assuredly . shall not seek in vain . Knowledge is the prize of application ^

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The JZdilor is not respoimhle for the opinions expressed hy Correspondents . A NDYEL IDEA . TO THE EDITOR OI » THE FKEEjIASO'Ts" ITACrAZlXE A 1 TO ITASOHIC HIHI-OH . DEAE SIE AJTB BEOTIIEB , —Tou are aware that " the usages and customs among Masons" in this

province are somewhat unique , and by no means , in some cases , worthy of imitation . Nor do we expect any great improvement whilst the province remains under the jurisdiction of a Froviucial Grand Master who , however amiable and exemplary in his private capacity , has no claims fco so high and important a Masonic

post , save those of an hereditary nature . My object now is nofc , however , to dilate upon the incapacity of a Provincial Grand Master , bufc to criticise , in no unfriendly or acrimonious spirit , the ( to me ) most extraordinary decision of the eldest lodge in the provinceunder the advice of an experienced Pasfc

, Master , whose opinions , Avhen independently given , Avould carry much weight , not only in his own lodge and province , but among any body of Masons . The Glamorgan Lodge ( No . 36 ) has decided that the Worshipful Blaster of a lodge is not competent to sit upon a committee of "Past Masters . " It is

true this conclusion was arrived at in a lodge composed only of seven members , of which a majority Avere Past Masters ; but still it is the recorded decision of the lodge , and , acting upon ifc , they excluded their W . M . from a committee formed under the

auspices of the active and efficient Deputy Provincial Grand Master ( the sooner the subordinate title is dropped the better for the cause of Freemasonry ) for the laudable purpose of promoting " uniformity of working in the province . " The argument by which this dictum was supported Avas , that the qualification to such appointment consisted in his having filled the

chair of a lodge for a stipulated period of twelve months , bufc this opinion appears so falacious that I cannot imagine ifc is entertained by any intelligent and experienced Past Master , besides the one already referred to ; and my object in making this communication is fco elicit the sentiments of some of your numerous correspondents upon fche subject , as well as your OAVU , should you deern it worthy your consideration .

I am aware that , m order to confer the right of membership in Grand Lodge , at a subsequent period to that of his actuall y filling the chair , a brother must , not only have been "regularly elected and installed a Master of a lodge , " bufc must also have "executed thai' office for oue year ; " bufc let it not be forgotten thatduring such " execution" he isby virtue of his

, , , office , an actual member of Grancl Loelge , and fully entitled , as such , to all the rights and privileges of a Pasfc Master , even taken precedence , not only in his own lodge , but in Grand Lodge itself , over every Pasfc Blaster of his lodge . Further , I take it that , as au Entered Apprentice becomes one upon taking the

E . & . Ob ., a Fellow-Craft upon taking the F . C . Ob ., and a Master Mason such upon taking the M . M . ' s Ob ., sp a Past Master becomes sucli de facto and in full possession of all his rights and privileges as such immediately upon taking the " Past Master ' s Ob ., " and being duly installed in the chair of a lodge ; and although a failure in the execution of his office for