Poetry.

Come , oh ye newly made , Late to our altar led , Hasten , oh youth ; Gone is the gloomy night , Sweet is the mystic light , Broke on the dazzled sight , Glowing with truth .

Age , with the locks of snow , Time ' s burden bending low , Fathers , oh come ; Welcome the veteran here—AVith every added year , „ Dearer and yet more dear , To Masons' home .

Master , your toil is done ; Bretliren , the prize is won ; Hail the new year ; Pledge every son again , Strengthen the mystic chain , Long may the lodge remain Without a peer .

Be Patient And Kind To Thy Mother.

BE PATIENT AND KIND TO THY MOTHER .

BY FRANCIS D . GAGE . Oh ! there's never a pang that fills the eye AVith such bitter and cruel tears , Or make such phantoms go sweeping by , Of past and shadowy years , As the taunt of a child—the charge of wrong , From a son to a mother wdio nursed him long .

Her boy—that has grown to manhood's prime , By her daily toil and care—Her boy that she gave her best spring-time , That he might be good and fair , And through many a day , when her years were less Than his , gave all to his happiness .

And now with a far more earnest care Than his infant days e ' er knew , She watches and pleades that her child may share All the good , and strong , and true ; Perchance , too anxious , her eyes grow dim , And her tears seem foolish tears to him .

He answers her love with thoughtless sneer , As he would a playmate wild , And laughs at her holy care and fear , As the whims of a fretful child ; And pierces her heart all o ' er and o'er , AVith all the pains that have gone before .

Bear with her , oh ! son , she bore with thee ; Now her days grow short and few , No other will ever give love so free , Of so much for thee will do ; Remember each unkind word you speak , Some half-worn chord of the harp will break .

Touch gently the strings so worn and old , Keep the instrument in tune , That the song of November may not be cold , But genial as day of June ; Then the dying note of thy ears shall be , A blessing for time and eternity .

Masonic Festivities.

MASONIC FESTIVITIES .

CONSTANTINOPLE . Carnival time is pre-eminently the gala-lionr for balls and entertainments , and certainly during the past few weeks , both at our principal embassies , and in private circles , tbe traditional festivities of the season have been sustained with unflagging spirit . Not tbe least

noticeable of these reunions , was tbe annual Masonic Ball , which tookplaceonThursday eveningat Palais de Oristal . The arrangements were superintended on this occasion by the Italian , Oriental , Bulwer , Union d'Orient , Deutscber , Bund , No . 810 , and G-ermainia- Lodges , and tbe whole affair went off with much eclat . Tbe brethren of

tbe mystic tie , with their fair partners , mustered in goodly array , adding by their costume to tbe picturesque effect of the entertainment , although many who did not belong to the Craft swelled tbe numbers . The customary Italian reception-ceremony initiated tbe gaieties of tbe evening , and was followed by vocal music effectively rendered , by tbe Italian artists of tbe theatre . Dancing

then commenced , and was kept up with hearty enjoyment and good humour until daylight began to dawn . Occasionally , Mr . Jorry , tbe Hungarian pianist , diversified tbe proceedings with some of his admirably executed fantasis . Tbe attendance numbered fully five hundred , and we are glad to leam that , after defraying all expenses , a substantial sum will remain for tbe furtherance of tbe benevolent object for which tbe ball was given . — Levant Herald , February 10 th .

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —Her Majesty and family continue at Windsor , where her uncle , the King of the Belgians , has arrived on a visit . On Saturday Her Majesty received a deputation from the Corporation of the City of London , to present an address of congratulation on the birth of a son to the Prince of AA ' ales . The deputation consisted of tho Lord Mayor and

Sheriffs and members selected by lot from the Court of Aldermen and the Court of Common Council . The deputation arrived at AVindsor about twelve o ' clock , and were speedily ushered into Her Majesty's presence . After the presentation of the address the Lord Mayor and several of the deputation were specially introduced to her Majesty , and had the honour

to kiss hands . The members of the deputation afterwards lunched at the castle . On Monday , five other deputations were received with a similar object . On AVednesday , the Prince of AVales held a levee at St . James ' s Palace . On the previous day the Princess received several deputations charged with the presentation of gifts . These gifts consisted of a " national

token" from South AA ' ales , a splendid vase from the Danes resident in this country , an " offering" from North Jutland , and two caskets and a flower-stand from Australia . IMBERIAL PARLIAMENT . —The proceedings of the House of Lords on Thursday , the 25 th ult ., were altogether devoid of interest . On Friday Lord Malmesbury asked whether there

was any truth in the statement that the Prussian Government had declared that they held Jutland as a guarantee for the payment by Denmark of the expenses of the present war . Lord Russell's reply is not reported very clearly . It is difficult to make out whether he meant to say that the Prussian plea for holding Jutland was that it was necessary to have some

guarantee for the satisfaction of the demands which would he made upon the Danish Government for the seizure of German vessels ; or whether that was merely his reading of the newspaper report