Freemasonry Considered.

into her children's ears the dread truth , " thou , too , must die . '' The mightiest of her sons have travelled the unknown road ; the weakest have gone the same way . For this reason she displays prominently in her courts , amid the songs of mirth

and the shouts of glee , the skull aud the crossbones . She urges importunately upon her children the truth that man is a perishable being , and that ali things must die . Yet , while teaching this stern fact , she places upon the altar of each

lodge the volume of the Sacred Writ , wherein man finds the only guide which will make man hapjjy in this life , and certain of an entrance into those higher courts , where He , who gave her to earth as a great teacher , reigns to judge , to

reward , or , oh dread reality , to punish ! Have we not often been told by the ignorant and the unthinking that Masonry is bad , that she leads her novices in the paths of wickedness , and ¦ confirms them in the ways of sin ? Aye , scarce a

day passes but such statements are made , statements as vile as they are false . Will any man , the most prejudiced against us , dare to repeat

these calumnies when told that the volume of God's word is ever open at our meetings , that his ¦ hol y name is constantly invoked in our assemblies , not with laughter nor with scoffing " , but with fear and trembling ; that the ribald and the debauchee

are expelled from our society , and the wicked ancl the vile refused admittance ? Dare he repeat these , when the great truth is kept ever before the eyes of the brethren , that death is the doom of all , and that after death cometh the judgment ? If so ,

then what can we say to such an one , but that the heart is deceitful and wicked above all things , and , with Freemasonry , in his estimation , stand condemned the great , the noble , ancl the virtuous of

all nations and of all degrees . Have we not witnessed the demeanour of those , who , when at length resolved to probe the mystery which men cling to with such tenacity , through the perils of persecution , through the tortures and the faggots

of the inquisition , even till the cold hand of death is laid upon their hearts , smite their bosoms , and confess with pain , with mortification , and with contrition , the evil which they spoke against us in their ignorance , and confess that Freemasonry is

the sister to religion . Many a one , and I myself among the number , have scoffed at Freemasonry as a vain show , ancl a hollow cheat , before the light shone down upon the dark waters of ignorance , and now acknowledge with gratitude , that the

Freemasonry Considered.

first thoughts of an after state , the first gleams of an awakening to a higher and better life , and the first longings to be enrolled in that society of the Almighty ' s chosen , were engendered by the teachings of Freemasonry . Because they have

felt this to be so , do fathers bring their children before the altars of Freemasonry , and dedicate them to its life-long service . I do not know a better guide for a young man in commencing life than the doctrine taught in our lodges that he

must die . The brightest day must be swallowed up in night , and the grandest life be forgotten by men in death . ( To he continued . )

Pickings Up, Jottings Down, And Suggestions Done In The Rough.

PICKINGS UP , JOTTINGS DOWN , AND SUGGESTIONS DONE IN THE ROUGH .

"When thou Imply seest Some rare note-worthy object in thy travels , Make ine partaker of thy happiness . —Shakespeare . Twice a year I am on parole for two or three weeks . On such occasions I visit as many lodges as come within the compass of my ability .

Sometimes I am edified and sometimes I am not , but I am bound to- say always hospitality entertained . I thought perhaps some of these " Pickings , " " Jottings /* and " Sng-gestions" might neither be unacceptable to you nor uninteresting to some of

your readers , therefore I draw a bow at a venture , and crave your merciful consideration . I have been uniformly impressed during my peregrinations of the want—the great want—of some thoroughly efficient but kindly and therefore acceptable supervision throughout the provinces .

I feel sure that suitable machinery could be set in motion at small cost , and thereby irregularities would be prevented , the weak strengthened , and indecencies checked . I have been obliged frequently , I regret to say , to witness both

irregularities ancl indecencies . I remember on one occasion visiting a lodge which met at the principal hotel in a country town . The local militia were at the time embodied , and the lodge room was occupied by the officers . ' Fortunately some of

their number were members of the " mystic tie , " and therefore ready to sacrifice something to convenience brethren , but even then the ceremonies were most indecently rendered . There cannot be a doubt but that the Craft would benefit greatly if

lodges did not hold their meetings at houses of public entertainment , ancl I am thankful to find that this is felt , ancl " Masonic halls'' or "Masonic