The Benefits Of Freemasonry.

shall ! , shortly endeavour to explain—and that she has spoken strongly because she is , as she was told by an old Mason the other day " so disgusted with the whole affair , " her informant evidently being one who never truly knew what Masonry was , or knowing it , had not the courage

and the perseverance to follow it up ; one , who having departed from the straight road to happiness , to follow the crooked ways of bis oivn illjudgment ancl evil passions , would fain enter up judgment against those who have ever gone forward in their honest endeavours to

walluprightly before God and man , and , whilst never neglecting the interests of their families , dispense the blessings with which Providence has favoured them amongst their neighbours and poorer brethren . We regret that our correspondent ' s lot should be "

unhappily east in the midst of Ereemasons , " who appiear , according to her statement , to be so thoroughly unacquainted with their obligations and duties to society ; and will . now proceed to endeavour to enlighten her with regard to some of the advantages of being a Ereemason .

We shall not dilate at any length on the benefits which most accrue to young men by increasing their connections in life , for we hold that no man should enter into Ereemasonry with the view of deriving , either directly or indirectly , any advantage for himself—but

rather with tbe view of endeavouring to confer benefits on bis fellow-creatures . Ereemasonry may be truly said to break down all the barriers which differences of country and of creed have raised amongst men , and to have established a true bond of friendship amongst men

who might otherwise have remained strangers to eachand to any man whose lot is cast amongst those whose duty convey them to many lauds , it is of incalculable advantagein at once furnishing him with a ready introduction to , and a cordial welcome by , those to whom , to be known

as a Mason , is at once to be acknowledged as a brother . How cheering must it be for the soldier , on his arrival at some strange and distant station of India , to find established a lodge in which he is received with open arms , and in virtue of his Masonic character , at once

introduced into the best society of the place—society into which his rank as a soldier would probably ultimately gain him admission , though only by slow degrees , and perhaps scarcely before he has been called upon to proceed to some other quarters , to go through the same

process again . But these are not advantages which are likely to be appreciated by a Ereemason ' s Wife , and we will therefore speak of those graceful adjuncts to Ereemasonry nearer home—which , though IH / absolute part of our system certainly cannot be separated from it—at least in

Englandour Charities . We know not whether a Ereemason ' s Wife has ever heard of our Girl ' s School—we are sure she has never visited it , or she would not ask us what benefit is to be derived from being a Mason . We , therefore , invite her to take an early opportunity of visiting St . John ' s Hill , Battersea Else , and inspect for herself the

admirable arrangements there made for the maintenance ancl education of eighty children of decayed Ereemasons , many of whom are orphans , and who , but for the practical benevolence of the Craft of which their fathers were members , would have no home but the

Avorkhouse , no prospect in the future than of becoming pauper servants , whilst at St . John ' s Hill they are carefully brought up , religiously and usefully instructed , and when of sufficient age , placed either in the care of friends or in such situations that they may become not merely

useful members of , but even ornaments to society . We would inform a Ereemason's Wife that the noble pile to which we have now invited her , took its rise from very humble beginnings , the institution having been founded in 1788 "for the purpose of clothing , educating , and

maintaining an unlimited number of female children , orphans or otherwise , of brethren belonging to the Ancient and Honourable Society of Eree and Accepted Masons of England , whose reduced circumstances in life may prevent their affording their female offspring a

suitable education . " In 1793 the first school-house was erected in St . George ' s Eields , and though established for the education & e . of an " unlimited" number of pupils , it was for many years practically limited by the funds at its disposal , notwithstanding which it effected a

large amount of good . At the expn-ation of the lease of tbe old building the present school-house was built on freehold land at a cost of something like £ 12 , 000 , and eighty pupils are now received and educated on a system consistent with the requirements of the day , and though it is a proud boast that during the last twenty-two or

three years there has been no approved candidate who has not found admission to the school , yet with the increase of Ereemasonry and increase of means , we find the number of candidates also increasing , so that it is now under the consideration of the committee how best to enlarge

tbe establishment so as to receive a larger number of pupils than at present . Since the establishment of the school something like 800 children have passed through it , and . been returned , educated , to their friends whilst " those who had no home have been provided witb

suitable situations or apprenticed to respectable trades , in which they have invariably so conducted themselves as to deserve and receive the commendation of thenemployers and the approbation of their benefactors . " This school is supported by the voluntary contributions

of Ereemasons , and we claim for it a place amongst the benefits which Ereemasonry bestows upon society , but which our correspondent may perhaps consider No . 1 of our " evil" work .

We next advise a Ereemason ' s Wife to visit Wood Green , Tottenham , where she will see 70 boys , the orphans of deceased , or sons of reduced Ereemasons , equally cared for with the girls at St . John's Hill . This school is of rather modern date , having only been inaugurated in

1857 , when twenty-fiveboys were admitted , ( the premises having cost £ 3500 ) , a number which has been since increased to seventy . But though we have . had tbe