The Benefits Of Freemasonry.

with too little caution , and making lodge duties a stalking horse and excuse for their own shortcomings , with regard to their duties towards their families , and this practice was not unfairly denounced by the D . Prov . G . M . of Kent , at the Prov . Grand Lodge , on the 22 nd October last year , when he said : —

" To turn to another matter , I am afraid that Freemasonry is very often made an excuse for neglecting your domestic duties—that many of you say at home you are obliged to attend some meeting of tbe lodge , when such is not the fact . Tou may think that no barm is done—that it is only an excuse for the moment—but you don't see tbe depth of it , or consider tbe way in which it works . A

prejudice is created against Masonry—and , God knows , there is enough prejudice against it in tbe outer worldbut a prejudice is created against our Craft in a place which should lie one of its most sacred shrines—your own homes . This ought not to be—your wives should feel as glad and as proud that you are Freemasons as you are yourselves . And if you did not make such excuses as

those to which I have hinted—which are made by brethren of this town , and by other brethren in the provincethere is no reason on earth why , with such high and holy institutions as ours , the domestic circle should not become one of the strongholds of Freemasonry . "

We trust that a Ereemason ' s Wife will acknowledge that we have answered her fully , if not satisfactorily ; and that , as her " lot" has been " cast amongst Masons , " she will bring under their notice this article to prove that Ereemasonry is something more than a " pleasant pastime , " aud if she cannot teach them their other

duties , she can at least impress upon them that there is one duty they can perform , that of supporting our charitable institutions to the best of their ability , ancl we do uot despair of hearing that the Ereemason ' s wife is herself , ere long , one of the most active in promoting the prosperity of those institutions .

In closing , we will only add that we have been now upwards of twenty years enrolled in the Order ; that during the last ten we have taken an active part in its affairs ; that for seven years we have devoted our time and some £ 1000 or £ 1200 in the endeavour to establish

this Magazine as au organ of the Craft , so that its objects aud benefits—whilst our mysteries and ceremonies have ever been held sacred—should be placed fairly before the world , and to benefit our Charities , of the Committees of which we have not been inactive members ; and that we can conscientiously and fearlessly appeal to a Freemason ' s Wife to prove that the active discharge of Masonic duties has not created an uuhappiy home .

TIGER GUARDS . —In some parts of Java it is customary to employ men , knoivn as " tiger guards , " AA'hose business it is to keep watch at night that the premises are not entered hy tigers marauders . To the astonishment of Mr . Melville ( AV I IO describes these servants ) and his friends , spearmen were stationed in the verandah of the house Avhere they lodged ; and whenever they go out after dai-lcthough on never so simple journeythe said

, a , spearmen , each hearing a flaming torch , marched ivith them . This \ vas not always pleasant ; hut regarding it as a mere ceremony—a custom of the country—no objection ivas made . One night , IIOAVever , a man Avas snatched by a tiger and borne off to its lair , AA'hen the European company Avere made aivare of the value of the spearmen as a " tiger guard . "—Wild Sports of the World .

Switzerland.

SWITZERLAND .

The following has been received from an official source ,, and communicated to ns by Bro . Cooke , P . Prov . G . D .. of Oxfordshire , who is an honorary member of tbe Alpina : —¦ The Grand Lodge of the Swiss " Union is called

the-Alpina , and is conducted according to the ancient English rites of the free and accepted Masons . It has its own rituals , not recognising any high grade , and not accepting the direct influence of any foreign Masonic , authorit }* . The regular jflace of meeting of the lodge is always at the principal place of the Canton where

the-Grand Master lives . Its ordinary sittings take place every other year , at the period of the festival of St .. John the Baptist . Every regular Mason has the ri ght to be present at its meetings as auditor only , unless ,, however , the debates are only concerning purely administrative questions . Further , if circumstances require it ,

the administrative council are authorised to declare thesittings secret , and and then only effective and honorarymembers can be present . The following Masonic lodges form among themselves ^ , under the direction of a supreme national authority , a Masonic alliance , bearing the special and distinctivedenomination of the Union of Swiss Lodges : —

1 . Aai-au . —Zui- BvudcYti-eue ( Brotherly Faith ) . 2 . Aigle . —La Ohrdbienne des Alpes ( The Christian Woman of the Alps ) . 3 . Aubonne . —La Constance ( Constancy ) . 4 Basel . —Zur Freundschafi ; ( Friendship ) . 5 . Berne . —Zur Hoffnung ( Hope ) . 6 . Chaux-de-Fonds . —L'Amitie ? ( Friendship ) . "

7 . Fribourg . —La Regeneree ( The Regenerated ) . 8 . Geneva . —L'Amite ( Friendship ) . 9 . Geneva . —L'Union des Coours ( The Union of Hearts ) -. 10 . Geneva . —La Fidelite ( Fidelity ) . 11 . Geneva . —La Prudence ( Prudence ) . 12 . Bex . —La Reunion ( The Reunion ) . 13 . Lausanne . —Esperance et Cordialite ( Hope and

Cordiality ) . 14 . Liestal . —Zur Bunderstreue ( Federal Faith ) . 15 . Loile . —Les Yrais Freres Unis ( The " True United-Brothers ) . 16 . Merges . —Les Amis ( The Friends ) . 17 . Motiers-Travers . —Egalite ( Equality ) . 18 . Neufchatel . —Frederick Gnillaume la Bonne Harmonic ;

( Frederick William , Good Harmony ) . 19 . Nyon . —La Vraie Union ( The True Union ) . 20 . Orbe . —La Nouvelle Etoile ( The New Star ) . 21 . Winterthur . —L'Acacia ( The Acacia ) . 22 . Vevey . —La Constance ( Constance ) . 23 . Zurich . —Modestia cum Libertate ( Modesty with Liberty ) .

The Union of the Swiss Lodges has for its object—( a ) . To promote relations of friendshi p and brotherhood betiveen the various lodges ( ateliers ) of which it is composed . ( b ) . To endeavour in common to promote and ennoble Ereemasonry in Switzerland .

( c ) . To co-operate for the advancement of Freemasonry in general , in forming relations with Masonic bodies belonging to other countries . The Union of the Swiss Lodges recognise the constitutions and all the Masonic rites sanctioned b y a legal Grand Orientit recognises all tbe lod ( ateliers )

; ges , and all the Freemasons whose consecrations or confirmation emanate regularly from such an authorit y , or from its regular organs ; but it rejects as non-masonic all fraternities and all members of such who do not possess these qualities .