The Masonic Charities At Home And Abroad.

We cannot , without being branded as ungrateful , pass over in silence the "visit of Dr . Lane to our lodge and chapter . The doctor's presence shed over us a halo of Masonic light and knoAviledge , that time will never efface from the memory of the brethren who were privileged to be present . We feel convinced that all Avho have the intellectual

favour of his acquaintance will most cordially join with us in saying , that whenever the doctor pre-; sides the chair will be filled by a brother and companion eminently distinguished for dispensiug the true spirit and letter of Masonic laAV to all

Tinder the shadow of his fostering wing . It is only just to remark that the banquet did honour to mine host of Gardner ' s Hotel , both as to the banquet and the wines . The doctor being the * Star in the East , ' the brethren could not fail to

• be what they Avere—delighted and improved . " The editor of the Revieiv , commenting on this 'banquet , remarked" The brethren of Guernsey have done them-¦ selves honour by the compliment thus paid to one

¦ of the most amiable among men , as Avell as most distinguished among Masons—one Avhose mind ; and manners mark the scholar and the gentleman . " Bro . Gardner , who is thus eulogised as " mine ihost , " was the father of the present S . W . of Doyle's Lodge , Bro . James Gardner , Avho has also succeeded his father as maitre of the Royal Hotel .

In the Hevieiu for 1845 at page 104 , the presence of Comp . John Lane , D . C . L ., P . Prov . S . G . D ., at a meeting of Doyle ' s Chapter is noticed , en which occasion Bro . T . 0 . Lyte , of Jersey , icame over to act as Principal Z ., and Bro . H . St .

George Priaulx , W . M . of Doyle ' s Lodge , and Bro . Henry Mansell were exalted . At page 257 it is stated , that on June 4 th , 1845 , Comp . Wm . Dent was installed aa M . E . Z ., of Doyle ' s Chapter , when Comp . T . O . Lyte , of Jersey , was presented

with "a splendid P . Z . ' s jeAvel , " as a token of ¦ respect for services rendered by him to Doyle ' s Chapter . Again at page 358 it is recorded that in July 1845 , " a very handsome and richly ornamented

Past Master ' s jewel was presented to Bro . William Dent , Z ., and P . M . of Doyle Chapter and Lodge of Fellowship , in commemoration of his valuable services during sixteen years . Bro . Wood—we presume the Rev . Orme Wood , afterwards D . G . M .

of the province—presided at the banquet . Bro . Dent in his speech stated a fact in his history which we have not seen parallelled elsewhere . He said

The Masonic Charities At Home And Abroad.

that " he had filled every office in the lodge from Tyler to Master , and in the chapter from Janitor to Z . " We find that in 1784 Bro . Thomas Dobree , was Grand Master of the Provinces of the Channel

Islands under the jurisdiction of what was then termed the " modern" Grand Lodge . As the Mariner ' s Lodge was then existing as an "Ancient " Lodge , it would be interesting to know if there was a Grand Master of the " Ancients" as well as

of the "Moderns . " At all events it is evident that at that time the two Masonic organisations between which -there Avas constant rivalry until the Act of Union in 1813 Avere both represented in the province .

In the Masonic rooms there are portraits of Sir John Doyle , and Sir 0 . J . Napier . The portrait of Sir John is a beautifully executed miniature presented to Doyle ' s Lodge by Bro . James Gallienne . —J . A . H .

Saint John The Evangelist.

SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST .

A PATRON SAINT OP FREEMASONS . By Bro . CHALMEKS I . PATON , a Past Master of Lodge Caledonian ( No . 392 ) , fyc , < $ * c . It is said of the great patron saint of the Freemasons , that "Among them that are born of

women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist . " The honour thus given is the greatest that could be bestowed , and the title to it is indisputable and indefeasible . It was conferred by One who knew not only the man , but all men ;

and Avho was infinite in His Avisdom and unerring i n His judgment . There is another John , however , mentioned in Sacred Writ , Avho is not less entitled to the respect , the confidence , the

admiration , and the imitation of the brotherhood . He is known by a great variety of distinguishing marks of heavenly approbation . Like John the Baptist , he was of humble parentage—even humbler than John . His lot was poor , his labours great , and

his expectations in life moderate and few . Zebedee , his father , was a fisherman , who earned his bread by toiling and struggling night and day on the boisterous Sea of Galilee : and John and his elder brother followed the same rough and dangerous

calling . Little is known , and that little not important , as to his early history . The probability is that he commenced business life on the sea , sold his fish to the people of Bethsaida and Capernaum , earned an ordinary competence by