Round And About.

of Barnes , where he can minister still further to the increasing business of his " boss . " Years ago he played Starveling , of A Midsummer Night ' s

Dream , in the provinces with Edward Terry . Then he did a little stage managing , and appeared again on the boards as harlequin to the policeman of E . J . Lonnen , at the pantomime at Leeds , in 1 SS 0 . That was his last performance , and the scar of a broken nose gives him an occasional reminder of the fact . As if to suggest a slight connection with bonnie Scotland , he always calls his friends " Laddie . "

Bro . James Stevens , whose series of reprinted papers upon the duties of " Lodge Officers " have appeared in our pages , is one of those men whose strong attachment to die teachings of Freemasonry has proved a financial loss in a long career of studied service to the Craft . He might

not justly be called a popular man , as that term is generally understood , for since that day when force of circumstances compelled him to withhold the hand that has helped , wisely and unwisely , many men along the stony paths of life , he has not found many to remember his former days of affluence and prosperity .

Mr . Stevens was the founder and the editor of the little twinkling Masonic Star , a modest publication that should have flourished , and would have flourished in the hands of a professional journalist ; but he was surrounded with everything that made the collapse of the venture

certain , and its downfall after an existence of twelve months provided the self-constituted censors of Masonic journalism with one more argument against the possibility of success of any journal appealing solely to Freemasons . Whatever conclusions these persons may have formed of the little

weekly , I give it them as a solid fact , that its genuine circulation outstripped that of any Masonic newspaper published at that time , and was large enough—in the hands of capable persons—to have secured the lasting existence of the publication .

Mr . Stevens , since leaving Clapham , where he once held a lucrative practice as the leading auctioneer and surveyor of the district , has hidden himself somewhat in a modest villa at Catford , where behind his fragrant briar he has time to arrange his collection of papers upon Masonic matters .

These he has arranged to be left in the hands of a Brother , who is to use his discretion in the publication of anything he may think worthy the light of day when Bro . Stevenswho is perhaps one of the most consistent Freemasons that ever lived—hands in his cheques and pays the debt of human nature .

It is a coincidence worthy of mention that Bro . Stevens , although possessing , perhaps , no claims to smartness or freshness in his writings , has contributed the first leading articles to three of the Masonic journals published in this country . The reprints above mentioned were carefully

denuded of his peculiar mannerism , but not without his permission , and although this fact may appear to cast a shade over the pureness of his style , there is no shadow of a doubt that Bro . Stevens is still the most capable man to edit , if not to publish , a purely Masonic paper .

Round And About.

Through the good offices of Bro . Henniker Heaton , M . P ., and Sir Arthur Blythe , the Commissioner-General of South Australia , I am enabled to promise an excellent article from the pen of a well-known Mason and journalist upon that most excellent Past Grand Master , Chief Justice Way . Mr .

Pleaton , though owning extensive estates and newspaper properties in the Colony , has been located in London for the past six years , and his house in Eaton-square is a house of call for all Australians passing through or sojourning in the metropolis . Of course he thinks there is no country in

the world to equal Australia , where he has a picturesque residence called St . Canise , at Darling Point , on the shores of Sydney Harbour . His efforts to accomplish the dream of his life—an international penny postage—will be crowned with success before many more years are gone , and before

he returns to his Australian Canaan , as the first Australian peer , he is sanguine of accomplishing many things for the welfare of the Antipodeans . Mr . Henniker Heaton ' s " Australian " Library is the finest in the world .

In the New Zealand Craftsman , which the publisher kindly sends me every month , is the following notice which every Masonic reader should read , mark , learn , and inwardly digest , I heard a very learned man say once that Masonry was composed of one hundred parts ; three of

those parts were brotherly love , relief , and truth , but the other ninety-seven —( " Well ! the task of filling up the blanks I'd rather leave to you" ) . Here is the notice , which in miniature my printer will be good enough to set up as near like the original as possible : —

Ar01002

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS OF THE MASONIC JOURNAL . The Directors of the "MASONIC J OURNAL COMPANY , "

having received very little response to their request that Subscribers should pay up their arrears , are compelled to make another effort to get in the , £ 300 outstanding . Having no facilities to do this , they have asked the Proprietors of the " CRAFTSIMAN " to take the necessary

steps to collect , at least , sufficient to pay off the Bank Overdraft of £ 100 , and so relieve the Guarantors from their liability . There is more than enough outstanding to pay off all the Company's liabilities , and the Directors trust that

Subscribers will now pay their arrears to the persons appointed by the Publisher of the " CRAFTSMAN , " SO that the Company may honourably wind up and pay 20 s . in

the £ . Subscribers are only asked to pay for the actual number of copies received , the Auditors having calculated only up to the time of ceasing publication—September last . It may not be amiss to mention that the whole of the

Directors , with the exception of two , have paid , £ 40 to the Bank out of their own pocket , thus helping to bring down the Overdraft from ^" 16 9 to £ 100 . The Directors are not in a position to do this again ; neither should it be necessary when three times the amount of what is required is

outstanding in arrears . D . HARRIS HASTINGS , Managing Director of the " Masonic Journal Company , Ltd , " Dunedin , N . Z .