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THE MASONIC REVIEW THE LEADING JOURNAL OF Jllasomc au 6 Social ( Eocuts for Srccmasons ,

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The Editor will be pleased to receive authentic reports of Masonic Meetings of interest , and will supply to Secretaries of Lodges and other official persons printed forms for the purpose . The staff of writers on the "MASONIC REVIEW" is complete , but the Editor will read suitable matter that may be submitted to him , post

paid . Books , Music , and periodicals for Review should be addressed to the EDITOR , and not to any individual Member of the Staff .

Eminent Masons At Home.

Eminent Masons at Home .

No . V . —MR . FREDERICK BINCKES AT KING ' S-ROAD , N . W . THE Secretaty of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , of whom the Masonic world has chatted a great deal during the past twelve months , resides at the further extremity of the King ' sroad , after it cuts through the better-known Camden-road , just where

the historic College Green has dwindled down to a modest grass " plot , " and retired , with its faded laurels , behind a well-conditioned iron railing , without the suspicion of a tree or a shrub to encourage the struggling grass towards the freshness of maturity . Yet there arc many trees and shrubs close by , for all the houses possess front

gardens ; and box bushes , cleverly clipped into all sort of designs , aid the withering plane-trees and " town " bushes to impose a rural falseness upon the denizens of a London lung , and which would almost succeed were it not for the sooty "feeling" of the atmosphere and the clanging of the bells upon the horses of the

North Metropolitan Tramway Company . You see and hear these things under the disadvantage of a chill October afternoon , when the dusk is settling down with a slight London mist , and the rat-tat of the energetic traveller of the Postmaster-General—Socialism debars you from giving the £ > ostman his proper title—goes along the

darkening street like the volley of a battalion of militia firing its first salute on review day . A board announcing the fact that "this house to be let or sold on or before Christmas next '' hangs over the railings—an evil omen to the superstitious—and you pass it by with nothing less than a hope that its influence has not yet penetrated into tlie home of Frederick Binckes .

The past generation of builders had not to contend with the absurd value of land , and the ground-rent fiend did not hang over them to destroy all their good intentions before they could put them into their bricks and mortar . So the rooms in the houses of King ' sroad are large and lofty , and give evidence of a better care for the

Eminent Masons At Home.

comfort and daily conveniences of their occupants . Frederick Binckes has had but little time these twenty years gone to devote much craze to articles of virtu or of art . He smilingly informs you he has no parks nor conservatories , and that his house relies upon the resources of a neighboring fruiterer to supply his table with those horticultural dclicacies ' which are dear to the palate of

womankind . Hellas many bookshelves and many books ; volumes which can point to nothing but a capacity for enjoying literature of an ennobling purpose . There are the " Lives " of Voltaire and Johnson , Wellington and Bonaparte , Mill ' s " History of the Crusaders , " the Greek and Hebrew scriptures , and rows upon rows

of lighter literature—History , Biography , Theology , Poetry , and the Drama—standard works and magazines . In the dining-room , in a bookcase purposely devoted to them , is the collection of Masonic works of recent and past years , and the little volumes , mostly in blue cloth , speak silently as to the strides Masonic literature has made since Frederick Binckes came into the world of Masonry . Over the door in this room hangs a much-prized possession . It is the

testimonial presented to Frederick Binckes , on the 2 nd of March , 1 S 62 , by the Board of Stewards of the Festival immediately following his election to the Secretaryship of the R . M . I , for Boys ( W . F . Dobson , D . P . G . M . of Kent , Chairman ) , in recognition of his services as Secretary to the Institution , when the sum of , £ 3 , 6 40 was brought up at the

Festival held in that year . Since then he has received many testimonials of moral and intrinsic worth , but none has he ever valued as he values this . It is the first recognition he possesses , he tells you , of his work for the Schools , and , did you but listen , he would digress into comparisons with more recent times , when your mind wishes to rid

itself for tlie moment of such material things . Upon his sideboard is tlie " salver" presented to him in 1873 , with a purse of one thousand guineas , by the friends of the Institution , " in testimony of the appreciation of his exertions as Secretary in promoting its prosperity . " Several other pieces of silver plate—presentations from a generous

Craft—lie about the room , which also includes the service of dessert knives and centre-dishes given him , with a purse of four hundred guineas , but two years ago by the members of the Craft , supplemented by the Mark Master Masons .

Into the special department set aside for the more domesticated portion of the household , none but its fair mistress may take you , so you follow Miss Agnes into the realm of work-baskets and easy chairs , and listen to the history of the jackdaw which is perched outside the window , answering its young mistress with amusing impudence . On the walls of this room hang many masonic

engravings depicting events in the history of the Craft ; and over the cabinet , displaying the touch of woman in the little knicknacks which cover its shelves is a water-colour drawing of the buildings at Wood Green . But it is the "Album of Masons " which interests you most , and brings you to listen to the really descriptive charm of

your hostess . Miss Binckes knows this book , and the history of the men whose portraits adorn it , to an extent which surprises you . Leaf after leaf is turned but to make you more interested in the little explanatory comments which are given with each man who

claims her attention . You have the features of men whom you have seen in the life ; others—and very many others—have long since reached that bourne from which no traveller returns . Some are living in remote corners of the earth , and have dropped out of the running in the old country ; others you meet in your daily intercourse with the Craft ;] but each has his allotted place , with his name

beneath it ; until the course of years , and the inevitable price of existence , will eventually change the _ volume into a monument of the dead , and the owner himself will surrender its possession into other hands . Only one space is vacant , and in your heart—though you will not , perhaps , willingly admit it — you know that mere

justice has been done in removing the portrait from the position of honor its original has forfeited all moral claims to possess . You feel a desire to turn back the faded leaves of this book , and begin your inspection again ; but you know your host is awaiting you , to discuss the one great cloud that has risen as the sun was gaining the