Guarding The Portals.

disobey notwithstanding his individual opinion on the score of propriety or otherwise , the custom which , as far as wc know , has ever been confined within the four walls

of a " tyled " lodge , was broken and " masonic fire " was exposed . With all loyalty , respect and reverence where the same are justly due and ever gladly rendered , we say

that this breach of custom should not have been ! It has , we fear , already been made a precedent , and may be so far and recklessly followed as to require at some future

time the equally firm reprobation of the Grand Lodge of England as the offence at Edinburgh has that of the Grand Lodge of Scotland .

Again , is it true or not—for it has been more than once asserted , and we have not seen the assertion formally denied—that a C OWAN ( one of the profane and uninitiated )

was present at the consecration of a London lodge within the past few months , and joined in the proceedings connected with the masonic toasts and salutes ?—in fact ,

doinij what the ladies at the groat and important gathering we have referred to had seen done . It may be that the whole affair , as reported , is a myth , and we are running

after a jack-o ' -lantern ; if so , 'twould be as well the craft should know it ! On the other hand , it may be a solid fact ; and , if so , again , the Craft should know it ; aye , and

take steps to prevent the recurrence of such a wanton attack upon what , if not one of our landmarks , is , nevertheless , one of our most honoured customs .

Again , is it not time that something should be done to compel our craftsmen to hold their meetings where and when " tyling " can be effectual' ? It is not generally so ;

indeed , the exceptions are but few , and for these one must needs go principally into provincial masonic centres . Our Lodges in many instances , and our Lodges of Instruction

almost universally , are held within the hearing , and , now and then , within the occasional purview of the members of the households of our '' hosts " and their servants ; and

even the very lads who answer to the demands for refreshment can , and , in fact , often boast they do , learn our

modes of gaining admission , and , m a manner easily to be understood , obtain some inkling of the inner working of the lodge .

And again , —and again ;—but , cui bono I Why add instance upon instance to support that which is so well known and so bitterly deplored by all who have the best

interests of Freemasonry at heart , when it is almost a foregone conclusion that the same careless inattention to the manner of working of our English Lodges will

continue , and continue—as far as all authoritative intervention is concerned—until some day we shall be startled by a head-line such as is now going the round of the public

press- —not in all instances too favourably disposed towards our Order—and which , substituting one locality for another , will read , EXTRAORDINARY MASONIC SCANDAL IN LONDON .

An Example From Ireland.

AN EXAMPLE FROM IRELAND .

Wc extract the following from The Ladies' Pictorial of the 3 rd inst . : —Irish journalism has sustained a severe shock by ' the death of Mr . Wm . C . Johnston , head reporter on the Dublin Dail y Frprexx newspaper . The event was altogether unexpected , and the melancholy nature of it is intensified by the fact that the deceased gentleman left a widow and a large young family altogether

unprovided for . There is a section of persons in Dublin who are saying , " Well , why did he ? " and for their enlightenment , and that the flow of real charity which has begun to circulate may not he arrested by such strictures , I would make known the fact that his efforts to insure his life were without avail , as he suffered from heart disease—and that although the principle of " If you have but

An Example From Ireland.

a herring a day , contrive to put by iho tail , " may be an excellent one in theory ( which it undoubtedly is ) , the practice is somewhat difficult where there are eight children crying out for the nourii-hment to be derived from that hidden appenda ; e . In short , Mr . Johnston had a hard enough fight for existmce during his participation in it , and now that he is gone his wife and helpless little

ones seem likely to have a harder battle still . To soften the asperities of the conflict a number of friends have formed themselves into a committee for the purpose of receiving subscriptions towards a fund for their support . To this Sir John Arnott has contributed £ 100 . Sir Charles Cameron , 15 , Pembroke Road , is one of the treasurers of the fund , and I earnestly hope that a a rent many

lovers of literature , and appreciators of what is sound and good in journalism , will be found willing to contribute ( be it ever so modestly ) to the praiseworthy object in hand . To us , who knew Mr . Johnston as a brother worker , and enjoyed his genial friendship , the matter resolves itself into a melancholy pleasure , as well as a duty which it is incumbent on us to fulfil ; to outside friends it

will present itself as a privilege ; while to the charitable public the opportunity will be afforded of aiding a truly benevolent work . I hear , indeed , a rumour that Sir Charles Cameron , who is Secretary of Masonic Lodge No . 25 , has already suggested to his brethren of the Craft to forego the customary N ovember dinner , and allocate the amount usually spent on it to the benefit of the family of the

deceased journalist . I hope , with all my heart , that this is true , for it would be real practical Masonry , and would for long , if not for ever , wipe off the unmeaning and decidedly false impression which seems to exist in so many minds , that Freemasons meet only to enjoy the pleasures of the table . There is a purer and higher enjoyment than these can ever afford—the pleasure of doing a good

and godly work ; and there have been instances in plenty where Masons have proved amply before the world that the nobleness of their Craft was not to be thus impugned . I remember a case , and not very long ago either , when the friends of a brother in deep distress mr . de his condition known to a Dublin lodge , and gained substantial help for him by the members of that lodge consenting to forego their annual dinner , and desiring that the cost of it

( upwards of £ 70 ) should be given to him who was at the time passing through a furnace of affliction , from which the help thus spontaneoulsy afforded happily rescued him . And which , I wonder , of those men did not feel , as he sat at home and ate his quiet family dinner , the incomparable peace and pleasure of self -approval , and hear the still small voice that whispered the comforting " Well done . "

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

A new Mark Master Masons Ledge , under the title of the " Chorltcn Lcclge . " No . 304 , Mas consecrated on the 31 st ult . at Chorltcn-cx m-Hardy , a suburb rf Manchester , by the R . W . the Earl of Lathcm , Prov . G . M . H . M . Lancashire , assisted by a number of Prov . G . officers- raid members of the Order . On the arrival of the Earl of Lathom at the Masonic Hall a precession was

formed , anel on entering - \\ r . s received with the usual honours . Amongst those p : e ent were—Pre s . J . H . Barrow . Pro . G . J . W . ; Jno . C . Robinson . P . G S . ; P . R , Barn w , P . G . I . G . ; Jas . T . Callow . W . VI . 593 ; D . Jones , M . O ., 3 . 9 : Wm . Piatt , P . G . O . ( Southportj ; Jno . Chr . dwick . P . G . S . O . Prcv . Grand See rotary ; J . R . Sowter . P . P . G . J . W ., P . M ., 34 ; S . In \ in Thomson , J . W ., 2 . 109 ; E . G . Harrison , P . P . G .

Reg . ; Geo . H . Parke , Past Prov . G . J . W ., P . M ., 36 ; Richd . Newhouse . P . G . S . S ., Prov . G . Sec . ( Cheshire ) ; Frank A . Huet , P . G . D . ; Robt . W . Bourne . Assist . D . C . ; Thos . Mellor . Prov . G . S . W . ; C . F . Woodall , P . P . G ., Treas . ; Eli Brooks , P . G . S . ; Jas . Dearden , Prov . G . S . B . ; Joseph Mellor , P . D . C . ; Rev . F . J . M-Nally , Prov . Grand Chaplain , P . M ., 325 ; Edward Pierpoint , P . G . Steward ; Walter C .

Erwin , S . W ., 393 ; Ralph Bettey , J . W ., 393 ; Hy . L . Rocca , P . P . G . , M . O ., P . M ., 34 ; Robt . Foote , P . G . Treasurer ; A . Middleton , P . G ! St . B . ; W . J . Cunliffe , P . G . S . O . ; Thos . Robt . Peel , P . P . D . C ., J . W . ; J . W . Hedley , P . G . S . ; Jno . E . Lees , P . P . G . T ., P . M ., 34 ; J . J . Hankin , P . G . Tyler ; Geo . Hunt , J . W ., 34 ; J . W . Kenyon , P . P . G . S . O ., P . M ., 42 ; R . R . Lisenden , late St . Andrew , 34 ; Alfred H . Pownall , Arthur

E . Pownall , Thos . Wilson , E . Nathan , late St . Andrew , 34 ; Wm . Lloyd Starkey , 159 ; W . Wadeson . J . D . Murray , G . St . B . ; J . Molloy , No . 65 ; Henry Marshall , W . M . designate ; Jas . J . Lambert , S . W . designate ; and James Garnett Batty , J . W ., designate of the new lodge . The lodge , which received the Prov . G . M . and officers , was constituted as under—Bro . J . H . Barrow , Prov . G . J . W ., having

previouslv opened it in due form as acting W . M . ; 11 . Foote , S . W . ; Walter C . Erwin , J . W . ; David Jones , M . O . ; J . C . Robinson , S . O . ; Jas . T . Callow , J . O . ; Peter Barrow , S . D . ; J . Molloy , J . D . ; J . D . Murray , D . of C . The P . G . Chaplain opened the consecration by prayer , and it having been ascertained that the warrant of the lodge was approved , the rev . brother delivered an oration . After

the usual ceremonial the P . G . M . dedicated the lodge . The ceremony having concluded , votes of thanks were accorded to Bro . the Earl of Lathom , as consecrating officer , and Bro . Murray , as installing officer . His lordship and Bros . Murray and Barrow were proposed as hon . members , and later on fifteen candidates were advanced . The brethren afterwards dined together under the presidency of the Earl of Lathom .

The Antiente Fraternitie Of The Rehere Almoners.

The Antiente Fraternitie of the Rehere Almoners .

By the kind permission of Bro . Augustus Harris , a ticket benefit at Drury Lrne Theatre , extending from the 26 th to the 30 th inst ., both dates inclusive , has been arranged in aid of the above excellent charitable society , which has been founded on the truest principles

of Freemasonry . It assists many deserving poor in the City of London during the winter months , and has had the patronage of many of the Chief Magistrates and Councillors . We shall be very pleased to hear from any brethren desirous of having further particulars of the society , and to help it onward in its good work .