Provincial Grand Lodge Of Derbyshire.

candlesticks , and also produced , encased in a suitabl frame ( which had been provided ) , a stone taken from the ruins of the Temple of King Solomon , by Bro . Charles Colvile . Bro . Smith having been thanked for his gifts , the acting Prov . Grand Master delivered a short address , in which he expressed his deep gratification at the substantial

progress made by the Order in the Province . After the Lodge had been closed , tho brethren partook of a banquet iu the Lower Hall .

Two New Years' Eves; Or , How I Became A Mason.

TWO NEW YEARS' EVES ; OR , HOW I BECAME A MASON .

B Y A V ETERAN B ROTHER . C HAPTER I .

" fEHPUS Fugit ! " Of the veracity of that oft-quoted adage I am more than reminded by the preponderance of grey in my hair and beard , as I gaze into the glass on this calm and , to me , sacred New Year's Eve . Reminded , too , by pictures conjured up , as the glowing firelight glints throngh the diamond ring upon my

finger , recalling days as marked for the happiness they brought as for the void which so snddenly and irreparably fell npon my soul . I am not , at my age , what modern fiction readers would condemn as a gushing or sensational writer ; but , as tho incidents I am about to

relate are substantially trne , I will endeavour to avoid being dull or gloomy afc this season of the year , whieh is proverbially " merry , " and deliver my round unvarnished tale in my own way , and in my old-fashioned style . So this is how it nil came about .

" Terrifically hot , old boy ! " exclaimed my friend , Jack Fenton , one abnormally sultry day in June •" how can you possibly stick to the desk so leech-like when the barometer is at boiling-point , and even the cab-horses on the rank outside are sleepim ? , like so many oats on the hearth ? I am almost enervated by this stuffy atmosphere ;

so come along ; let ns take one of the cabs hinted at , and go for a drive a little way into the country . Ifc will do us both good , and we shall have the additional credit of waking up poor cabby and his sleepy steed . " " With all my heart , " I replied ; "it will be a treat exactly to HIT

taste . Bufc where can we find cool and enjoyment on a day like this ?" " I'll tell you . Only by this morning's post I received an invitation for a Masonic summer banquet , down in one of the most sequestered and lovely glades in Biokenham ; and , as the ticket says for two—"

" Bufc hold , Jack ! I am not a Mason . " "Ah ! I forgot ; bnt , without any violation of my Masonic ' secrets '"—here I smiled incredulously— "I ought to explain that these summer banquets are not strictly confined to the brethren of ' ye mystic tie . ' They can't be , you know , inasmuch as in all

probability the majority of tho company will be ladies . So you need have no scruples on that point ; and if yon do not fall in love wifch one of tho fair ' sisters , ' yon will do so with Masonry , when yon have bad a glimpse of one side of the sublime Art . " So , resigning myself to the tender mercies of my old friend and

schoolfellow , we were soon beyond the "human bakehouse" of the City , whose very stones seemed like the "hot bricks" of the proverb , and bowling away oufc on the white , dusty road , with hedges and fields on either side of us , dotted here and there with pretty white cottages , literally embowered with flowers that flung

a million sweet odours around them . What a contrast , even in so short a distance ! How fresh and invigorating ! Even the little birds that twittered amongst the hedgerows seemed to warble a song of praise to my friend Jack for literally tearing himself and me away from the din and heat and bustle of City life under such tropical conditions .

Ifc is unnecessary to relate how , in the twelve or fourteen miles journey down , Jack revealed to me the modus operandi of a " summer banquet "—how ifc was agreed to by vote in " open Lodge " ; how certain "Stewards" were appointed to carry out the arduous , but pleasing , preliminaries ; how the brethren , than whom

'No mortals can more fche ladies adore " laid themselves out , on that day , more than all the resfc in the year , to afford the fair ones an insight into the " mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry " by giving them a day in the country ; and how the party went down by road , in coaches and wagonettes , alone the

very same route we were now taking , to some park-like nook beside the margin of the cool river ; and where , under the shade of umbrageous trees , the picnic wan followed by dancing and all those other agreeable pastimes in wbich youth delight . Suffice to fay , the vision conjured up by the recital of all these

pleasantries gave mo a better opinion of Masons than I con-ess I had erewhile entertained ; and the summit of pleasant anticipation was reached when Jack exclaimed , " Yon know , on our returr . journey , we shall have dismissed this cab" — thero were no hp . isoms in those days— " and shall ride back with the rest—part and parcel of

the happy company . " On , by rich pasture lands , on which cattle were lazily browsing , by smiling orchards , and quaint old thatched cottages , whose inmates came to door and window to catch a glimpse of the unusual

carriage coming their way . Past the osier beds , through which the shining river meandered on its serpentine course , and upon whoso bosom the fleecy swans rested majestically , hardly caring to movo or ruffle a feather at the approach of a boat , though its occupants

Two New Years' Eves; Or , How I Became A Mason.

laughed never so cheerily aa they piddled lover-like wifch fch e stream . A couple of hours' easy trot brought us to fche market place of Wickmond , before whose principal inn door stood two or three stage coaches and open drags , and ifc was in these Jack rightly conjectured

the Free and Accepted Masons had travelled down . "Jistin time , gen'lmen , " quoth the ostler , as . he drew the rein 3 gently away from our driver , who patted his steed affectionately on the neck after we had paid him what he evidently considered a "tidy " fare , and dismissed him to attend to the " personal comforts "

of both man and beast . " You'll find 'em down there—on the Squire ' s lawn , " smiled the old fellow ; " sich a lot on ' em , sir ; and all of tho right sort , to judge of their ' ansome behaviour in the ' otel . " And to " jndge" from his benign countenance , old Jim the ostler had nofc been forgotten

either . It needed bnt a few minutes for us to refresh the inner man , and remove the dust from our apparel , before we were sauntering over the fields that divided the anoient hostelry from fche Park , which we were informed the " Squire " hacl kindly placed afc the disposal of hia

guests . The whispering of the leaves overhead soon mingled wifch the cadences of distant music , as we neared fche rendezvous ; and I could see by the flush npon Jack's cheek that ho was evidently stirred by these , to him , familiar strains into fche keenest anticipations of

pleasure at the treat in store for us . We could discern , here and there between the boughs , moving groups of happy beings , the light toilettes of the ladies giving grace and beauty to the idyllic picture , whilst the air was redolent of flowers and resonant wifch the ripple of merry laughter and light-hearted conversation .

"Now , Harry , don't be too chivalrous , or flatter yourself you will make a ' conquest' —as the girls call it—to-day , " slyly whispered Jack , who could seo I was becoming as eager for the pic-nic as he was . But we were nearing the entrance gate now , and there was no time to finish the sentence he had begun .

"Happy to meet you , Brother , " exclaimed the keeper ot the wicket , as he held out his hand for the ' grip' —and to our Visiting Brother , too . You will find the company just about to dine , and may consider yourselves fortunate you are not late . Of course you vouch for yonr companion ?"

Jack meekly explained to his questioner that I was nofc a member of the Craft ; whereupon the Brother who seemed to be acting in the capacity of " outer guard" became snddenly grave and perplexed , and drawing Jack aside , put some questions to him which I conld nofc overhear .

Presently Jack returned tome , and with a voice more akin to anger than ever I had noticed in him before , he ejaculated , " Something has gone wrong . The invitations are to Masons only , and their female friends , and so there may be a difficulty about you . I hope

not , for I never heard of anything so monstrously absurd as tbe exclusion of non-Masons from an assembly which , though it is graced by the smiles and fascinations of the gentler sex , is absolutely neutralised by their very presence , so far as Freemasonry is concerned . "

" Anyhow , the Tyler has gone to ask the Worshipful Master , " continned he , though , by the biting of his lip and flushed face , I could easily see Jack was chagrined even by the challenge , aud doubtful as to the result .

We had not long fco wait ; for presently the Tyler returned , over , flowing with apologies , but the verdict was as unalterable as the laws of the Medes and Persians ; and although Jack was himself profusely welcomed to the festivities , his friend must nofc be oSended if "

" Como away , Harry ! " he ejaculated , rather testily , " we will enjoy onr afternoon together , at all hazards , even if we are shut oufc from tho charmed circle ; " and turning to the Tyler , who was equally as discomfited , he said , with an assumed air of jaunty indifference , "Ifc is of no greafc consequence ; give my compliments

to Bro . Captain Mayhew , who will no doubt offer some explanation when next we meet in tbe Lodge-room . Good day , Brother Tyler . " And so we sauntered back again by the way we had come , though with thoughts far different to those which had been stirred within us

only a few minutes previously . Indeed , the very sounds we heard grated on the ear , in fche first moments of our disappointment . The birds seemed to mock at our misfortune , and fche leaves to laugh afc our rebuff , as we strode silently from the mirth and the music in which we had been denied a share .

" Confoundedly annoying ! " cried Jack , as soon as we were conveniently out of hearing . " It is worse than annoying ; and I take it as an insult to me personally . In addition , Harry , if you havo been debarred from falling in love with ono of those charming damsels yonder your love for Masonry , which we snnke about coming d . iwn , won't bo mnch enhanced hy this episodp . Eh ?"

I could hardly help smiling at Jack ' s peevishness , though I could quite understand ifc was more ou my account than his own ; so I tried to laugh tho matter off , and expressed the hope that by going further we mis-lit , not fare worse .

My companion replied that ho knew a very old friend who lived a mile or so further down the river , by the ferry , who would be glad to st ? o us both , " although , " ho added , sarcastically , " Yon are not ; as they say in certain circles 'one of vs . '" Accordingly wo decided upon setting oufc for Pefcersido instanter , as Jack remarked

vigorously , " by way of revenge . " On arriving afc fcho hotel wo had quitted so buoyantly only half-anhonr before , tho landlady graciously inquired whether wo had lost onr way across the fields ? the tittering maids-in . waiting lookedthough they did nofc say ifc—at us as though we "didn't belong to

their set . "; while poor old Jim , the ostler , scratched his head and murmured , " Blow'd if he could make it out , anyhow . " Without stopping to answer any of'theso inquiring looks or gestures , we ordered some light , refreshments , and sauntering down through tho narrow street of Wickmond , passed over the bridge and selected from