Lights And Shadows Of Masonry.

in order that there should be no mistake in either word or syllable ; surely it is far more impressive to hear the Pastor read the Lesson , in good English and faultlessly , than hear him recite , trusting to his memory , which often fails him ! I hear you cry ' " Innovation" ! No , my Brethren , I have no desire to introduce any innovation , I am merely pointing out the impression the educated and refined foreign Brother , visiting certain Lodges in this country , must receive .

In non-English speaking countries those and those only who are thorough Masters of their native language would aspire to the chair . Not only are those chosen able to speak their language fluently , but their social rank thoroughly qualifies them for their elevated functions . Is that always so in this country ? Take a quiet glimpse at the mirror !

I was once present at a Lodge when the W . M .-elect , a former member of the Cabinet , whom the Lodge honoured by giving the name of his baronial seat to their Temple , thanked the Brethren in the following , words—I vouch for their accuracy : — " Since you force me to accept it , I suppose I must ; I will do all I can to help you . " At the banquet which followed , the blue-blooded Brother was conspicuous by his absence !

Title-worship should not exist in our ranks ; I have already said our Brotherhood is a true democracy , but I fear , nevertheless , that such is not dead amongst us . At the Mark Grand Lodge a Brother official in my hearing , in referring to the expected visit of the Earl of piously raised his hand , pointing to the ceiling , as if to invoke the blessing on such men for

condescending to patronise them . Bah ! Masons in the higher spheres are as a rule tepid ; in the Lodge , many work badly , it is a fashion to join a- Society which was presided over by H . R . H . They deem it a favour they confer upon the Craft by joining it , whereas in reality it is Masonry which casts a lustre on them ! Shall we wash a little family linen ? What I am about to

relate to you is strictly true . Not only have I full faith in the Brother who has confided in me , but 1 have verified all the minutae , and I vouch for the veracity of every word . I am not going to lay bare before you the hidden secrets and mysteries of Masonry , for with these I have no doubt you are amply acquainted , I desire but to lay before your eyes a human heart which has

become transcendent by suffering . A Brother , well known to me , was overwhelmed by a catastrophe which for a time literally paralised his mental faculties . I am not at liberty to give you the nature of the abyss into which he was suddenly hurled , suffice it that he left his residence , and during a period of over a year , wandered about not unlike a wild animal wounded to the death .

To lay violent hands upon himself he had religious scruples ; without this cowardly act—said he—the end is sure to come soon . He did everything in his power to reach the goal . At times nature demanded its due ; the stomach rebelled and demanded food . He screwed up sufficient courage to write to the Secretary of his Lodge . Ten guineas was sent him . Very soon that

disappeared . He carefully avoided all friends and former acquaintances , and at last fell so low , from affluence to penury—nay , to absolute starvation . Without a shelter , hungry , and in a state of unspeakable abject misery , he happened to see in the " Morning Advertiser " a list of the various Lodges meeting from day to day . In his halcyon clays he was an enthusiastic Mason , and charity

was not unpractised by him ; why not procure sufficient to keep body and soul together , at one of the Lodges ? Hunger is an imperious Master ! He selected a Lodge which met at the most unlikely place where he might be recognised . Not possessing a single penny , he walked up to the " Castle . " Timidly he sought the Tyler and sent in his Certificate . After waiting below for one

hour and a half , the Tyler brought him back his Certificate and two shillings . My poor Brother begged the Tyler to accept the florin . Somewhat astonished , the Tyler nevertheless accepted the douceur . Our Brother , not having broken his fast on that clay , walked back to town and spent the night under the canopy of heaven . The following morning , he noted down a Lodge about

to meet in the evening at Anderton s Hotel . Of course I abstain from mentioning names . The Secretary condescended to see him , and informed him that , to his great regret , the Lodge had no funds at its disposal . "Why do you not apply to Grand Lodge ?" That had indeed been suggested to our Brother before , but he had so strong an abhorrence for that step , to have his name

published , possibly even to meet some member on the Board of Benevolence to whom he had on some previous occasion administered a philipic , that he could not bring himself to make that reasonable and proper application . The clay following he went to a Lodge at the "Albion . " In the ante-chamber he found the Tyler , not unlike Dickens ' s Bumble , but instead of the gold lace

and brass buttons , he was decorated with the emblem of his Office , and was leisurely quaffing Sherry . Without moving from his chair , the oracle scrutinised the Certificate and delivered himself thus : "I cannot trouble the Secretary or the W . M . as Lodge is now working , and it is useless for you to wait , for I am certain that nothing will be done for you . " At another Lodge , the following

evening , held—if I remember rightly what my Brother told me , and I do not find it on the notes I have taken—at the London Tavern , our poor Brother remained for nigh on two hours on the stairs , in order that Brethren ascending mi ght not see him , and was finally informed by—from what I understood my friend to

say—the W . M ., when the Brethren were descending to the banqueting room , "I regret we can do nothing for you ; you should apply to Grand Lodge . " The following clay , barely able to crawl , literally dying from inanition , he met a Brother high in Masonry . "Don ' t you know mc ? I am so and so "— "Oh ! I think I do . "— "I am in a terrible plight , in the direst distress . I want

Lights And Shadows Of Masonry.

to go to . . . . , where I shall probably meet a friend . Lend me sufficient to take me there" ( half-a-crown ) . " After all , I cannot bring your name to my recollection" came from the excellent Brother with his fine patriarchal beard . . " Surely , sir , you remember me ! I have frequently bought things at your depot , and it is not so very long since I sent you a contribution of one guinea for a Masonic purpose , an appeal for which was in

your " " No ! I co not remember ; the best thing for you to do is to apply to Grand Lodge and I will endorse it . " " But , supposing I felt inclined to do so , which I do not , it would take clays or even weeks before anything could be done by Grand Lodge , and I so much wish to go to .... " "Ah , I am truly sorry , but I must be off . "

That afternoon our Brother saw that a Lodge of Instruction would meet at 7 , at an Inn in Moorgate Street , there he went . After an interval a Brother came clown and handed him nine or ten shillings . It was the Joppa Lodge of Instruction . That puts me in mind , my Brethren , that Anti-Semitism , which holds its Hydra head so high in Germany , has gain-d a footing

even here . I have , with intense pain , witnessed this in one or two Lodges ; clue , I have no doubt , to petty jealousies of certain Brethren ; otherwise I can see no reason why four distinct Lodges should be pre-eminently Jewish . It is true , caste reigns supreme in our Order ; there are Lodges of all shades and classes ; the Bar , the Stage , Literature ; the community of Uncles , those excellent philanthropists , down to the Dairymen ; not to forget

the " Barnatti " Lodge . I wonder is there no " Sam Lewis Lodge ? or was he no member of our Fraternity ? That might not indeed be so very unappropriate , my Brethren , for I hear that not only was he charitable during his life-time , but very much more so after his death ! A paradox . Is that not wrong ? Caste in a democracy ! Decidedly that state of things should not exist . On the continent , all over , it is absolutely unknown .

What do you think of the extract from . the " Daily Telegraph " reproduced last week by the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE , recounting how a prisoner at one of the metropolitan police courts was severely reprimanded bv the magistrate , for " making mysterious signs with his hands , " when before him on a charge of travelling on the London and Brighton line without a ticket ?

Might that not be one of the reasons why so many withdraw from our fold ? I can hear you ask , " where is the remedy ? " I will tell you . Masonry is a temple , every one of us an administering priest in that temple . We should not open the portals of that temple too wide ! On the continent it is so very different ; there , if any fault is to be found on that score , it is that the portals do not open wide enough .

Let us endeavour to eliminate the parasites and teach others to emulate our example . Let us not permit the precious jewel we possess to be defiled , or even touched by unclean hands . A cordial vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer at its conclusion .

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Collins ' s . —While in Islington the other evening we called in at the famous Music Hall on Islington Green , where we found a large audience greaty enjoying the good things provided . Some specially good turns have been booked for the holiday week by the genial manager Mr . Charles Hector .

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