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MIDLAND RAILWAY . CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR EXCURSIONS TO NORTH-EAST OF ENGLAND and SCOTLAND . On Friday , 21 st December , for five or eight days , and on Friday , 28 th December , for five or seven days , to NEWCASTLE , Berwick , Carlisle , Dumfries , Castle Douglas , Kirkcudbright , EDINBURGH , GLASGOW , Ayr , Kilmarnock , Stianraer , Stirling , Perth , Dundee , Arbroath , Montrose , Aberdeen , & c . Leaving ST . PANCRAS at 9-15 p . m ., Kentish Town 9-19 , Victoria ( L . C . D . ) 8-3 , Moorgate Street 8 ' 47 , Aldersgate Street 8 * 49 , Farringdon Street 851 p . m . RETURN TICKETS at a THIRD CLASS SINGLE FARE for the DOUBLE JOURNEY will be issued by the train on 21 st December to the places mentioned , available for return on any day up to 29 th December , and by the train on 28 th December available for return on any day up to 4 th January 1895 . GENERAL CHEAP EXCURSION . On Saturday night , tho 22 nd December , to Leicester , BIRMINGHAM , NOTTINGHAM , Derby , Newark , Lincoln , Burton , MANCHESTER , LIVERPOOL , Blackburn , Bolton , Sheffield , LEEDS , BRADFORD , York , Hull , Scarboro ' , Newcastle , tho Lake District , & c , returning 26 th or 28 th December . TO IRELAND . There will also be cheap Excursions to DUBLIN , Belfast , Londonderry , and Portrush . For particulars see bills . Tickets and bills may be had at the Midland Stations and City Booking Offices , and from Thos . Cook and Son , Ludgate Circus , and Branch Offices . GEO . H . TURNER , General Manager . Derby , December 1894 .

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SATUEDAY , 8 TH DECEMBEE 1894 .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of the writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

To the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . SIR , —Let us imagine a little scene : Pedantic old fogey of an uncle meets well brought up nephew of tender years . " Good morning , Uncle . "— " Good morning , my boy ; you look well , how are your parents ? "— " Both well , thank you , Uncle ; they desire to be kindly remembered to you . "— " Dear me , are you quite sure they

HEAETY GOOD WISHES .

gave you that message ? "— " Well , no , they did not , Uncle , but I happen to know my parents pretty well , and I am sure that had they known I was likely to meet you , they would have wished me to greet you on their part . " Will" Visitor , " who writes in your last number , assert that the boy had no right to speak as he did ? Or will he assert that the youngest member of a Lodge is not as much

a member of that particular Masonic family as the oldest Past Master , and perfectly entitled to be courteous on its behalf ? Or , finally , will he assert that there can be the least doubt that the Lodge would have gladly entrusted him with a special greeting had the Brethren known of his intended visit ? I venture to suggest that were the custom a now one , which it is not , it would be fully justified ; but I will do my best to show you that it is quite old .

I do not know of course what exact meaning your correspondent attaches to the term , " of recent growth , " but will 150 years continuance of the custom justify it in his eyes ? If so , then here goes : In 1724 , and no one knows how much earlier , a strange Brothei in Lodge was thus addressed by the Master : Q . " Give me the

Solution . " A . "I will . The Right Worshipful , Worshipful Masters , end Worshipful Fellows of the Right Worshipful Ledge from whence I came , greet you well . " To which the W . M . answered : " That Great God to us greeting , be at this our meeting , and with the Right Worshipful Lodge whence you came , and you are . "

If our Brother wants further examples I can supply them , but I fancy this will convince him . Yours , & c . G . W . SPETH .

Correspondence.

WALTHAMSTOW LODGE OF INSTRUCTION SUPPER ,

THE Annual supper of the popular Lodge of Instruction that meets under the sanction of the Walthamstow Lodge , No , 2472 , was held at the Masonic Hall , High Street , Walthamstow , on Monday of last weok , and was well attended by members and friends .

Bro . Gower opened the Lodge in regular form , and on its being closed shortly afterwards , the Brethren adjourned to the dining hall , where an enjoyable repast was provided by the Host Bro . H , F . Iuman-Hallows . In the unavoidable absence of Bro . F . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., Grand Reg . Deputy Grand Master Essox President of the Lodge of

Instruction , who was confined to his room by an attack of illness , the supper was presided over by Brother William Shurmur P . M . P . P . G . Treas . Preceptor , who was ably supported and assisted in the duties of the chair by Archdeacon Dunbar . Early in the evening Brother Shurmur said he felt he was

exprossing the feeling of tho meeting in proposing that a telegram bo sent to their absent President , sympathising with him in his affliction , and expressing a hope that he might speedily be relieved of the pain from which he was suffering . This was cordially agreed to in a hearty expression of regret at Bro . Philbrick ' s absence , and a general desire that he might speedily recover his accustomed health .

Archdeacon Dunbar gave the toast of the Queen and the Craft , and also that of H . R . H , the Princo of Wales Grand Master , and the other Grand Officers present and past . He made two telling speeches in doing so , introducing much that might be regarded as novel in connection with these usually formal sentiments .

All regretted the absence of Bro . Philbrick , their President , but they would be very ungrateful indeed if they did not carry out the programme , as he doubtless desired they should do . Most of those present were associated with tho Province of Essox , over which thoir learned Brother exorcised so much influence and displayed so much ability . They all knew how well he was received , whether in

Lodge or Chapter—and he deserved it , for no Brother was more zealous than he in maintaining the true principles of Freemasonry ! Had he attended that meeting it would have been the third year of his so doing , and in regretting his absence they could but feel he was present in spirit , if not in body . They wished him every blessing he could desire for himself , and hoped he might belong

spared to continue his help to their Lodge of Instruction . Bro . Wildash P . M . submitted the toast of the Walthamstow Lodge of Instruction and the Walthamstow Masonic Benevolent Associations . It seemed to him many others might have been better asked to propose this toast , but there was no more willing than ho to show appreciation of what had been done in the

Walthamstow Lodge of Instruction . Long ago it was his privilege to belong to the Beacontree Lodge of Instruction , at that time the only Lodge in the district . Then Walthamstow numbered some ' 10 , 000 inhabitants , whereas now there were 55 , 000 or 60 , 000 , and It might be said the neighbourhood had gone ahead in Freemasonry in proportion , but the cause of its great progress was due primarily

to the Walthamstow Lodge of Instruction . At one time it used to be their privilege to meet about the spot where he was then standing , and beneath a large tree that formerly grew there discuss Freemasonry and rehearso its ceremonies , under the preceptorship of Bro . James Pinder , from whom he personally learnt what he knew of Masonry . As he had just said , however , it

was really to the Lodge of Instruction whose annual supper theywere then celebrating that Walthamstow owed its splendid progress in Freemasonry , and recognising this it was but natural they should look around to discover who had done most of the work . It might truly be said there was one man who , in particular , had done very much for the district and for Freemasonry in Essex and the east

end of London generally—their Bro . William Shurmur Preceptor of the Lodge of Instruction . The members thanked him very much for all he had done for the Lodge , and hoped he would be with them for many years yet to come . Bro . Wildash regretted th * absence of Bro . Philbrick , who would have been so pleased to hear what the Walthamstow Lodge of Instruction had done in the cause

of Charity . It was not a Masonic principle for a Brother to give what he could not afford ; it was not desirable he should give if he was not in a position to do so ; but there were some Brethren who could give , and this principle of Charity was worked out in the Walthamstow Lodge of Instruction , producing large sums of money . Walthamstow was said sometimes to be a poor place , but it must

be a wealthy place , if it was not , the Freemasons must be more liberal than in other places . In a very few years four Charity Associations had been formed ; that was certainly within the last eight or nine years . Of the two first he was the President himself , and they collected something like £ 1 , 000 , but it took four years to do it . After that their good Preceptor came upon the scene , and took

charge of the Lodge of Instruction , starting a third Charity Association . Before it was closed 400 guineas had been sent up to the Masonic Charities . But better was to come , for under the auspices of this Lodge Bro . Bestow started the fourth Association , and during the twelve months something like 450 guineas had been subscribed . Considering that the Brethren who belonged to these

Associations were mostly members not only of the local Lodges but of London Lodges as well , and often had county claims upon them in addition , it must be confessed the Walthamstow Lodge of Instruction had justified its existence ; it had not only taught the Brethren the precepts of Masonry , but it had taught them the duty of assisting the poor Masons who had fallen by the roadside .

Bro . Shurmur deemed it a privilege to respond to the toast put before the meeting by Bro . Wildash . He thought he might take it that the all but unparalleled success that had ' attended the Lodge of Instruction was due to their having followed the good precepts of their Bros . Wildash and Pinder , who had sat " under the greenwood tree " in the days of long ago and discussed Masonry with such happv results . As Preceptor of the Lodge , it had afforded him very great pleasure to take tho part of instructor of tho Brethren jn