Where The Secret Is.

places with each other and all bo as well arranged fo ' most purposes as ever before . This is why we hear s ' much about tbe mythology and mysteries of the ancients

and about symbols and symbolism , as though these things taken by themselves amount to anything , or are more than every and all ritualistic societies are continual ! ¦ uttering . In this respect fche " high degrees , " and all

other secret societies , are all on a level , and they can surpass the Craffc Lodge , for fchey have more room for that

sorb of furniture or baggage as ifc might be called , which only serves to hide emptiness . If men really believe that there is anything not generally understood , which can be found in the Lodge , why do not they drop the ancient

mysteries and symbolism hobbies ancl do more in stirring , up the cobwebs in tbe Lodge ? The Lodge is the only mystery which has come down to us ; why not cultivate that a little , and give those which have so long ago " gone hence " a little rest in their supulchres ?—Voice of Masonry

Installation Meetings, &C.

INSTALLATION MEETINGS , & c .

— : o : — ST . MICHAEL'S LODGE , No . 211 .

THIS old and fluirishing Lodge , which in spite of the many vicissitudes through whioh it passed in years gone by , is now in a more prosperous condition than ever since its ' oundation , held its installation meeting . at the Albion , Aldersgate Street , on Tuesday last , when there was a large attendance of members and visitors , under

the presidpncy of Bro . Alfred Withers P . M . D . C . He was supported by Bro " . H . Martin S . AV . and Worshipfnl Master elect . E . Thrine J . W ., Charles Greenwood P . M . P . G . S . B . Treasnrer , W . Radcliffe P . M . Secretary , Past Masters W . W . Morgan , P . J Hentsch , Usher Back , James Linsdell , T . H . Lavers , John Waters , & o . Amongst the

Visitors were Bros . W . TT . Dean P . P . G . Deacon Dorset , A . Hart , J . Corkhill 701 , Hnrdv 201 , Glenny 530 , Jennings 1580 , S ' evens P . M . 1627 , Lnckett , 1436 , Brock I . P . M . 145 , Cross 586 , Proberfc , Cant P . M . 1816 , Everett 1507 , F . Everett 1602 , Collin _ . s Organist 1693 , and others . Lodge was opened at four o ' clock by Bio . Alfred Withers

P . M ., officiating in the room of the retiring Worshipfnl Master , Brn T . H . Peirce , who had been snmmoned to Germany on important business , and the usual preliminaries having been observed , the ballot was taken for Mr . Charles James Dawson , proposed by Bro . H . Martin , and seconded by Bro . Percy J . Ban * and for Captain George

Caleb Challen , whose sponsors were the same . Bro . H . Martin was then presented for the benefit of installation , and having absented to the responsibilities of office , a band of Installed Masters wns const ! - tuted , and he waa duly installed into the chair of K . S ., the ceremony being ably carried out by Bro . Withers , who executed his

work to the admiration and satisfaction of all present . On tha readmission of the brethren the newly-installed Master was saluted with full honours , and he invested his Officers for the year , as follows : —Bros . Peirce ( named ns ) Immediate Past Master , Thrino-S . W ., Dickson J . W ., Greenwood P . M . Treasnrer , Radcliffe P . M S ° c-

retary , Bennett S . D ., Aires J . D ., Linfield I . O ., Green P . M . Steward , Withers P . M . D . C , Banks Tyler . The address to the Master was delivered by the Installing Master with his accustomed ability , while those to the Wardens and Brethren were given b y Brother Eadcliffe P . M . The report of the Audit Committee was

presented , showing that the Worshipful Master commences his yenr under the most favourable auspices , so far as tbe financial condition of the Lodge is concerned , there being a balance in hand of over £ 63 . The report was unanimously rpceived and adopted , and sums of ten guineas each were voted to the Royal Masonic Benevolent

Institution and to the Royal Masonic Girls' School . Mr . Dawson and Capt . Challen were duly initiated into the mysteries and privileges of the Order , the working of the new Master being such as to produce a most favourable impression as to his capabilities for the ofiice to which he had been elected . Tbe usual Past Master ' s jewel had

been voted to the retiring Worshipful Master , but in consequence of his unavoidable absence the presentation was postponed unti l the next meeting of the Lodgp . At the conclnsim of business the brethren and visitors partook of a sumptuous banquet , which as is usual at thi _ first class establishment was admirabl y served . At

dessert , the customary Loyal and Craft toasts wero proposed from the chair and enthusiastically received . The W . M . iu proposing the Queen and the Craft , ancl H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , spoke of the interest they manifested in the affairs of the Order ; and next gave the Pro Grand Master the Earl of Carnarvon , the Deputy Grand

Master the Earl of Lathom , and the rest of the Grand Officers present and past . The Grand Officers were not merely ornamental but working Masons , and they had an admirable specimen of them present that evening in the per-on of their excellent Treasnrer Bro . Charles Greenwood P . P . G . S . W . Surrey . By the manner in which

they received the toast let thorn . how how hi ghly they appreciated ibis services , not only as a Grand Officer , bnt also in his more intimate ( connection with tho St . Michael's Lodge . The toast was received with every deinonstiatiou of welcome , ancl Brother Greenwood in the course of a brief reply , alluded to the derp and abidin" interest

which the Officers of Grand Lodge took in all matters appertain ! . ]" to the Craft . It was a very prond moment to him when ho was appointed a Grand Officer , and he thanked the brethren most sincerely for the manner in which they hnd expressed their appreciation of the honour that had been conferred upon him . Biother William W . Morgan Past Master , iu the unavoidable absence of the

Installation Meetings, &C.

Immediate Past Master , B * -nth ° tr Pee rev ir- ' - . p ' .- 'ol tlie h nit > f th «> ir esteemed Worshirf nl Mastpr , and in d- * ins » so oh « piv _< l that Rro . Martin wns an enthusiastic member of hi- * Lodge , and from 'he lay he enfco > -pd it he hnd gat _ ri . rod around him a circle of appreci itive friends . All who knew the efforts he had nut forth to advance the

interests of the Lodge felt proud of the position that Bro . Marti had been called upon to occupy , and wou'd wish for him a most happy and prosperous year of office . The toast was received with special enthusiasm , and in response Bro . Martin thanked the brethren moat heartily for the way in whioh the mention of his name had been

welcomed by all present . Since he had been a member of this Lodge he had found in it many men whom he was proud to number as hia best friends , and ifc would be his constant endeavonr dnring his year of office to deserve their confidence and esteem . He hoped thafc the interests of the Lodge would not suffer afc his hands , and again he

thanked them most sincerely for the great honour which had been conferred upon him , and promised thafc he should do nil in his power to sustain tho position which the St .. Michael's Lodge hnd so long enjoved . He then proposed in felicitous terms the health of the Initiates . He could scarcely tell them the pleasure it afforded him

to propose two of his personal friends as members of this Lodge . He had known them intimately for many years , and considered them eminently fit and proper person . to become members of the Masonic Fraternity . He had every confidence that they would become worthy members of the Sfc . Michael ' s Lodge . Bro . Dawson thanked the

brethren sincerely for having admitted him as a member of their honourable institution . Ifc was a proud moment iu his life to see tho light of Freemasonry , and he should do his utmost to prove himself , as the Worshipfnl Master had hoped , a worthy and useful member of the Lodge . Bro . Capt . Challnn also suitably responded , and said

his initiatory uierhfc in Fr masonry would never be . fF _ eed from hi _ . npmnry . He was deeply impressed bv the ceremonv he hnd wifc . nested thnt day , and esteemed it a gr ^ a . p-ivilogp to I ave been admit ed into the mvste-ips of the Craft . Tho Worshipfnl Master , in proposing the toast of the Visitor .-., expressed the

pleasure it afforded him to see so goodly an array on the pres mfc ncrnsio'i , and he as ** ur . d each and all of them of a mo't hparfcv ancl cordial welcome . He trusted this might not . be thu la * t occasion on which they shonld meet , and if only the Visitors were ns pleased ns the members of the Lodge were satisfied fco sen them , he ( the spe ik 3 r )

shonld be most jrrafcifi d . Bro . W . H . De . n P . P . G . D . Dorset , than . ed the Worshipfnl Master most sincerely for the manner in which he had proposed the health of the Visitors . It . had bpen an extrprne ple- * su * -e to him fco have attended fchis L dgp . for he had heard a great deal of the St . Michael' ., and he had beeo perfectly charmed

with the work thafc he had witnessed th it d iy . He consi lered the various ceremonies had been performed in a hig hly creditable manner , and having had the p leasure of visiting m--ny Lodges he considered the Sfc . Michael ' s working to be , in his humble judgment , perfect . With regard to the installation ceremony , io was everything

thnt could bp desired , and hp thanked them for tho very great , pleasure , which their invitation had afforded him , ancl for the hearty reception which hnd been accorded to the Visitors generally . Br <> s . Br . ick , Stevens , S . Glennv , Hart , Jennings , and F . Everett also responded , ench paying a deserved tribute to the St . Michael ' s Lodge fur tin

excellence of its working and the abundant hospitality it . extended to the Visitors . The W . M . in proposing * the Past Masters , congrnfcnla ted the Lodge npon tho noble army they had of veterans who came regularly amongst them and took an active interest in the Lodge . He referred with gratitude to th » assistance he had rec ived from

Past Masters Greenwood , B . ck , Withers , Morgan , and It sideline ; n'l were most able and zealous P--st . er Masters , and he hop . d they might long be spared to see the Lodge prosper in the future as it . had done in fche past . Brother A . Green returned thanks for the cordial mnnner in which the toasfc had been proposed , and said in this o'd

Lodge the members one and all endeavoured cheerfully to perform their duty and to advance the prosperity of the Lodge . It was a grent pleasure to him to see one of his children occupying the chair , and he looked upon Brother Martin as one of their greatest lights in fche Lodge . The W . M . in proposing the Masonic Charities spoke of

the pride and interest which had always been manifested in the Masonio Institutions by the members of tin St . Michael ' s Lodge . They did not go through the world withont meeting with people who sneered at Freemasonry , bufc Masons were always able to point with pride to their Charities , which exercised so vast and beneficent an

influence over those for whose benefit they were designed . There was nothing in the world to be comp . red with them . He regretted the absence of Bro . Terry , the esteemed Secretary of'the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , hut he had been snmmoned elsewhere , in connection with important duties in his Mother Lodge , otherwise

he would have , been present to-night to plead the claims of tho Charity with which he wns mn-fc intimately connected . II- reminded the brethren that he had decided to go np as a Steward at , the next Festival for the Old People , and he trusted the brethren wonld enable him to take up a list , which should be a credit to the

St . Michael's Lodge . He associated with the toast tho name of Bro . W . W . Morgan who , in the absence nf Bro . Terry , said he felt it an honour to speak on behalf of the Masonic Charities . In the words of the song they had just heard so beautifully rendered—" There ' s no place like home ; " bnt amongst the members of the Craft there were

s-ome who senrcely recognised what home was , in their decline of life . Here Masonry slipped in and provided home and cotnforts for many who in the evening of lifo had been overtaken by adversity . At tho present moment they had on the funds of the Benevolent Institution —for which their Worshipful Master had accepted a

Stewardshipover 200 widows , who each received £ o 2 a year , and over 190 old Masons who in their day had done gocd suit and service to the Craft , and who were now each in receipt of an annuity of . 610 per annum .

But , however prosperous the members of the Lodge might now appear to be , there wns a dark side to every picture , and none of them knew how soon they to- might he overtake . i with similar misfortune . T i y were now all smiling aud happy together , and giving liberally cf