Holiday Arrangements.

travellers who desire to avoid the trouble of obtaining tickets at a crowded Railway Station , particularly at holiday times . The booking office at Paddington station will be opeu all day for the issue of tickets on 18 th , 19 th , 20 th , 21 st , 22 nd and 23 rd December . Ordinary tickets obtained in London between 18 fch and 23 rd December will be available for use on any day between and including those days .

Cheap third class tickets at reduced fares will be issued at Paddington , Clapham Junction , Victoria ( L . C . & D . ) , Kensington ( Addison Road ) , Hammersmith , & c , to Bath , Bristol , Taunton . Barnstaple , Ilfracombe , Exeter , Torquay , Plymouth , Falmouth , Penzance , Yeovil , Dorchester , Weymouth , Guernsey , Jersey , & c ; similar tickets will also be issued from those districts to London ( except the Channel Inlands ) .

On Thursday , 21 st , cheap excursions will be run from Paddington , Clapham Junction , Kensington ( Addison Road ) , Hammersmith , & c , to Cork and Killarney ; on Friday , 22 nd , to Waterford , Limerick , Tralee , Kilkenny , Killarney , Belfast , Armagh , Giant ' s Causeway , & c . ; on Friday and Saturday nights , 22 nd and 23 rd , to Exeter , Plymouth , Newquay , Falmouth , Penzance ,

& c , to return 26 th or 27 th December , and on Saturday night , 23 td , to Evesham , Worcester , Malvern , Hereford , Swindon , Cirencestor , Stroud , Gloucester , Cheltenham , Newport , Cardiff , Swansea , Llanelly , Llandoveiy , Carmarthen , Tenby , New Milford , & c , for 3 days ; to Bath and Bristol , for 3 or 4 days ; and to Oxford , Leamington , Birmingham , Wolverhampton , Shrewsbury , Chester , Liverpool , & c , for 3 or 5 days .

On the days immediately preceding ; Christmas Day , several of the trains from Paddington will be divided , and the first portion of somo of them will start five minutes before the advertised time . On Friday , 22 nd , a special will leave Paddington at 7 . 5 p . m ., for Bath , Bristol , Exeter , Plymouth , & c .

On Saturday , 23 rd , the 3 . 0 p . m . to Plymouth will be extended to Truro . A special will leave Paddington at 7 . 5 p . m ., for Bath , Bristol , Exeter , Plymouth , Truro , and other stations , and a special express will start at 1 . 0 night for Reading , Swindon , Bath , Bristol , Taunton , Exeter , Gloucester , Cheltenham , Newport , Cardiff , Swansea , & c

On Christmas Day , the usual Sunday service of trains will run , but the 5 . 30 a . m . train from Paddington will also be run as on week-days , to Exeter and Swansea . There will be connections to Trowbridge , Frome , Yeovil , Bridport , Dorchester , Weymouth , & c A special train will leave Paddington at 5 . 35 a . m . for Oxford , Banbury , Leamington , Birmingham , Worcester , Malvern , Kidderminster , Wolverhampton , & c .

In order to meet tho extraordinary demands upon the Company ' s resources occasioned by the enormous parcel traffic despatched both from and to London at Christmas time , special fast trains carrying parcels only will run between the principal stations .

GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY . A NUMBER of Christmas and New Year excursions are announced to be run by this Company from the new station at Marylebone , the principal towns of the north , including Edinburgh , Glasgow , & c , being served , while on Friday , 22 nd inst ., there will be a sixteen days trip to Ireland . Fuller particulars will be found elsewhere in this issue , or may be obtained from any of the stations or offices of the Company , or from Messrs . Dean and Dawson , 55 Charing Cross , S . W .

Great Northern Railway . —The Great Northern Railway Company have made special and completo arrangements for the collection , quick transit , and prompt delivery of Christmas Parcels traffic to and from all towns on their system . Through vans will be attached to many of the express trains , and special Parcel trains will also be run to meet the additional demands made upon the Company at this period of the year . The reduced

rates which are now in operation for the conveyance of Parcels traffic are in no case higher than the rates by parcels post , while in some cases they are lower than the latter . The " minimum" weights formerly charged on packages of perishables at "Owner ' s Risk" have been abolished , and these parcels are now charged at actual weight . Special frequent collections of

parcels will be made from Receiving Offices in London by the Company's vans , and the traffic will be despatched from King ' s Cross by first trains after receipt . Full particulars as to charges , which will in no case exceed those in force by any other route , can be obtained on application at any Great Northern Station or Receiving Office .

Great Western Railway . —This Company announces that arrangements have been made for the collection and prompt delivery of Christmas parcels in all the principal towns on their system . The charges for conveyance of parcels for short distances are lower than those by parcel poBt , and in the case of longer distances the rates by parcel post are not exceeded .

It is important that all parcels should be fully and legibly addressed , and the address cards firmly attached . As an extra precaution a duplicate label should be enclosed with each package , so that the name of the consignee may be ascertained in the event of the outside address becoming detached or defaced .

Midland Railway . —In connection with the Christmas and New Year traffic , the Midland Railway Company will make special arrangements for the collection , quick transit , and prompt delivery of Christmas parcels in all the chief towns on their system , and for their conveyance at the reduced rates . Through vans will be attached to the principal express and mails trains to accommodate the exceptional parcels traffic concomitant

upon the Christmas season , and which , in view of the low rates , applicable to both English and Scotch towns ( now in some cases less , and in no instance higher than the parcel post rates ) , will , it is anticipated , be much heavier than before . As a timely reminder to many sending parcels at the " Owner ' s risk" rates , such as game , poultry , tobacco , cakes , cheese , & c . it may be stated that the minimum as to weight has been abolished , and the charges are now based upon the actual weight of the packages .

Dublin Masonic Glee Club.

DUBLIN MASONIC GLEE CLUB .

THE Brethren of the Dublin Masonic Glee Club held their 159 th dinner meeting on Friday evening , 1 st inst . In the absence of his Grace the Duke of Aborcorn M . W . G . M . Patron of tho Club , who was prevented from being present owing to a previous engagement , the chair was occupied by

Bra . Richard Dancer Purefoy , M . D . The vice-chair was filled by Bro . W . O'Brien Smyth , C . B . The toasts were , as usual , Loyal and Masonic . That of the Visitors was responded to by Bros . Surgeon-General Sibthorpe and Langford Symes , M . D . A programme of exceptional merit was rendered in the most impressive manner by the musical quartet of the Club .

Sonnet.

Sonnet .

To the Brethren of Holme Valley Lodge , No . 652 , on the occasion of the installation of Bro . T . S . Brierley as W . M . A WORTHY Mason fills the " K . S . " chair , A trusty Brother often proved and tried :

A Craftsman he who well adorns the square , And long deserving of our love and pride ! Be staunch to him throughout the coming year , A Master keenly feels neglect and slight ; He likes the buildors faithful and sincere ,

Who labour with him for Masonic light . Be always ready when his gavel sounds ,

Be to your precepts ever firm and true—The outside world can never then find grounds To criticise the work of six , five ; two . But shall they say " Holme Valley Lodge is good , We'll live that we may join its Brotherhood . " Bradford . C HAS . F . FOBSHAW , LL . D .

The Theatres, &C.

The Theatres , & c .

Adelphi . —8 , Children of the Ghetto . Matinee , Wednesday , 2 . Avenue . —8 , Au old Admirer . 8-45 , A message from Mars . Matindo , Saturday , 3 . Comedy . —8-15 , The Mystical Miss . Matinee , Saturday , 2-30 . Court . —8-30 , A Royal Family . Matinee , Saturday , 2-30 . Criterion . —8-15 , A pretty piece of business . 9 , My Daughter-in-Law . Matinee , Saturday , 3 .

Daly ' s . —8-15 , San Toy . Matinee , Saturday , 2-30 . Drury Lane . —Boxing Day , Jack and the Beanstalk . Duke of York ' s . —Miss Hobbs . Garrick . —Boxing Day , Puss in Boots . Haymarket—8-15 , The Bugle Call . 9 , The Black Tulip . Matinee , Wednesday aud Saturday 2-15 . Lyceum . —Thursday , 21 st December , The Snow Man .

Lyric . —8 , Florodora . Matinee , Saturday , 2-30 . Prince of Wales's . —Thursday , 28 th December , The Only Way . Princess ' s . —8 , The Absent-minded Beggar . Savoy . —8-15 , The Rose of Persia . Matinee , Saturday , 2-30 . Shaftesbury . —8 , The Bella of New York . Matinee , Wednesday and Saturday , 2 . Strand . —8-15 , The Grey Parrot . 9 , Tho wrong Mr . Wright . Matinee ,

Wednesday and Saturday , 2-30 . Terry's . —8-15 , My Uncle ' s Will . 9 , The'Lady of Ostend . Matinee , Wednesday and Saturday , 3 . Wyridham's . —8-30 , Dr . Johnson . 9 , David Garrick . Matinee , Saturday , 3 . Alexandra . —Next week , 7-45 , The Harbour Lights . Grand . —Boxing Day , The Forty Thieves . Standard . —Next week , 7-45 , Monte Cristo , Surrey . —Boxing Day , Goody Two Shoes .

Alhambra . —8-15 , Variety Entertainment . Napoh , & c Aquarium . —The world ' s great Show . Varied Performances , daily . Empire . —8 -15 , Variety Entertainment . Ordered to the Front . Round the Town again , & c . London Pavilion . —8 , Variety Entertainment .

Oxford . —7-30 , Variety Entertainment , & c Saturday , 2-15 also . Palace . —7 -40 , Variety Entertainment . New American Biograph , & c . Saturday , 2 also . Royal . —7-30 , Variety Company . Saturday , 2-30 also . Tlvoli . —7-30 , Variety Entertainment . The Bio-Tableaux , & c . Saturday , 2-15 also .

Agricultural Hall . —8 , Mohawk Minstrels . Crystal Palace . —Varied attractions daily . Egyptian Hall . —3 and 8 , Mr . J . N . Maskelyne ' s entertainment . Madame Tussaud's ( Baker Street Station ) . —Open daily . Portrait models of modern celebrities , & c . Moore and Burgess Minstrels ( St . James ' s Hall ) . —Every evening at 8 , Monday , Wednesday , and Saturday at 3 and 8 . Olympia . —Boer , Briton , and Black in Savage Africa .

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