Attendance At Lodge.

Something i « nlwavs happening to the mnn who is rarelv seen . Sometimes he is ill . Sometimes overwhelmed with business . Sometimes he has sickness at home . Sometimes he is out of town . Sometimes his affairs are going badly . Sometimes he is so profitably employed that he

cannot spare time , but whatever the reason be sure he is never without an excuse . It is always , " My dear boy , I just missed coming last time , but will be sure to be with you at next Lodge , " for the man who is rarely seen is the Prince of Apologists .

The Lodge worker is like a herring caught in June . He is king of his kind . Indeed , without him there would he no Lodge at all . What , he works fit , or why he works mustnlwavs remain a mysterv to the majority of the world .

but he does work , and very hard too . His is a work which cannot be done by deputy , or it would cease to be his . The Lodge worker is therefore the real working man ; moreover , he has this advantage over certain other working : men not

unknown to the franchise , that besides being the actual governing power he has been at pains to ascertain the principles of government . Masonry is , not without reason , proud of the circumstance that kings have stepped from their thrones , generals from the heads of armies , and men of

genius from the world ' s applause to mingle in the obscure rites of the brotherhood ; but Masonry is prouder still of those brethren , let their rank in life be what it may , who , led on by pure love of virtue , devote their talents and leisure to mastering our magnificent ritual , and passing it on to new generations of men , perfect and unchanged .

We are living- in a world where God has set in every field and copse embroidery of moss and glittering jewels of sunlit rain drops and morning dew ; thus , seeing rich beauties in our Mother Nature ' s face , we are not insensible to the worth of the outside shows of things , but we know it

is m ihe common earth , under the bcanty , and hidden from the lig ht , that the principle of growth may be found at work . We do but praise the face of our Mother Nature for the changing tints and flving clouds , the trees and rocks

and glistening sens , and all delightful sights which make it happiness to be awake and out in the open air , but we are grateful to our Mother Earth because she grows the corn to keep our bodies alive , because she is , in fact , the Lodge worker .

If the Lodge worker deserves praise , the Lodge talker deserves only "multitudinous laughter . " The Lodge ••••-t talker is a Masonic jack-in-the-box , ready , the moment the cover of opportunity is lifted , to spring up and make a speech . For him no subject is too small , nor any too great .

He will mnke yon ahalf-an-hour ' s oration concerning an odd sixpence in the charity-box , and finish up with a substantive motion that he will by deed of gift mnke the ninetceu shillings and sixpence into the round sum of one pound sterling . He is a creature who constantly " wants to

know , yon know , " and is for ever asking questions which answer themselves . Not content with tho interru ption which his own babble occasions to serious business , he generally wears creaking boots , and as he passes about from brother to brother , with the stealthy motion of a

sparrowhunting cat behind a garden wall , his whispered nothings into unwilling ears are scarcely more irritating than the jerky creakings of his dry leather . The Lodge talker is no less a man and a brother because he is ridiculous , but he would confer a favour on his Lodge if he did not talk quite so much .

Now , for the least hurting pin , and the nicest bit of cork for our harmless brother , the " Wallflower . " Through thy somnolent centre , 0 , harmless brother , let us press tenderly , forwewellknownoteven pain would elicit complaint from thee . As thou sittest by tho wall , silent , with grave

face , looking out under placid brows , who shall say what is passing within the deep caverns of thy unvocal brain . Thou seest the Masonic world go by in panoramic procession , thyself the silent observer of other men ' s mouthings . What brilliant strokes of policy mayst thou not have

engendered , being all too modest to formulate them into words . What Demosthenic orations mayest thou not have delivered to thyself , what wit , what humour , dimly floating in a sea of inarticulate elaboration , may not have been thine . Brother Wallflower , sit silent and be happy . Saying too

much has often got a man into a scrape , yea , even the newspaper scribe is not free from the vice of wordiness , but thou art safe . A bunch of wallflowers in a cottage window shall scent yon the house through with a sweet savour , so that a man , grateful for all sorts of blessings , Bhall be likewise grateful for thee , j

Attendance At Lodge.

Worse than the man who never missps . and than he who is rarely seen ; not to be compared with the worker , lower than the talker , infinitely less worthv than the wallflower is he who never attends at all ; so bad , so wicked , so much to be blamed is he that some day he shall have a small essav all to himself .

The worst offence of which a Mason can be guilty is indifferentism , and the worst compliment he can pav to a good Worshipful Master is to stay away from Lodge . It has been brought against Masonry that it is clannish . Let us accept the sneer . As the terms Whig and Tory were

firstterms of opprobrium , and came afterwards to he accepted as the honourable titles of the two great parties in the State , let ns also take to ourselves this reproach of olannish ness , the first principle of which is loyalty . The

Worshipful Master is head of the clan for the time being , when he summonses us let us rally round him , and prove that we are faithful to our allegiance b y a regular attendance at Lodge .

Our Charities.

OUR CHARITIES .

A Quarterly General Court of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was held on Saturday , the 10 th instant , at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen Street , Bro . Major Creaton P . G . D ., Vice Patron and Trustee , in the chair . Bro . Robert Wentworth Little , Secretary , read the minutes of

the former meeting , which were confirmed . Bro . Samuel Tomkins , Grand Treasurer , was elected Treasurer to the Fund . Tho following brethren were elected on the Committee of Management , viz ., Bros . Browse inn ., Cargill ,

Corbon , Farnfield , Gossett , Kingston , Law , H . Massey , Moore , Peacock , Turner and H . M . Levy . The general business was disposed of , and an election by ballot took place for thirteen children from a list of candidates , with the following result : —

On List . On Poll . 31 . M . E . Bingham 1 1284 15 . L . S . Stranson 2 1270 24 . E Owens 3 1080 10 . E . Case 4 1029

3 . M . S . Rogers 5 1018 23 . A . E . Scott 6 997 12 . M . Phillips 7 910 8 . F . Orn . iV S Q' > 7 W (

—> -.. . . . . . . . . . . . . * , _ 26 . E . Trnmble 9 885 22 . E . E . Tippee 10 811 5 . E . S . Christie 11 809 G . M . E . Biirsby 12 806 9 . A . E . Kite 13 759

The numbers of votes recorded for unsuccessful candidates can be obtained on application at the Secretary ' s Office , and will be dul y carried forward at the next election if the Candidates are then eligible . Votes of thanks were

accorded to the chairman , scrutineers , & c . Among those present were Bro . Hugh Sandeman P . G . M . ( Bengal ) , Capt . Smith , R . Spencer , Hyde Pnllen , C . A . Cottebrnne , G . Bolton , Tattershall , E . Cox , F . Binckes , Jns . Terry , A . D . Loewenstark , J . Stevens , H . Massey , Stephens , & c .

The Quarterly General Court of the Governors and Subscribers of tho Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , of which Her Majesty the Queen is Patron , and H . R . H . the Prince of Wales K . G ., M . W . G . M ., is President , was held on the 12 th inst ., at Freemasons' Hall , Great

Queen Street . Bro . John Symonds V . P . in the chair . The general business having been disposed of , a ballot was taken for the election of ei ght Boys from an approved list of forty-eight Candidates , and the following were declared duly elected : — On List . On Poll .

31 . Davios , James Sanders ... 1 2139 37 . Armitage , Charles Edgar ... 2 1841 12 . Swallow , John Tom .. 3 1828 48 . Pilling , Thomas Smith ... 4 1765 2 . Buttrey , Jas . Armytaae ... 5 1749

1 . Marks , Jas . Thos G 1 G 37 27 . Jackson , Win . Henry ... 7 1599 11 . Kerr , Arthur David ... 8 1554 The votes of the unsuccessful Candidates will be carried to their credit at the election in October 1875 . Lists