First Impressions.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS .

IN Freemasonry , as in most other Institutions or Orders a man joins , his first impressions materially affect the value of the interest he subsequently develops . A great responsibility therefore rests upon the Master of a Lodge in his duty towards Initiates . Assuming that the candidate has really been prompted by a " favourable opinion preconceived of the Order , a general desire for

knowledge , and a sincere wish to render himself more extensively serviceable to his fellowmen " —it is expedient that no attention to detail be spared to cause him to look seriously upon the ceremony through which he is about to pass . According to an oid form of ritual , it was the custom to have the declaration made by tho candidate in the presence of a few Brethren in the ante-room

before he was prepared , and not embodied in the ceremony as at present . The practice has so much to commend it that it might well be universally adopted . It tended to fit the candidate ' s mind for the reception of the precepts that followed , and convince him that the first steps to Freemasonry required serious reflection , and could not be taken thoughtlessly or rashly as , it may be feared ,

they too often are . The preparation of the candidate for Initiation is a duty that should only be undertaken by an experienced Brother , whose demeanour should in itself be suggestive of the dignity of the Order , and deprecate anything that might tend to give rise to the semblance of a jest . The mode of preparation appears to the majority of candidates so strange a proceeding that

it might readily form a subject for levity , and this feeling being once aroused , tho spirit of the subsequent ceremony would be misunderstood . Much , therefore , depends upon the Brother who is passed out to perform this important function . With a littlo tact he can , in a measure , prepare the mind of the candidate for the ordeal . A word or two in season during the brief delay , which is

associated in many of our experiences with a feeling bordering on anxiety , will make tho subsequent development of the system all the more intelligible and interesting , provided , and herein lies the rub , the ceremony is given with due forcibility , intelligence and eloquence . If the delivery of tho beautiful words and sentiments of our ritual lack the above qualities , in even an ordinary degree ,

the first impression of the candidate cannot be a favourable one . If they are gabbled over , or mouthed , without any regard to emphasis or expression , as we have heard them , times out of number , we pity the intelligence of the candidate that could allow him to be impressed , or even interested in the ceremony in the slightest degree . To get off a degree pat , and gabble it over with

the air of a man racing against time , is labour and energy thrown away . Such a feat of memory in no wise constitutes a capacity for giving a degree , indeed , to use the well-known quotation " it shows a pitiful lack of ambition in the man who uses it . " A Master may be a good executive officer , popular , and a credit to his position , yet a signal failure in giving degrees . It is a difficult

matter to suggest a remedy . The inability to confer a degree should not in our opinion be quoted as a point in his disfavour , provided he possesses the more important qualities requisite in a Master . " True and trusty , of good report , held in high estimation among his Brethren , courteous in demeanour , easy of address , of exemplary character , steady and firm in principle . " These are

the qualifications necessary . If added to these he possesses the gift of eloquence , and a good memory , there is little else wanting . Failing these latter qualities some provision should be made for conferring degrees , as it is expedient our candidates have the teachings of the Order brought before them , in the first instance especially , is an impressive and forcible manner . It would be , of

course , too delicate a matter to suggest to a Worshipful Master , who could just manage to struggle through a degree by casual references to his ritual or occasional promptings from his Past Master , that it would be better if he allowed some other Worshipful Brother to undertake the work . It would probably give him offence or at least hurt his feelings . The only way out of the difficulty , as

it seems to us , is to appoint a Preceptor from the Past Mastcis , one who has been moie than ordinarily successful in conferring degrees , and look to him to perform this duty and arrange ceiemonies . The Bye-laws of a Lodge could provide that this office be filled by election , those eligible being the Worshipful Master himself , and all Past Masters . Such an office would be no sinecure . Its holder

would have to make himself conversant with the tracing boards and lectures , and be ready to deliver them whenever opportunity afforded . It might be here mentioned that a great number of Brethren have never heard either . In our Presidency towns , where there are regular Lodges of Instruction , the facility may be often afforded , but , except on rare occasions , members of Mofussil

Lodges do not hear any explanation of the tracing boards hom one year ' s end to the other , and get no oppoitunity of participating in the lectures in a lifetime , 'lhis question might be dwelt upi , n at length , but to do so here would digress from our present subject , to which wo must now levert . The junior Officers of a Lodge should be perfect in their respective parts , or the first impressions of a

candidate are as likely to be perveited as from any of the other causes we have mentioned . Though we may not have experienced the feeling ourselves , we can realise without much difficulty v . hat the reflections of a candidate oi ordinary intelligence must be , when he hears the incessant prompting from the far end of the room directed to his guide , whose hesitating gait , and faltering

words , must plainly reveal the fact of his being at the mercy of an instructor who himself needs instruction . How can it be possible for a candidate , under t > uch circumstances , to be impressed by the ceremony of his first degiee . As it is but a very short step from the sublime to the ridiculous ; equally easily can our ceiemonies be transformed from the height of beauty of thought , word and action ,

to almost meaningless gestures and senseless jargon . It is very easy to make a man a Freemason to all external appearance , but a more difficult matter to make him one " in his heart , " nay , well nigh impossible , unless his initiation has been conducted from first to last with earnestness , accuracy , and order , and an entire absence of all undue haste and flurry . — "Indian Freemason . "

Odds And Ends.

ODDS AND ENDS .

THERE is much to distress , much to amuse , and much to deplore to be found here and there in Masonic publications . Some writer thinks he has discovered something of immense importance in Masonry ; this he gives in print to those who may see the Masonic journal in which it is published . Well , it is read by a Brother who has had good training in the

principles of tho Fraternity , and is distressed to find so much ignorance in this article . Evidently the writer is a prejudiced partisan of some sort , whose mental machinery will not work . A novice in the study of Masonry , the writer looks over his article , strikes out with vim and then writes .

Again , one sees some question that by tho most vigorous efforts is dragged into the atmosphere of tho profane , a notion of the real character of Masonry , and wonderfully dense theories are elaborated to throw "light" on the subject . Confusion is thus worse confounded , and the whole matter is a days' wonder and goes out of sight and out of mind .

Then one sees some wise discrimination between " tweedle de and tweedle dum , " that is supposed to be the very foundation of Masonry and it is of immense importane that it should bo at once set right . The type of some Masonic periodicals is invoked to teach all mankind what this discrimination means . It is read , perchance , by an Ancient , Free and Accepted Mason , who really does know the

initial , essential principles on which the Fraternity was founded in the long time ago . He is truly distressed at what he knows is error , and deplores the result of the useless talk about the subject . In pretentions head lines an article is set up , which , if it has any purpose , on reading , it is found only to disturb the faith , harmony , obligations and duties of the Freemason to his Lodge and its history and the fundamental principles of the Craft .

So it goes , here and there " odds and ends " of inflated notions on matters that ought always to be considered , if they are necessary to consider them , in a Tyled Lodge . It is so pleasant to see oneself in print . The neophyte feels himself to be a learned Brother or Masonic student or teacher , or a Solomon , if he can only find his wonderful lucubrations in print .

It is a sad reflection how much of error , and , indeed , harm often comes from this state of things . If silence is golden , as it is said so often to be , it would be happy if the teaching of the E . A . was engraved on the minds of every Mason . The world over , the experience of men of thought and knowledge , testifies to the value of reticence on subjects that demand learning and knowledge , study , and reflection to discuss .

It is also known by this experience , that the really competent mind to treat on this line of questions is best satisfied to be silent , lest agitation make what is unimportant in any sense of itself , fruitful of harm by the false impressions that are the outcome of uninformed and superficial tinkering with it . Error is harmless if truth is left free to combat it , and there is frequently , in such cause , the effective combat of error , in silence .

It is the agitation which arises out of this uncalled for contention on wholly unimportant subjects , made so by the injection of error into the discussion , that is of far greater influence for evil than the error which is so innocent in itself , so harmless , if it is not made potentby the very means unhappily adopted to emasculate it . These are some of the " odds and ends " that are found when likely nothing olso is appreciated . — " Keystone . "

The Charity Of Thought.

THE CHARITY OF THOUGHT .

WE Masons pride ourselves , and with justice , on our pre-eminence in " Charity , " as it is generally understood , the charity of deed which shows itself in almsgiving to the poor and needy . But there is another phrase of charity , and this is , we take it , the original and wider meaning of the word , which is altogether beyond the relief of material needs by money or kind . It may be defined as that feeling in the human heart which

makes us hold dear our fellow creatures , induces us to endeavour to do that which is pleasing to others , for etymologically this is the original meaning of the word , and leads us to put the best construction on everything that our fellow men , and more especially our Brethren in Masonry , may do or leave undone or unsaid . To cultivate this feeling is a far more difficult thing than

to give of our surplus means to relieve the distress of others , for many a man may put his hand in his pocket on the spur of the moment , from no worthier motive than impulse , a desire not to be behind others , or from an idea of atoning for a good batch of sins of omission . The higher charity demands , however , a life long discipline , and a constant watchfulness , over , not only words and

deeds , but thoughts as well , and we are quite certain that it is this charity , and this alone , that is alluded to as the highest summit of our Masonic profession . The language is altogether too extravagant to be applied to the mere dispensation of benevolence , however meritorious this may be ; a man might be very liberal in his monetary donations to the Masonic Funds of Benevolence , and

yet be immoral , intemperate , and cantankerous . Of such an one it is impossible to say that he has reached the highest summit of his profession , that is , the highest pitch of Masonic usefulness . But the man who possesses the true charity cannot fail in any one of the points of the Masonic profession . He is bound to he henevolent , because that is the most obvious form of showing his goodwill to

the human race ; he is bound to be careful not to disturb the harmony of the Lodge , because he reflects that he will he giving some Brother pain by so doing , and because he will not imagine that a Brother means evil unless he has the very clearest evidence of the fact He will study to perfect himself in Masonry because his high degree of charity makes him feel that it is his duty to take this means of ministering to the gratification of the members of