The Charity Of Thought.

the Lodge that will be improved by his endeavours , and , from a similar motive , ho will give the closest attention to everything that concerns the affairs of every Masonic body to which he may belong . On the whole , we cannot take a pessimistic view of tho exercise of this fullest form of charity in Masonry . Though by no means practised as it should be , we think it fairly characteristic of our

institution . Nowhere else do we perceive such careful attention to the proprieties of speech as in a Lodgo , and we are less prone to that very popular amusement of attributing motives than most people . But at times we meet with very painful instances to the contrary , and they do a vast amount of harm , tho more especially as they find their way to the outside public much

faster than our good deeds . Let us take well in hand , then , the task of disciplining ourselves to minimising the faults , real or supposed , of our neighbours , and remember that the true interpretation of that passage in the V . S . L . which says—Charity covers a multitude of sins , is not that benevolence will atone for a lot of wickedness after the fashion of the indulgences of the Popes , but that true charity hides from its view the multitude or the

magnitude , or the sins of others . It is in this sense that the excellent address to the Wardens in the Installation ceremony is couched , and the well known phrase that charity blesses him ijjiat gives as well as him that receives is more applicable to the wide charity than to the limited benevolence , for the Mason who puts tho bost faco on every action of his Brethren is saving himself from half tho worry of life . — " South African Freemason . "

Lodge Records.

LODGE RECORDS .

REFERRING to our recent article " Connecting Links , " the " Indian Masonic Review" says : It is a matter for verygreat regret that in so many cases valuable records , such as Lodge Minute Books , have been lost . In this country , where there are so many destructive agencies at work , where moth and rust do corrupt , and white-ants break in and devour , it is especially necessary to look well after the old records . There is not a Lodge

in the district of Madras of any age that possesses a complete record of its history . Even the minutes of the Provincial Grand Lodge are wanting from 1826 to 1847 . Lodge Perfect Unanimity has one of its old books from 1789 to 1805 . The next minutes are dated 1846 . Lodge Universal Charity has nothing prior to 1845 , the year of revival . In many cases the books have been lost

through the carelessness of the Secretary . A Brother sometimes continues in office as Secretary for several years . He has no proper box in which to keep the records of the Lodge . He dies , and his successor does not obtain all the old books , as he does not know how many to ask for . In many cases there is no list of the

books and property of the Lodge . This is not as it should be . Of course the Worshipful Master for the time being of every Lodge is responsible for the safe custody of the Warrant and all the records of the Lodge . But it occasionally happens that even a W . M . goes through his year of office without looking to see if all the old Lodge

books are safe . To act as a check upon the carelessness of Secretaries and others who have charge of valuable Lodge records , there should be every year a return sent to the District Grand Secretary of all the old books of every Lodge . Once in each year , say at the end of the year , a return should be called for , showing the number of old minute and other Lodge

record books , with their dates . This return should be compulsory , and be called for by the District Grand Secretary if not sent . On receiving the list , the District Grand Secretary would merely compare it with last year's list . If the same , well and good . But if a book should be missing he would at once detect it . He could then write to that Lodge and ask about the missing record . This

being done within one year of the book being lost , would almost invariably result in its being found at once , and replaced with the other Lodge records . At the next meeting of tho District Grand Lodge of Madras , a plan of this kind will be proposed . If it is carried into execution , it will be of immense use in preserving for posterity valuable . Lodge records , which , under existing circumstances , are almost sure , sooner or later , to be lost .

Are They Falling Into Disuse.

ARE THEY FALLING INTO DISUSE .

CAN it bo true that some of the grand old features of Masonry are becoming obsolete ? It looks like it , in the marked indifference with which the observance of St . John's day is treated . It is still within the memory of living Masons when " the 24 th of June , ' | and the " 27 th of December , " were considered two of the most important Regulars in the Masonic year . Now ( at least in

Michigan ) their legal observance seems to be a thing of the past . Why this should be is difficult to properly place , save in attributing it to the influence of non-Christian Masons , who take exception to the presence or recognition of Christian saints in speculative Masonry . Whatever be the cause , " The Tyler " lifts its voice in protest against the innovation of ignoring either the " Baptist " or

" Evangelist . " Upon the organisation of Masonry upon its present basis , these two anniversaries were placed in the Masonic calendar as stated Regulars , on which the Craft was to assemble together , transact such business as might be properly brought before a regularl y opened and constituted Lodge , and attend Divine service or have a Masonic banquet . Every Worshipful Master is obligated to maintain and support the constitution and landmarks of

masonry , and it is his bounden duty to call his Lodge together on the evening of these great Masonic festivals . In Michigan , we regret to say , this duty is seemingly better discharged in the breach titan m the observance ; and it is not right , but is a flagrant departure from conservative Masonry . If an influence such as

Are They Falling Into Disuse.

wo have mentioned is at work removing the " circle and parallel lines" from Masonry , a counter influence should speedily get to work to repel the invasion . And still another : From the earliest days of Masonio history , no public procession of Freemasons was considered just , perfect , or regular , if the volume of the Sacred Law was not publicly displayed . In the late Masonio procession

of over 1 , 000 Masons in Detroit , at the laying of the corner-stone of the Chamber of Commerce , not one Lodge had a copy of the Great Light in its ranks . The Grand Lodgo may have had such , but the writer did not see it , and if not , by what law , rule , or order was it excluded ? The Masters had their gavels , the Wardens their columns , the Deacons and Stewards their wands , and the Tyler his

sword , but the Great Light was not discernahle . This may be deemed hypercriticism , but we think not . Every Masonic manual has the order of public procession laid down , and there is no authority to exclude any portion of the same . We make much ado about the action of the Grand Orient of France in excluding the Bible from its Lodges , but in this land , where Masonry has its due course , there should be no departure from the established

usage in such cases . Masonically made and provided ; and as Masonry is founded on the Bible , so the Bible should have every possible prominence . It would be well if those placed in positions of trust , and to whom the charge to keep inviolate the tenets of the Institution has been committed , would note these small leaks in the Masonic wall before tho flood of iconoclasm sweeps in and carries away oven the ancient landmarks . — " American Tyler . "

Rushing Candidates.

RUSHING CANDIDATES .

THE lesson read us by the Canadians regarding " rushing candidates " is still exercising the minds of Brethren here , a fact which shows a desire to amend our ways . Lodge St . John ' s , Greenock , 175—one of the Lodges found fault with—claims that , whatever may have been their sins in this respect in the past , they are particularly careful now , and have been for some time . No

Master of the Lodge has been more jealous of her honour than the present one . A correspondent , writing on the same subject , sends me a copy of a pamphlet published in 1880 , entitled " Emergency Initiations . " The matter was originally given as a lecture in the Provincial Grand Lodge of Lanarkshire ( Middle Ward ) , and

afterwards extensively circulated in the Province ; but as I know the evil which Brother W . Dempster 305 then cried down still exists in the Province , the pamphlet but proves that individual effort to put down the practice cannot prevail , and that nothing

short of a decisive prohibitory law laid down by Grand Lodge can free our constitution of the stigma which has so long been a reproach to our members who have had occasion to come in contact with Brethren in foreign lands . — "The Mallet" in " Glasgow Evening News . "

Railway Enterprise.

RAILWAY ENTERPRISE .

THE London and North Western Company has just inaugurated a concession that should be appreciated by holiday makers , and should lead to an increase of their Scotch traffic , while , later on , we may expect more frequent visits to other parts of the country under similar conditions . An excursion was timed to leave London

yesterday for various parts of Scotland , in connection with which third class tickets were issued at a single fare for the double journey , available for return at any time , by specified trains , within 16 days . This is not the first instance of similar terms being offered to the holiday seeker , but the fact that so important a line as the North Western has followed tho example set some few weeks

back is evidence that the idea is likely to become popular . Taken purely on its merits it is a bold step on the part of the Companies concerned thus to reduce their fares , but if we regard it as the preliminary step towards a general reduction in Tourist rates it is of far greater importance . If the Companies can issue half-price

tickets by a special tram , available for return by ordinary ones within a given period , they will soon find it will pay them equally well to reduce their tourist fares all round , a result which is by no means unlikely , in view of tho great changes that have taken place in recent years in this direction .

On the occasion of the half-yearly meeting of the Midland Railway Company the chairman alluded to the increased traffic which was being sent into the St . Pancras terminus from the Great Eastern system . He also alluded to the opening of the Tottenham and Forest Gate line , and to the arrangements made at Bow for distributing coal from the Midland fields to East

London . Southend , the chairman anticipated , would prove a valuable and attractive watering-place , while there was some idea of running special trains to Tilbury Docks in connection with the steamers of the Peninsula and Oriental and other companies . In fact , it may he said the possibilities that are in store for this

enterprising Company are boundless . Although in itself a small matter , the recent connection of Southend with the Midland system is likely to lead to most important results , not only for the Londoners who may select that route when they decide to visit this popular resort , but for the district itself , which cannot fail but to benefit from the increased facilities resulting from a new route being available .

This month s " Craftsman" is an exceedingly interesting number , and contains much attractive reading for the Freemasons of South Wales . Its chief local feature is a portrait of the Right Worshipful Bro . Col . Lyne P . G . M ., D . L ., J . P ., & c .