Midland Railway.

MIDLAND RAILWAY .

LAST EXCURSIONS OF THE SEASON .

On Monday , 21 st Septemher , a Cheap Excursion to Birmingham , for one or four days , from St . Pancras at 6-35 . a . m ., and Kentish Town at 6-40 . Eeturning as per hills . On Saturday , 26 th Septemher , for Three or Six Days , from St . Pancras and City Stations , to

Leicester , Nottingham , Derby , Burton , Matlock , Buxton , Stockport , Southport , Liverpool , Manchester , Accrington , Blackburn , Burnley , Bolton , Bochdale , Oldham , Bury , Lancaster , Morecambe , the Lake District , Barrow , Whitehaven , Carlisle , Pontefract , York , Hull , Scarborough ,

Whitby , South Shields , High Shields , Sunderland , Lincoln , Sheffield , Bamsley , Wakefield , Huddersfield , Halifax , Stoke , Hanley , Burslem , Macclesfield , Darlington , Durham , Newcastle-oh-Tyne , Leeds , Bradford , Birmingham , Walsall , Wolverhampton , & c . Tickets will be available for returning on Monday , 28 th September , or Thursday , 1 st October .

Also , on Saturday , 26 th September ( for the Races ) , to Manchester for three days . From St . Pancras at 12 * 5 a . m ., and Kentish Town at 12-10 a . m .

Tickets and bills may be had at the Midland Stations and City Booking Offices , and from Thos . Cook and Son , Ludgate Circus and Branch Offices . GEO . H . TUBNEE , General Manager .

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BEO . THOMAS FEISTEL will be pleased to entertain the Brethren with his Dramatic and Humourous Eecitals , and to supply artistes for Installation and other Banquets . 54 Maury Road , Stoke Newington .

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CANCER WARDS OF THE MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL . 35 Beds devoted to hopeless , incurable cases . A FUND of £ 12 , 000 is being raised for the purpose of erecting a FEMALE CANCER WING , whereby not only will patients of this class have more accommodation , but also 26 beds will become available for the general purposes of the hospital . £ 3 , 000 still needed . The Cancer Wards are free to all necessitous persons without payment . Contributions are earnestly solicited . F . CLARE MELHADO , Secretary Superintendent .

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OLD Books and Curiosities relating to Freemasonry , Knights Templars , Bosicrucians or other Secret Societies wanted . Address , W . W . Morgan , New Barnet .

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a^^^^^^^^fl SATURDAY , 19 TH SEPTEMBEE 1896 .

South London Charitable Association.

SOUTH LONDON CHARITABLE ASSOCIATION .

THIS Association , of which the secretary is Bro . Robert Elgar , of " Brynllys , " Love-walk , Denmark-hill , S . B ., appeals to Lodges in the southern district of the Metropolis to place their names upon its roll . The joining subscription for Lodges or Chapters is but £ 1 Is , and the purpose of the Association is the organisation and concentration of the strength

of the South London Lodges and Chapters at the elections of candidates for the three Masonic Charitable Institutions . In this direction the Association has already had marked effect . As a substitute in South London for the charity committees in the provinces , the organisation is a valuable one , says the " Kentish Mercury . "

We may remind our readers that the Benevolent Association in connection with the Lewisham Lodge of Instruction is still open to receive new members , the proposal being to start operations from the first Wednesday in October . Further particulars may be had of the Hon . Sec . Bro . Edward Hall , 17 Mount Pleasant Eoad , Lewisham , S . E .

A new Lodge was opened last week in the town of Castlebar , under a warrant numbered 176 , recently issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland , and received the name of the Victoria Eegina

Lodge , in honour of the present month , in which her Majesty beats the record in the remarkable duration of her prosperous reign . Since the early years of the century no Lodge has existed in Castlebar .

Church Services.

CHURCH SERVICES .

THE third annual Masonic service arranged under the auspices of the Bootle-Wilbrahano Lodge , No . 2463 , was held on Sunday afternoon in the Church of St . John the Evangelist , Knotty Ash , the use of which had been granted by Bro . the Rev . F . J . Powell , M . A ., chaplain . The Brethren , to the number of between 300 and 400 , assembled in the Village-hall , and walked in processional order to the church .

The Church was filled with Masons and members of the public , and the service was conducted by Bro . the Eev . P . J . Powell and Bro . the Eev . Dr . Hyde . The sermon was preached by Dr . Hyde from the text , " Always abounding in the work of the Lord . " He remarked that during his ministry he had addressed

many congregations , but never one on such an impressive occasion as the service that afternoon . They knew that the object of their assembling there was to benefit the Alpass Benevolent Institution , which was of so much value in helping to maintain the widows of deceased Freemasons . They had come out

there to assist a good cause . It was a consolation to all of them to know that if misfortune overtook them their widows would be assisted in an unostentatious and liberal manner by those who controlled the Alpass Benevolent Fund . The fund was started to perpetuate the memory of a very worthy Brother , and he hoped on that occasion his earnest appeal on behalf of the

Institution would be responded to generously . The collection , which was afterwards made , realised 40 guineas . At the conclusion of the service the procession was reformed , and the Brethren separated at the Village-hall . The arrangements for the service were in the hands of the Bootle-Wilbraham Lodge , of which Bro . W . H . Bucknell is the Worshipful Master , and Bro . S . L . Fraser Secretary . —" Liverpool Courier . "

MEMBEES of the Southport Lodges , accompanied by other Brethren resident in the district , in all about 150 , on Sunday afternoon attended service at Holy Trinity Church , Southport , when Bro . the Eev . A . E . Bigoe-Bagot P . P . G . Chaplain of East Lancashire and Cheshire , preached on behalf of the proposed Masonic cot in the Southport New Infirmary . In the absence

of Bro . the Eev . J . S . Gardner P . P . G . C ., the Eev . C . Grub read the prayers , Bro . the Eev . C . S . Hope P . P . G . G ., Vicar , reading the lessons . Bro . H . Hudson was Organist , and several Brethren were among the choir . The collection realised nearly £ 23 , which will be added to a large sum in hand towards £ 700 , the amount of the endowment required . — " Liverpool Mercury . "

The Masonic Hall at Winston , N . C ., has been destroyed by fire , entailing a loss of 50 , 000 dollars . o o o A discussion recently arose in an Indian Lodge relative to

the wearing of surplices in the third degree . After reference to various Past Masters their ruling was accepted , which was opposed to the wearing of any such garment .

The installation meeting of the Lancastrian Lodge , No . 2528 , will be held at the Frascati Eestaurant , Oxford Street , on Wednesday , 14 th prox ., at 5 o'clock . The members having re-elected Dr . J . J . Marsh as Worshipful Master that Brother will continue in office for the ensuing year .

It is proposed to establish , a Lodge of Instruction to meet at the Red Lion Hotel , Barnet , on Thursday or Friday evenings , under the Preceptorship of one of the best known

London tutors . The promoters will be glad to hear from Brethren willing to co-operate in the project , for which purpose letters may be addressed to our care .

The bust of Lord Suffield , which will be presented to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Norfolk by the Prince of Wales , has been subscribed for bv the Brethren of the Province to

commemorate the completion of his lordship ' s twentieth year of office as Provincial Grand Master . His Eoyal Highness is himself one of the subscribers to the bust , which has been executed in marble by Mr . George Wade , of London .

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "

THE death is announced of Bro . HughDoey , who was initiated sixty years back , and was regarded as the oldest Mason in Ireland . For fifty-six years of his Masonic career he remained a member of the one Lodge , and most of the time held the office of Treasurer thereof .