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vigorous Masonic child that bears his honoured ' name . In this instance there was certainly evidence that " absence makes the heart grow fonder , " and we venture to think it will be some satisfaction to Bro . Shurmur to hear he was really missed by the Brethren who have come to regard him as the guiding , spirit ot their Lodge ; but at the same time we are convinced he will regret to learn that his absence caused a certain amount of gloom to overspread the whole of this year ' s celebration .

Charity and true Brotherhood were the characteristic features of the gathering , as they have so often been at previous meetings of the Shurmur Lodge , and we can well imagine the satisfaction with-which its founder will receive the news that a proposal to give one hundred guineas to the Roval Masonic Benevolent Institution was received with acclamation , and would undoubtedly have been agreed to on the moment , had not the bye-laws of the 'Lodge made

previous notice necessary . To fully appreciate the liberality of this proposal we may point to the record already achieved by the Lodge—it is ten years old ; is a Patron of the Benevolent Institution , with . 850 votes in perpetuity ; a vice Patron of the Boys , with 210 permanent'votes : and a Vice President of the Girls , with 100 votes . Truly , as more than one Brother remarked on Thursday ,, there are very few Lodges who are likely , even if they were'in a position to do so , to attempt to improve on the Shurmur record .

Thursday ' s proceedings were held under the presidency of Bro . Walter Fortescue'W . M :, who was supported by Bros . Joseph Holland P . M . 1804 I . P . M ., Percy Trickett S . W * ., G . H . PizeyJ . W ., James Clark P . M . Sec , C H . Bestow P . P . G . P . P . M ., S . C Kaufman Prov . A . G . D . C . P . M ., M . J . H . Bleick S . D ., J : Hamilton J . D ., T . How D . C , T . Body A ; D . C , J . C . Francis I , G ., C . G . Holmes Organist ^ J . Ives P . M . Tyler , and many other members :

The Visitors included Bros . S . C Rhodes I . G ; 2467 , G-. T . Papworth D . C . 2256 , J . C . Young 2749 , W . G . May 2-749 ; -Rev . Chas . Sergeant 18 9 , ' L . Yexley 1662 , F . C . Fihke 1225 , W . Brock-well J . D . 2552 , G . R . Browne W . M . 2256 3 T . H . Longmore- 24-7 , 2 ' , D .

Thomas 1227 , H . J . Bonner D . C . 754-, Geo . Pentecost 1804-, Alfred Tucker P . M . 13 6 5 , W . A . Martin 79 , Geo . Browne 65 , ; J . R . Johnson 2757 P . P . G . D ., Leo Taylor W . M . 2501 , B . Stowe 1707 , G . W . Knight P . M . 1507 , W . W . Morgan 177 , H . Slatter 1805 , H . F . J . Hallows 2472 .

There was as usual-a full agenda of business , there being four candidates on the agenda for raising , four for passing , and three for initiation , two of whomhad already been approved on the ballot . The latter , however , were not present , so that the work previous ; to the installation comprised-the' raising of Bros . J . S . Brown ; G . W . Barker juri ., W . R . Tucker , and A . Bishdp' ; and the" passing of Bros . F . W . Appleyardj Hari-y-Gilbert " , H . Charidos Duh ' mor ' e , and A ; E . Lawrence .

The W . M . resigned- his position in favour' of- Past Master Kaufman , who acted as Installing Officer , having- the support of Bros . Holland , Gower and Bestow , as Wardens and' Director of Ceremonies respectively . Bro . Percy Trickett was presented as W . M .-elect , was obligated , and regularly installed ruler of the Lodge for the ensuing year .

Having been proclaimed and saluted he appointed his Assistant Officers , as follow : G . H . Pizey S . W ., M . J . H . Bleick J . W ., W . Shurmur P . G . St . B . ( elected ) Treas . ( to be invested at- a later meeting ) , James Clark P . M . Sec , John Hamilton S . D ., J . C . Francis J . D ., T . How I . G ., T . Body D . G , T . Maynard A . D ; C , C C Holmes Organist , G . T . Bagnall , E . Ldeb , J . R ; Friend , G . J-. Stubbings , G . Burton , and Craig Stewards , J . ivcs P . M . Tyler .

Notice of motion was given- to vote the sitrn of one hundred ' guineas from the- Lodge funds to the Royal Masonic Benevolent ' Institution , to be placed' on the list of BrO . Walter' Fortescue ,. who -will represent' the Lodge as a Steward at the Festival to be held in February next , under the presidency of the Provincial Grand Master the Earl of' Warwick . Two candidates were proposed for initiation at the next meeting , other business was disposed of and- the Lodge ! was closed .

An excellent banquet followed ,, at the conclusion of which the \ V . M . gave the customary toasts . < In proposing the first on the list the W . M . said the Queen-was always honoured by all Englishmen , but especially so this year , as b ^ her visit to Ireland , and in many other ways , she had displayed great interest in the welfare of her people .

Next came the toast of the Grand Master—whose good qualities were known to the Craft at large—and then that of the other Grand Officers . The Brethren knew how much Grand Lodge did for the Fraternity , and could respect its Officers accordingly . The Shurmur Lodge-was honoured in having among its members an Officer of Grand Lodge , in Bro . Shurmur , their founder , whom they all regretted was not present that night to respond to the

toast-In proposing the health of the Provincial Grand Master and the Prov . G . Officers present'and past the W . M . said all , or most of them , had met their chief , the Earl of Warwick , at some time or other . The Deputy was also well known among them , and'he always did what he could for the welfare of the Order . The same could also be said of the other Officers . They had seven Brethren who had been honoured with Provincial rank among the members of the Lodge , but he proposed to call oh a visitor to respond :

Bro .. Johnson , on behalf of the present as well as the past Officers of the Province , tendered thanks for the hearty reception of the toast on that and many previous occasions in the Shurmur Lodge . The Officers of the Province were most anxious to do what they could for the Brethren and Lodges of Essex , and were delighted at the sent

large sums up to the Charities of the Order . Every Lodge in . the Province was glad to know their chief proposed to take so prominent a part next year in the Charitable work as to preside at the Festival of the Benevolent Institution , in support of which the Shurmur Lodge had set an example it would be most difficult to follow . Other Lodges were not so well off as the Shurmur but if it was not possible to do what they proposed it would at least

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be possible for each" of the" Essex Lodges to vote ten guineas , and that would make a really respectable amount with which to support the Provincial chief in February next , supplemented as it would undoubtedly , be , by . liberal contributions from individual Brethren . Bro . iortescue had a very special duty to perform in proposing

the toast of the W . M . Bro : Trickett had really grown up among thenr , as he' was one of the first initiates in the Lodge , and had filled- every office -in * it from Inner Guard- upwards . IVow that he had risen to the position of Worshipful- Master he mig ht rely on receiving the same support ashad-beeii accorded his predecessors in the office . '

The W . M-. tendered his thanks ; It was in- a measure true that he had grown up- among : them—in a Masonic sense- ^ although he had ; really ; grown up before he was admitted a member-of-the Lodge . As long as he remained a member he should endeavour . to do his duty to the Lodge . :

The' W : M . now' took- the opportunity of presenting tothe I . P . M . the fast Master ' s jewel of the Lodge , and trusted Bro . F " ortescue might be s } 3 ared for many ¦ years to adorn' the jewel and to be adorned , by it . - The toast of the I . P . M ., the Installing and other Past Masters might best be introduced , said the W . M ., by the old quotation " Good wine needs no bush . " The I . P . M . was there that night and

the Brethren knew . what he could do ; the Installing Master had also proved himself by his actions , far better than he could do by mere , words ; while if they looked at the full list of Past Masters of the Lodge they could but-be proud of the array . They were genial ; kind-hearted Brethren , who had done much- for the Lodge , and he had no hesitation in asking the Brethren to drink cordially to their very good health .

Bro : Fortescue said one of the hardest duties-he hau to perform in the Shurmur •Lodge Was t' 6 ' return- thanks- for the many kin'd things that had been said ^ of him . He had now first to thank them for the very handsome Past Master ' s jewel they- had presented him , and which he should prize and ' always look upon as a memento .

of- a very successful ; year as' Master' df the Lodge : He had also' to thank tlieriv for the way in ! which" the' proposal to vote a'hundred guineas for his list , as a Steward for'the- Benevolent Institution ' was received ^ : he should'be more than proiid to' go' up' to the Festival , with- a list having' a' Lodge grant df dne hundred guineas at it ' s ¦ head . •. '

Bro : Kaufman - next replied ; He- assured the Brethren his interests—as much as theirs;—were with the Shurrhur Lodge , arid anything he Cduld'db to promote its welfare or its progress ; he wtiulcl be only too- happy , t ' o undertake . He did' not' think tie had been absent from any of the work' of the Shurmur Lodge since its

foundation . His first duty was that of a Steward , to take round the Charity box of the -Lodge ; and in thinking of that he could but regret ho one had discharged a similar duty on that occasion . While he nad energy left he hoped to be able to help on the work of the Lodge" as far as' lay in his power .

. Bro . ' .. Bestow had- felt great pleasure' in acting as- D-. G :- that night , at the installation' of their Biro . Trickett ; as lie had'had the pleasure- of working , side by side with ; that Brother since his initiation in- the Lodge . He instanced several occasions on which the present ' - Master ' had taken a leading part in the promotion of

Charity ; notably when the Lodge desired to secure the election-of an orphan child to one of the Schools , and said the way in which he had discharged his duties-as a Mason proved there was something better in the . Craft than to attend meetings arid-scrub each others backs-. , ¦ - ,. ¦ ¦¦ Bro . Holland also replied . -

The W . M . next-submitted the toast of the visitors ; - a sentiment , he said , always received with acclamation ¦ in the Shurmur Lodge , They were always pleased to see visitors , and to extend : to-them the right hand of fellowship . They had thfe satisfaction of welcoming some thirty guests- on that' occasion ;

Bro . G . R , Browne W . M . of the W " arner Lodge said it was less than a fortnight since lie was installed Master of his Mother Lodge in that building . During : the short period he had been a Master he had received at- least a dozen invites' to attend other Lodges , but theirs was the only one he had been able'to accept . As the W . M . of the' Shurmur Lodge had done him' the honour of attending his

installation ; he felt lie could not do less than accept the return invite . In ' ' so' large a Lodge as the Shurmur it was but natural' to expect gbod working as , promotion being so slow , the Brethren had ample tirne in which- to perfect themselves in their duties . In regard to their W . M : — his face was pretty well known in local ¦ homes of Masonic work ; indeed , they might go to any Lodge of Instruction

in the neighbourhood ,. and be almost certain to find him-among the workers . Tile proposition to give as large a sum as 10 b guineas to one of the Charities was' something to be proud of ; there was probably no other Lodge in ' the Province that could even suggest such a grant . He' was delighted when his 'Lodge voted him' ten ghineas for the same purpose .

Bro . Taylor followed . It was a pleasing Custom in the Province that invitations should be exchanged between the different Lodges for the 'installation nights . He hardly felt a visitor there , however , as so many o'f ' liis friends ' were among the members of the Lodge . Bro . Sergeant said that was his second visit to the Lodge . On the' first occasion lie recognised that the entertainment of visitors

was a feature with the Shurmur members , and that feeling had been intensified by his experiences that day . One of the Past Masters'had just regretted-there were not more of that rank present , which was very different to a friend of his , who had to lament that few but Past Masters attended to support him—and that he never

got ari initiate . Tliey must not , however , imagine from this that iriitiates were being sought after . They should be most careful as to . whom they adrhitted , and look upon all new comers with careful scrutiny , mentally asking themselves the question whether a gentleman proposed for initiation was the sort of person under whom tliey