Happiness In Freemasonry.

HAPPINESS IN FREEMASONRY .

IT is fortunate that all men ' s ideas of happiness do not lie in the same groove , or we should lose many of those charms of life which arise from the varied means adopted by different individuals in their efforts to attain

the summit of their ambition , that perfection , the realization of which results in corresponding happiness . If every Mason ' s idea of a happy and successful Lodge was alike Freemasonry would lose one of its attractions , for although

the basis of Freemasonry is the same wherever we turn , it is its infinite variety which makes it ever attractive , fresh , and interesting . Happiness , we are told , is in the taste , not in the thing ; and we are made happy by possessing

what we ourselves love , not what others think lovely . Hence it is that a Mason ' s idea of a happy Lodge is one where his peculiar ideas of Freemasonry are the most fully exemplified , not , perhaps , one where the ritual is

the most perfect , the ceremonies the most elaborate , or the surroundings the most sumptuous . One brother will be miserable in a small quiet assembly where another enjoys

the strongest feelings of satisfaction , and , in turn , that brother will feel out of place in a large and somewhai noisy gathering where the other is thoroughly at home . We should do well to remember all this when we are

inclined to lay down the law as to what should be done to secure happiness in our several Lodges . What would prove successful in one case would have the most disastrous results in another , and the best general is he who can

so adapt himself to circumstances as to secure the best results from the means at his disposal . A Master should endeavour to discover what the members of his Lodge love , and strive to secure for them what they desire , rather than

seek for advice outside his Lodge , among brethren who are perhaps unacquainted with the peculiarities of any of the members . General advice is very good in its way , but we must remember that happiness consists in the attainment of what we ourselves love , not what others think lovely .

We can call to mind a happy and contented Lodge which suffered severely from the mistaken ideas of excellence possessed by one of its Worshipful Masters , a splendid worker , and a most rigid disciplinarian . He was

called upon in due course to preside over his Lodge , which might perhaps best be described as an assemblage of oldfashioned brethren , who felt more pleasure in practising the spirit than being bound by the strict letter of

Freemasonry . They were accustomed to meet and find enjoyment in each other ' s society , and may be said to have neglected some of the forms and ceremonies enjoined by custom in favour of social converse and individual

harmony . They recognised the time-honoured toasts , and were none the less hearty in their enthusiasm although it was their custom to eschew speeches . The toasts of the Masonic rulers were as nobly responded to at their

gatherings , even though they were proposed . without ceremony , as if a long speech had preceded each , and , as a consequence , they had ample time for the discussion of the many topics which arise among a party of true friends .

Their Freemasonry was not neglected , but it was looked upon more as a means of enjoyment than as a bard lesson to be learned and rehearsed at each succeeding meetiner .

But a change was introduced , under the presidency of the new Master , whose ideas were embodied in working the ceremonies and the rehearsal of the lectures , with

Happiness In Freemasonry.

severe regard to the letter of the ritual ; no very serious matter if not carried too far , hut in this case it was carried to such an extreme as to deprive many of tho members of that happiness they had previously enjoyed at the

periodical meetings of their Lodge . No doubt the Master was happy in the possession of what be himself loved , but the happiness of his members did not consist in what he thought lovely .

The remembrance of this instance brings us to the consideration of another point , and one to which we have previously referred ; that a Worshipful Master should at times sacrifice his personal desires for the benefit of the

brethren over whom he is for the time called on to preside " He who truly wishes the happiness of any one , cannot be long without'discovering some mode of contributing to it , " are words which apply with considerable force here . It

may be difficult for a ruler to discover in what way he can ensure the happiness of his Lodge , but if he has the desire to do so —if he really loves his work—he will soon discover some mode of contributing to the happiness of those

around him , with the most gratifying results . In a Masonic Lodge of any importance are often to be found men of widely different views , and it is really to

consolidate these differences that should be one of the principal duties of a Master . He should know just how much pressure can be brought to bear in different parts , and should be able to blend the more extreme views in such a

way as to make a harmonious and happy whole . It is not for him to lay down any severe rules , however , as to what constitutes happiness , or he will find himself in the

unhappy position of the brother to whom we have just referred , who practised his own particular ideas at the expense of his fellows .

Much more might be said in regard to the various methods of securing happiness in Freemasonry , but we have written enough to show that the best course is to adapt oneself to the brethren by whom we are surrounded ,

and to strive to give to each the full enjoyment of the peculiarities they possess , as far as may be possible without upsetting others . In this , as in many other walks of life ,

those highest in authority will find it more conducive to happiness if they sometimes bow to the opinions of their juniors , rather than strive to force their individual views on those who may not entirely agree with them .

The Ancient York Work.

THE ANCIENT YORK WORK .

EOR a number of centuries the old city of Tork has enjoyed the repute of being the Mecca of the Craft in England . Both tradition and history have contributed to the support of its claim . The tradition has been long

and uniform , and while the tradition has found no exact support in history , the city of York itself , at a later period , had the earliest historic Lodge in England , which afterwards developed into a Grand Lodge , and warranted

subordinate Lodges in Cheshire , Middlesex and elsewhere . York itself was as a city in its earliest years arranged Masonically—while it was the Roman ciby of Eboracum ifc

having been laid out as an oblong square . During the Roman dominion it was the capital of the kingdom , the two Emperors , Septimus Severus and Constantius Chloras , having died there , and Constantino the Great was there proclaimed Emperor . Tork has , also , in Tork Minster ,