Meetings Next Week.

2602 Baring , Hotel Metropole , Cromer 2651 Charity , F . M . H ., Warrington Friday . 14 S 9 Marquess of Ripon , Holborn Rest . 162- ' Royal Kensington , Freemasons' Hall 2076 Quatuor Coronati , Freemason j' Hall 2488 Eccentric , Cafe Royal 21 ; 11 St . John at Hackney , Finsbury 2772 Richard Eve , Freemasons' Hall 44 Friendship , Albion , Manchester 219 Prudence , F . M . H ., Todmorden 242 St . George , F . M . H ., Doncaster 291 Rural Philanthropic , Highbridge 306 Alfred . F . M . H ., Leeds 375 Lambton , Chester-le-Strect 521 Truth , F . M . H ., Huddersfield = 74 Loval Berkshire of Hope , Newbury 601 St . John , Wellington , Salop 608 Rvde , F . M . H ., Ryde 709 Invicta of Ashford , Bank St , Ashford 8 ^ 7 De Grey and Ripon , Town Hall , Ripon

8 3 8 Franklin , Peacock and Royal , Boston 93 6 Adair , White Lion , Aldeburgh 99 8 Welchpool , Board Em ., Welchpool 100 9 Shakespeare , F . M . H ., Manchester 1 no Rutland , George , Melton Mowbray 1230 Barnard , F . M . H ., Barnard Castle 1375 Architect , F . M . H ., Chorlton-cum-Hardy 1405 Southwell , F . M . H ., Nottingham 1547 Liverpool , F . M . H ., Liverpool 1561 Morecambe , King ' s Arms , Morecambe 1648 Prince of Wales , F . M . H ., Bradford 1664 Gosforth , F . M . H ., Gosforth 1754 Windsor , F . M . H ., Penarth 18 3 8 Tudor of Rifle Volunteers , Wolverh ' ton 22 QO Fairfield , Alexandra , Liverpool 23 80 Beneventa , Wheatsheaf , Daventry 2491 White Rose of York , F . M . H ., Sheffield 2494 Humber Installed Masters , Hull 2569 St . Trillo , Oxford Bldgs ., Colwyn Bay 2680 Swinburne , F . M . H ., Newcastle-on-Tyne Saturday . 1572 Carnarvon , Albion ******************

1622 Rose , Surrey Masonic Hall 1949 Brixton , Anderton's Hotel 2466 Cheerybles , Freemasons' Hall 2661 Mendelssohn , Holborn Restaurant 2728 Muswell Hill , Frascati Restaurant 1194 Villiers , Mitre , Hampton Court 122 3 Amherst , Amherst Arms , Riverhead 1 ^ 88 Canynges , F . M . H ., Bristol 1458 Truth , Mitre , Manchester 1460 Thames Valley , Mitre , Hampton Court 1550 I ' rud . ence , F . M . H ., Plymouth 1567 Elliot , Railway Hotel , Feltham 1929 Mozart , Greyhound , Croydon 1982 Greenwood , F . M . H ., Sutton 2054 Wilson lies , Victoria , Rickmansworth 2096 George Price , Public Hall , Croydon 2331 Ravenscroft , Red Lion , Barnet 2473 Molesey , Castle . East Molesey 2493 Vale of Eden , Tufton Arms , Appleby 2499 North Kent , F . M . H ., Bexley Heath 2504 Earl of Warwick , King ' s H ., Chigwell 273 ? Loyal Travellers , F . M . H ., Birmingham 2818 Kirby , F . M . H .

Books Of The Day.

BOOKS OF THE DAY .

Books , Music , & c . intended for review , should be addressed to the Editor of the Freemason ' s Chronicle , at Fleet Works , New Barnet . — : O : — Honry Bourland : The Passing of the Cavalier . By Albert Elmes Hancock . —The Macmillan Company . THE American Civil AVar has given us some good books , and Mr . Hancock has been careful in his turn to bring no'disgrace upon

a sterling subject . AV ' e believe Mr . Hancock belongs to the North ; but in the volume before us he has looked at the matter through Southern spectacles , and has certainly left his prejudices at home . The story is , indeed , a careful study of a great epoch , and as such is hardly likely to elicit much applause from that great army of readers ' who think a book dull unless surfeited with

duels and abductions , suicides and murders , robberies and divorces . Readers , however , need not infer that the pages of " Henry Bourland" are dull : they are bright , crisp , and full of interest and incident . The manifold sufferings of a prominent family in the cause of justice , and the return of the scion to the domestic hearth—terribly depleted in his absence—are not original features in a novel ; but they arc handled so ably by Mr . Hancock

that somehow , although his book is of considerable length , readers are sorry to reach the end . There is , of course , sufficient love to add piquancy to the story ; but , as the hymn puts it , we have " Not too much to wish for more . ' ' The old , old themes are indeed inexhaustible , because they have their roots deep in our human nature . There is always plenty for the next novelist , if only God has endowed him with brains .

Sir Hector . The Story of a Scots gentleman . By Robert Machray ( 6 s ) . —Archibald Constable and Co ., Limited . MR . RomCRT MACHRAY is well known to readers of the " English Illustrated Magazine , " and those who know his previous writings intimately will have looked for large things in this volume . AA " e are afraid some of them will be a little disappointed . The story

is for the most part so well planned and written that we could wish the dialogue less stilted . " Margery ' might have warmed her creator into a more natural effusiveness . She is , in truth , charming enough . She thoroughly deserves that her troubles and suspense should work together for her good , and for this reason it is a pity that her likeness is not drawn by a firmer hand . The happy and

unhanny adventures of her lover are well narrated , nor would we cavil at either Murdo or Mercer . But , as we have intimated , the book might very well be better . There are incidental blemishes . Mr . Machray has been in sore straits touching the purloining of the diamonds , and it does not seem to have occurred to him that Hector would , in the circumstances imagined , have assuredly caused the senior clerk to be arrested on suspicion instead of getting

arrested himself . ' The style of "Sir Hector" has at times reminded us of Mr . Hamilton Drummond and the style has not gained in our favour by such remembrances . Perhaps , however , but little is to be gained by this setting of author against author ; it is often a useless , if a harmless practice . In the meantime we shall look for Mr . Machray ' s next novel , knowing that it will be at least worth reading . The volume is excellently printed .

The Skirts of Happy Chance . Being some adventures of Francis , second son of the late Marquess of Auriol . By H . B . Marriott Watson ( 6 s ) . —Methuen and Co . THERE are some clever stories in this volume—so clever that we were sorry to find them so short . Although the inimitable Charmian is the protagonist of these little dramas they may

very well be read severally as complete in themselves . We think there > s little doubt that the two first , "The Inn at Hook" and "The lurse" are the best . AVe may impart a good idea of the quality of the whole volume by describing the leading incidents in the farmer . Charrman drives his four-in-hand down to the "Anchor , " at Hook

, and there , whilst awaiting refreshments , discovers a voung Jacly m tears behind the curtain . Explanations follow , and it appears that the lady has run away from her guardian ; but Mr . Gray , who was to have rendered her happy for ever , has not yet reached the rendezvous , The guardian soon arrives on the scene j

Books Of The Day.

Charmian personates Gray , and tells him that the lady is already married . Then the real Mr . Gray arrives too , and there is a scene and some cross questions and crooked answers . Moreover , Sir Edward Quinton , a suitor regarded favourably bv the authorities , has arrived also , and the confusion becomes worse confounded . In the end , the young couple are quit of such embarrassing

company and Charmian drives off , with Sir Edward Quinton as his guest . " The Skirts of Happy Chance " is a title which accurately characterises the contents of the volume . It is some time since we met with a book of short stories at once so slight and so skilfully conceived . It is a distinct success , and we were not surprised to hear of a " second impression . "

An Episode on a Desert Island . By the author of "Miss Molly" ( 2 s 6 d net ) . —John Murray . THERK is much that deserves praise in this dainty little volume ; but it is hardly " everybody ' s book . " The seeker after thrilling adventure , the lover of fine writing , the readers of such novels as deal with the extremes of high or low life will all be

disappointed with this episode . The fact is , there are now so many books , and we all read so much , that it is impossible to peruse one story without thinking of a dozen others . In the orescnt case we have certainly no grievous fault to find ; the volume has no inherent defects , but it suffers by comparison . The more tender passages are not so tender as A could have made

them ; the description is inferior to that of B ; the incidents would gain interest were they retold by C . It would , however , be unjust to judge a book of such unpretentious claims as though it purported to be a Romola or an Esmond ; and we have not the slightest doubt that at least one large class of readers will enjoy this "Episode" and , like Oliver Twist , will ask for more .

Mr . Grant Richard ' s " AV ' orld ' s Classics seem to have come to stay . AA e are glad to see that Hazlitt ' s works--we presume a part of them—are to be included in this series . The " Table Talk : Essays on Men and Manners ' will be issued in a few days . Mr . T . Fisher Unwin is to publish "Death the Showman , " by

Mr . John Fraser ; "Alfred the Great , a play by Mr . Edmund L . Hill ; and " The Story of the Isle of Man , " by A . AA * . Moore , B . A . We understand that this enterprising publisher has purchased the " English Illustrated Magazine '' and is about to issue it as a literary monthly . We wish the new venture every success .

Messrs . Methuen ' s list of new and forthcoming novels is one of exceptional promise . They have , for instance , just published " Sir Richard Calmady , " by Lucas Malet ; " Mastei- of Men , " by E . Phillips Oppenheim ; and '' Royal Georgie , " by S . Baring Gould ; and amongst those volumes to be issued this season we notice : "Light Freights , " by AV . AV . Jacobs : ' " The Embarrassing Orphan , " by AV * . E . Norris ; and "Tales of Dunstable'AVeir / ' by Gwendoline Keats ( "Zack . " ) .

Messrs . Chatto and Windus are about to issue an edition , at 2 s and 3 s net , of Stevenson ' s "Familiar Studies of Men and Books . " The next volume in Messrs . Macmillan ' s "Highways and Byways" scries is to be "Hertfordshire , " by Herbert Av . Tompkins . The volume will be profusely illustrated by Mr . F . L . B . Griggs , whose drawings for Mr . John Lane are so widely known and appreciated ,

Books Received.

BOOKS RECEIVED .

The Story of Fish Life . By P , i ' ycraft , F . Z . S > With eighteen illustrations ( is ) , —Georg ; Newnes , Limited ,

****************** There may be some right for a Freemason to indicate to the world that he is such by adorning his person with all sorts of Masonic emblems , but it exhibits very questionable

taste for those who have no' connection with the Craft to sail through the world under false colours . Yet this , is the case of a gentleman in New Zealand , says a contemporary , notwithstanding that the absurdity has been prominently brought under his notice . We should hardly have to go to the antipodes to find other examples of such snobbery ,