How Podgers Lost His Christmas Dinner.

the cause of his losing his Christmas dinner , I said , in answer to the Editor , that I thought the story might suit the Christmas Freemason . There is as much connection , at any rate , as there was between tho man who could not speak German , but had had a brother who once played the German flute . It was at one of "Podgie ' s" best dinner-parties that

the dreadful fact above alluded to oozed out . Poor " Podgie , " who is the kindest of hosts , outdid himself on that occasion , and the dinner was a very cosy and cheery little affair , if only "Podgie" would put his " h's " in their proper places . There was once a man who dined out , and he was asked what he thought of the dinner—he being a swell .

" The dinner , ho said , " was good , the wino good , the coffee good , tho cigars good , but I suffered dweadfully —there was a—a total suppression of " h's . " In the lodge to which he belonged , the " Boanerges , " was a young member of great social qualifications ; Mr . Walter Tracy , who was in one of the Government offices , and was , in truth , as pleasant a youth as can

well be described . He was popular everywhere , agreeable , good-looking , an athlete , and a dancer , with plenty too to say for himself ; he was , curiously enough , equally accoptablo ( whicli does not always happen ) to old and young . At one timo " Podgie " saw a good deal of him-, but latterly ; as he saidhimself , " Podgie" looks coldly upon me . "

Now the reason was , Bro . Hillerton , a veiy excellent old P . M ., was a man well-to-do in tho world , and had a very good house in Hyde Park Square and a very cheery place at Sudbury . He had nn only daughter and two sons , and was very fond of asking a few of the brethren to go down for Sunday with him to Sudbury . His

placo was called " Tho Oaks . It so happened , though why I know not , that very often " Podgie " and Tracy and myself went down together , and as we all found great attraction there ; and enjoyed ourselves much , we always were " delighted to avail ourselves of Mr . and Mrs . Hillerton ' s hospitable invitation . "

There wero attractions there . I say nothing of Mr . and Mrs . Hillerton—excellent elderly people—I do not allude to tho two sons , both admirable youths , but I do allude to Sophy Hillerton , one of the most charming and sensible and agreeable of young women . " Podgie , " who had a secret idea that everyone was in lovo with him , and that ho was a " catch , " soon announced , first

covertly , thou openly , that he ' simply adored hor ; but , as Mr . Walter Tracy did tho same thing , nnd as your humble servant , tho writer , was nofc indifferent on tho subject— that " fair fellowship " became clouded over and gradually broken up . We all found our way to Tho Oaks at Sudbury—alone . I must say I think that Sophy Hillerton behaved very well all

through . Sho showed no preference—she was civil to all . Did I say no preference ? Alas , yes ! Truth compels mo to aver that ono of my paragons of perfection betrayed nt an early period of those " Sudbury Games " that sho preferred ( small blame to her ) tho tall , goodlooking , intelligent athlete . I have said before that " Podgie" was stout and

short ; ho was also wheezy , and occasionally grunted when he was excited . Now all this is not romantic for a sentimental young lady of nineteen . One evening , I remember it as well as if it was but yesterday , wo had dined nt , The Oaks , nnd our host had produced some good old Madeira , to which "Podgio" had paid great attention .

Whether it was that interesting fluid , or tho fact that Tracy and Sophy had been side by side all thc evening , 1 know not , but soon after wo reached the drawing-room , and sat down to a quiet rubber with Mr . and Mrs . Hillerton and the vicar , " Podgio" disappeared into tho conservatory , whither Tracy and Sophy had preceded him .

All of a sudden "Podgio" returned , and looking very red nnd uncomfortable , joined our party , but said nothing . I observed that all Sunday he looked very unhappy , nnd ns we nil left early on Monday , I did not hear tho secret cause of his downcast appearance until Walter Tracy looked in ou Tuesday evening and told me thc whole story .

It seems that " Podgie , " elated , and not seeing Walter behind the tall plants , for he had evidently forgotten all about him , had lx-cn emboldened to propose to Sophy , and much to his discomfiture had been somewhat sharply refused , and told that she had just accepted Walter Tracy . This was gall and wormwood to poor " Podgie , "

with all his wealth , and his hints of diamonds and a " onse in London . " Sophy used to tell the story admirably . " Down , " she saitl , "that little fat man wentonhistwo fat little knees , nnd wrung his two fat little hands liko two littlo fins . ' Miss Hillerton , ' he said , ' 1 adore you ;

make mc the happiest of men . ' ' Get up , ' I said , ' Mr . I ' odgers , and don't make a gooso of yourself . I cannot accept you , for I have just accepted Walter Tracy . ' And here that wicked Walter emerged from behind the shrubs , looking very happy , though somewhat confused . "

Soph y used to declare that , as a proof of " Podgie's " thoughtfulness , when he got up off his knees ho wiped the dust off them . " I don't believe ho cared a bit about me , but the dreadful littlo man wanted to cut out Walter . "

" Women , my friends—as tho old Gorman professor UBed to say—always know how to put on the best appearance to everything . " So this is how Podgio 'ost his Christmas dinner . He sulked , and would not come any moro to Tho Oaks . Wc had a very pleasant owner at Christmas , nnd as I was Walter ' s best

How Podgers Lost His Christmas Dinner.

man when the happy day , etc ., arrived , I feel that I have acted both heroically and magnanimously . Podgie , it seems , would go with two bachelor friends to Brighton . He there accidentally met with a charming widow , and as I think , in his present state of mind , he is very likely to marry her , I think I can safely predict that she will " rule the roast" in everything .

Now ; why do I tell the story ? Not to encourage idle young meii and headstrong young women to get married . Certainly not . But I relate it in these genial pages Because I venture to think that if young people love each other , and parents consent , and friends are agreeable , and there is enough for "bread and cheese , "

the very best thing they can do , instead of having long engagements and unending courtships , is to try and relieve their friends of much worry , and annoyance , and inconvenience , and boring scenes , and troublesome questi ons , by marrying and becoming reasonable and sensible beings once again . T . T .

Pass The Bowl Round.

Pass the Bowl Round .

BMfflJHHERE is one , season in thc year S | K For love's supremacy ; " •jr-ps * When grief and anguish ore allayed , ] g" The dues of charity are paid , j ! j And all is amity . < - I I Then pass the bowl round merrily ! This is the time for jollity , When brother meets his brother dear , Without unkindly thought , or fear Of halting charity .

The Christian holds high festival At holy christmastide , And other faiths have other days One God Omnipotent to praise , When all is amity .

Then pass the bowl round merrily ! This is tho timo for jollity , When brother meets his brother dear , Without unkindly thought , or fear Of halting charity .

The Mason honours every faith In purest charity ; He seeks to banish care-and strife . And make the tenour of his life One course of amity .

Then pass the bowl round merrily ! This is thc timo for jollity , When brother meets his brother dear , Without unkindl y thought , or fear Of halting charity . G . B . A

Hephsibah.

Hephsibah .

w [ m DO not think that my heroine has an attractive Mw name . forit was really Hephsibah Bone , and I must g ° y > confess that sho was very plain . But as she was ejK a heroine , and a true heroine in her way , I have J thought it might nofc be amiss if 1 gave her ¦ * little history in the pages of the Christmas Freemason . Hephsibah Bone was the only and orphan daughter of au old clergyman in a good county of

England , who , having held tho littlo living for twenty years , saw his wife dio nnd then shortly followed her to tho grave . They are both resting in tho little churchyard of the parish of Lacccrstono . Hephsibah , who was an only child , was left comfortably off by her father , he having been a very prudent man all his life , and livctl with an old aunt , her mother ' s sister , in a little freehold farmhouse , which had been

her mother s inheritance , comfortably and peacefully , with nn old servant and a village girl at tho house , ond an old gardener for the garden outside , and a whiteheaded lad named Joe to run with messages and take care of tho pony carriage . Her farm supplied hor with milk and butter , anil as to worldly circumstances she

was very comfortable in that quiet village and inexpensive part of the world . But Hephsibah though plain and ungainly had a warm heart , a quick intellect , strong feelings , and earnest sympathies . And though sho knew and saw that young men did not seom to care much to talk to and bo with

hor , and that sho was generally loft to her female friends , yet mono the less sho at ono timo of her life had a little romance of her own , whicli was only , however , the " romance of nn hour , " and was but a passing episode which probably none but herself would remember or dwell upon . Tbo curate of tho village found Hephsibah very

useful in tho choir , for sho had a pleasant voice , and as a visitor of tho sick . So ho accepted her littlo humble invitations to tea , for a timo ; and as ho duly wended his way to " Tho Farm , " as it was termed , tho village gossips used to say that the curate meant " to tako Hephsibah for hotter or for worse . " But , as I said before , Hephsibah was plain , I might almost say very plain , and tho curate met a smart ,

good-looking daughter of a neighbouring squire , and married hor , and obtained the family living . Hephsibah said nothing , went on her way as usual , calmly and oven cheerfully , helped the new curate , who was a married man , made friends wifch his sick wife , and plodded on persoveringly , being useful , making no complaints , and giving no one any reason to say that she thought anything about tho matter .

Hephsibah.

If she did she kept it to herself , and her little secret remained a secret from all the world . ' : ¦ _ And so time ran on . Hephsibah had many trials to go through . She first lost her kind old friend anfl relative , her aunt , for whom her grief was long and deep ; and then she lost her old servant , and positively was alone in fche world . Still she went to her daily

round of duty , if more silent and subdued than ever , though always quiet and self-composed , as if in these very things she folt her help , and strength , and comfort which even aided her to bear the solitude of her home , and the isolation to which time and change had consigned her . Little by little her character , in its strength and

comeliness , grew upon the villagers . She was always ready to aid , to condole with , and to cheer . Her purse was open for the deserving poor , and many a kind word she spoke , and many a kind deed she did , which tenacious memory has kept in the minds of those in whose midst she lived and acted out her part in life , and spent the useful tenour of her days .

Unlike some persons , she never sought for praise , she never looked for thanks , she never asked for any return . She did all for duty's sake , and I venture to add , no doubt she had her reward . Hephsibah was uear thirty-one , when an event occurred which , in its reality and intensity , changed everything and upset every thing in the village . andmade

her prove herself to bo afc last the heroine she really was . A violent and malignant fever broke out in that undrained village , in those cottages which are a disgrace to our civilization , in that water supply which , uncared for and polluted , undermines the health and brings disease and death to many of our population . Tho medical man was at his wit ' s end . Nurses were very

difficult to obtain , for the women in Laccerstoue wero few , and most had home duties to attend to and children to provide for , and dinners and food to prepare for hungry labourers . It is wonderful how much time and labour tho toiling classes will give to thoir sick and suffering neighbours . But as the fever progressed and victims of all

ages increased , to everybody s astonishment Hephsibah one day offered herself to the medical man , as he was going his round , to help him ns best sho might . Tho good old doctor somewhathesitated . He told her what was true : that there was great risk for her in infected rooms and tainted atmosphere in these unhealthy , unvontilated abodes , where the fever was stalking with

giant force . But Hephsibah merely said , 'for her itwas a question of duty , " and the worthy man felt ho had no moro to say . For tho need was indeed pressing and tho help precious . And so Hephsibah quietly went to work , day by day , hour by hour , looking after tlio worst cases , and braving infection with undaunted calmness , Tho fever at last stopped .

But two days after her last patient was out of danger , Hephsibah , who had been complaining of indisposition , remained at homo by tho doctor ' s orders , who spoke excitedly and looked very grave . Hephsibah had got tho fever . And then all of a sudden the village and district woke up to tho consciousness thafc they had a heroine among them whom thoy had never truly

appreciated . There was from the first , as the good doctor knew , but littlo chance for her , and after a fow fitful days of fever , and a few days of unconsciousness , poor Hephsibah passed away . There camo an outburst of sorrow , not forgotten even now . Tho scene nt her grave will not cosily be forgotten by any who witnessed it , as they laid her by tho

side of her father and her mother . By her will , mado soon after her aunt's death , as sho had no relatives , she loft her property to trustees to found an almshouse for poor and deserving women , nnd if ever you go to Lacccrstono you will seo it , and soon find how that poor Hephsibah Bone is still the heroine of that quiet place . I have told tho story to-day for two reasons : first

because I always like to recognize modest worth ; and secondly , because just now duty is sometimes put secontl and pleasure first . Aud yet duty remains duty , despite new ideas , and vague theories , and startling paradoxes , and childish scepticism . Duty remains still tho great criterion of life , tho key to onr whole existence , the mystic loiter , so to say , which enables us to read

tho secret cypher in whicli tho lives of mon arc written . Ono of the greatest of Englishmen , the Duko of AVellington , made "duty" the aim and ond of all his wonderful career , and though wc , somo of us , aro destined to play no mighty part on the great theatre of tho world , and to fill comparatively humble positions , we are still , be wo who we may or what wo may or where we

may , as Longfellow has it , to be , in our humblo measure , a hero and a heroine in " tho strife . " It is a great thing nnd a good thing , amid life ' s distractions , and corruptions , and pettiness , and wickedness , to observe thoso who humbly try to do their duty

at all hazards , who havo " counted the loss , " who will not " look back , " but " como what may , " move on " good soldiers for tho fighting day . " It may bo indeed true of them that—Their silt and gaudiness arc all besmirched By rainy marching in thc painful field .

It may bo tho fact that—There ' s not a piece of feather in our host ; But , by thc mass , our hearts are in the trim , and nothing of earthly hire or earthly reward , tho praise or tho dispraise of men will cause them to swerve

from their onward stops . They are marching on their point ! I venture to think that the life and death of Hephsibah Bone may have a good moral for many of us , of all ages and both sexes , to-day . W .