The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls And The Lady Mayoress' Hospital Fund.

THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS AND THE LADY MAYORESS' HOSPITAL FUND .

The children of the above School got up a collection among themselves , to which the Staff also contributed , and in result had the satisfaction of sending £$ to the Lady Mayoress , who immediately forwarded the following acknowledgment : " February 20 th , 1897 . " The Mansion House , London . " My dear Girls , " I am charmed with the kind feeling and self-denial which have

prompted your gift and that of your teachers . " I have great pleasure in receiving it at the hands of Sir John Monckton , who , I know , takes such interest in you and all you do . —Believe me to be , your sincere friend , " HELEN FAUDEL PHILLIPS , " Lady Mayoress . " To the Masonic Girls . " ( Miss Constance Green ) . "

Red Cross Of Rome & Constantine.

Red Cross of Rome & Constantine .

Premier Conclave . A convocation of this old conclave was held at Mark Masons' Hall , Great Queenstreet , on the ist instant , when there were present , among others , Sir Knights George Graveley , M . P . S . ; J . Purrott , P . M . P . S ., as V . E . j the Rev . R . C . Fillingham , M . A ., Junior General ; H . J . Lardner , P . M . P . S ., P . G . C , Treas . ; and Major P . C . Walls , P . M . P . S ., P . G . G . Recorder . The minutes of the last conclave were read and confirmed . Apologies for

nonattendance were received from Sir Knights J . J . Pakes , I . P . M . P . S . ; VV . A . Scurrah , V . E . ; L . Steele , Senior General ; E . H . Thiellay , P . M . P . S . ; and others . Previously to the crnclave being closed , the Recorder called attention to the circumstance that the Grand Conclave of the Order would be held at Maik Masons' Hall on Monday , March ist , when and where he trusted that the Premier Conclave would , as heretofore , be well represented . The conclave was then closed .

The sir knights subsequently partook ot a well-served banquet . The only toasts proposed were " The Oueen and Christian Masonry , " "The Grand Sovereign , " and "The M . P . S . " The proposer of the last-mentioned toast spoke of the great services rendered to all Degrees of Freemasonry by Sir Knight George Graveley , whose receipt of the appointment as an Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in the Royal Arch had given great satisfaction to his numerous friends . The M . P . S . having replied , the proceedings terminated .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . J . W . CLARKE . With sincere regret we announce the death , after a very short illness , of Bro . J . W . Clarke , which occurred on Monday last , at the early age of 31 . Bro . Clarke was initialed in the Lion and Lamb Lodge , No . 192 , and subsequently was exalted in the chapter attached thereto . He was for many years in the firm ol

Messrs . George Kenning and Son , and had , by his geniality , won the affection and respect of all his colleagues , amongst whom he will be sadly missed . The funeral took , place , to-day ( Friday ) at Abney Park , when a large number of brethren , in addition to relatives and friends , were present to pay a final tribute to his memory .

Mr . Reynolds , feme very clever impersonations—in character—by Mr . Gordon Clifford , the well-known female impersonator , and the songs contributed by Messrs . Walter and Frederick Murray . Mr . Charles Reynolds , who sang "lhe Faifless Donah" and "Coster Joe" with much feeling , and Mr . VV . Foster Berkbeck , who was deservedly encored for his rendering of "Ihe Chace " and "Bravo Jack , " and Mr . Holding and Mr . Ruscoe . The National Anthem concluded the programme and the meeting separated , with a hearty vote of thanks to the Chairman for presiding , and the Hon . Secretary for the excellence of his arrangements .

THE SHEPHERD ' S BUSH CYCLING CLUB held a very successful Smoking Concert at the Rush Hotel , Goldhawk-road , W ., on Saturday , the 20 th inst ., the chair being taken by the President of the Club ( Bro . G . B . Abbott ) , there being present fr , in So to ico of the members and their friends . The Hon . Treasurer and Secretary ( Mr . C . H . Abbott ) had prepared an excellent programme , which was received with the utmost satisfaction , among the more successful items being the admirable rendering of Brahms ' * 'Scheizo" and Lislz ' s "Rhapsodic" ( No . 13 ) by Mr . Reginald Reynolds , sundry peiloimances on the mandoline by Mr . Arthur Cyril , with pianoforte accompaniment by

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Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

OWING TO THE demand on our space occasioned by the Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , the following reports , amongst others , unavoidably stand over : Consecration of the Christ ' s Hospital Lodge ; Lome Lodge , No . 1347 ; St . John's Lodge , No . 1343 ( Annual Ball ); Herga Lodge , No . 2548 ; and Gatwick Lodge , No . 2502 . ON THURSDAY NIGHT the Lord Mayor's Fund for the sufferers by the famine in India amounted to £ 360000 .

, BRO . COL . T . DAVIES SEWELL has given a prize of £ 3 3 s ., to be awarded at the Fan Exhibition to be held in May .

BRO . MAJOR CLIFFORD PROBYN , L . C . C , announces his intention to become a candidate next year for the office of Grand Treasurer . Ul'ON THEIR return home from the Riviera , Bro . F . J . llorniman , M . P ., and Mrs . Hormman paid a visit to Falmouth , where they were accorded a hearty welcome . THE WILL of Bro . James Salmon , C . C , who died on January ist , was proved on the 13 th instant by the widow and executrix , the value of the personal estate being -t'

49-3-WE REGRET to hear that Bro . Major C W . Carrell , _ P . G . S . B ., has met with a severe accident to his kneecap , which has prevented him , during the past month , leaving his house . H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES has become a subscriber of 100 guineas a year to his Royal Highness ' s " Hospital Fund for London to Commemorate the 60 th Year of the Queen ' s Reign . "

H . R . H . the PRINCE OF WALES has appointed Bro . Major-General Fletcher Owen , R . A ., as District Grand Master ot Mark Masons of Malta , in place of Bro . Rear Admiral Albert Hastings Markham , resigned . SALE OF THE LATE BRO . G . SHAW ' LIBRARY . —The two days' sale by Messrs . Sotheby , Wilkinson , and Hodge , of the library of the late Bro . George Shaw , C . C , concluded on Saturday last , the amount realised being nearly £ 900 .

THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Newsvendors' Benevolent and Provident Institution will be held at the Memorial Hall , Farringdon-street , on Tuesday , the 9 th prox ., at seven o ' clock precisely , the Right Hon . Lord Glenesk in the chair .

MR . EDWARD WHITE , the son of Bro . Samuel White , of Ridgemount-gardens , W . C , was married on Saturday last , at the Church of St . Michael , Paternoster Royal , to Miss Beatiice Lily Harvest , the daughter of the late Mr . Daniel R . Harvest . BRO . SIR J . BLUNDELL MAPLE , M . P ., has promised to rebuild and extend to three times its present size North London , or as it is better known University College Hospital , in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee . The cost will amount io £ 100 , 000 .

H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES ' HOSPITAL FUND . —The head ofiices of this fund are removed from the Bank of England to the surveyors' offices of the Grocers ' Company , which have been placed at the disposal of the Hon . Secretaries to the fund . THE COMMITTEE of the Clock and Watchmakers' Asylum announce that a festival dinner will be held at the Hotel Cecil in May . Sir Albert K . Rolitt , M . P ., will preside . The object is to build and endow an additional almshouse to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee .

AT THE general meeting of the Crystal Palace Company , on Thursday , the iSth instant , Mr . George Rait in the chair , thc report for last year was presented , it stating that the gross receipts were £ 121 , 575 , and the gross expenditure was £ 110 , 701 , leaving a balance of ^ 10 , 874 as the net revenue . The report was adopted , and the . directors ' recommendation that £ 5500 should be carried forward was approved .

Ir IS PROPOSED to erect a Masonic hall in Belfast , for which purpose Alderman McConnell has promised a very suitable site in Crumlin-road , free of ground rent , providing the hall is opened free of debt . The total cost will be £ 1000 , of which about half has been subscribed . Bros , the Most Hon . Marquis of Hertford , P . G . M ., and Thomas Valentine , J . P ., P . D . G . M ., are the patrons , and Bro . Andrews , P . P . G . S . B ., Secretary .

THE DECORATION OF ST . PAUL ' S CATHEDRAL . —The next work to be undertaken is the decoration of the four quarter-domes , which are to be treated by means of the new fresco work , from designs by Mr . W . B . Richmond , R . A . Four of the m ist important of the City companies—the Goldsmiths ' , the Merchant Taylors ' , the Mercers ' , and the Grocers '—have come to the assistance of the Dean and Chapter , and undertaken to defray the entire cost of the decoration of these quarter-domes .

THE DIAMOND J UBILEE SERVICE AT ST . PAUL ' S . —The service at St . Paul's Cathedral to celebrate the Diamond J ubilee of her Majesty will be held on Tuesday , June 22 nd . Owing to the fact that the Queen does not desire to undergo the fatigue of leaving her carriage and ascending the steps leading to the cathedral , the service will be held on the western steps , the royal carriage being drawn up in the open space before the west front .

IT is A NOTORIOUS FACT that the presiding magistrates at London police courts are most independent men , and their gratuitous sound advice has great weight with the public . When it is known that no less than four of these gentlemen have given their unqualified approval of the new " Safe Purse , " no astonishment will be expressed at the enormous success of this most convenient little novelty , which the inventor , the Hon . Mrs . Pery , of County Galway , Ireland , has brought within reach of everyone who carries a purse . It takes only three or four seconds to place the purse safely and securely on the hand ,

where it remains ready for frequent use during the morning ' s shopping or thc busy day in town , where every moment is of value . With the " Sale Purse " there is no time lost in the usual scramble for the pocket and the anxious moments lest the precious money bag should be lost . Life altogether is made easier and happier for those who wear this truly useful little novelty . COSBURN ' S ILLUSTRATED DIRECTORY , —An advertisement in another page announces the publication of the 24 th annual edition of this useful Directory for upwards

of 100 places in South and North Berks , North Hants , & c . The book , which continues to increase in bulk , extending this year to 522 pages , is profusely illustrated with admirably printed photo views of churches , castles , mansions , and public buildings , this year ' s additions including Aldermaston Court , the stately residence of Mr . Keyser , and the new Crown Post Office at Newbury . The frontispiece consists of a full-length portrait , in hunting costume , of Mr . Dunn , of Wallingtons , the popular Master of the Craven Hounds , of whom a biographical sketch is given . The entire work has been

well and creditably produced , and many of the pages arc really good specimens of artistic printing . The contents , exceedingly comprehensive , are carefully indexed , and include a 32-page almanac , list of fairs in Berks , Hants , and Oxon , besides a vast quantity of other useful information , both local and general . The publisher is to be congratulated on the satisfactory result of his enterprise in producing suc ' i an excellent work of reference , at what is really a nominal price . The illustrations alone are worth more than the cost of the book . —From the Reading Mercury , Netvbury Herald , and Berks County Paper , February 20 th , 1807 .

RUNNING ' S CRICKET CLUB . —The second annual Bohemian concert of the above club took place on Wednesday , the 17 th inst ., at the Horse Shoe Hotel , Tottenham Court-road , Bro . William Baker in the chair . The evening was an unqualified success , and the splendid programme put on by the Committee resulted in a crowded hou *> e . Of the humorous " turns , ' * Mr . Harry Hudson was in great form with his funny sketches , as also was Mr . Will Edwards . Mr . Alfred Moore met with a great reception , a welcome turn coming from Mr . Will Porter , the black prima donna , his impersonation

meeting with marked approval . _ Good contributions came from Mr . Wal Briscoe and Mr . Lester Reekie , whose { initiations of actors was highly appreciated , Mr . Albert Lester , Victor Liston , and Allan Malvern . Messrs . Chas . Minter and Chas . Game delighted the audience with theit rendering of duet " Love and War . " Mr . Archibald Holder gave a fine rendering Ai " Hybrias the Cretan . " Mr . Sidney Maas gave " Jack ' s

the Boy , " and two old favourites came from Mr . J . H . Murphy . Oboe solos by Mr . F . Mandeville , rendered with effect , and Mr . W . Brook ' s recitation , the " Man Hunt" ( G . R . Sims ) , followed by Mr . W . Evans , "The Bewitched Breeches , " were welcome additions . Mr . Lacock , as accompanist , was magnificent , and mainly contributed to the success . A hearty vote of thanks to the Chairman with musical honours closed a late night .