Analysis Of The Returns.

Stewards , gave £ 63 . Last year the Province subscribed in all £ 981 13 s ., of which this Institution secured £ 157 ios , the Girls' School £ 33933-, and the Boys ' School £ 485 2 S . In 18 95 the amount , including a Life Presentation to the Boys ' School costing £ 525 , reached £ 1155 , and in 1894 it stood at £ 637 16 s . 31 . In 1893 the still smaller total of £ 530 7 s . Od . was raised , but in 1 S 92 , when this Institution celebrated its Jubilee , the Province raised £ 2410 4 s ., of which £ 2186 was in respect of that anniversary .

WILTSHIRE , with its modest array of 11 lodges , is one of those Provinces which , as a rule , assists each of our Institutions in turn . Thus in 1 S 92 , it concentrated its efforts on the Benevolent Jubilee , for which it raised £ 483 14 s . The year following it gave the Girls' School £ 185 17 s ., and the Boys' School £ 110 5 s . In 18 94 this

Institution and the Boys'School were benefited , the former , with £ 175 14 s . Od ., and the latter with £ 126 4 s . In 1895 £ 279 6 s . was contributed to the Bojs ' School , while in 1896 , the Girls' School received £ 210 . On Wednesday , Bro . Alfred Plummer , as the representative of the Province , handed in a list tf £ 205 .

V / e cannot call to mind a single Festival at which WORCESTERSHIRE has acquitted itself so well as it did on Wednesday . We omit , of course , those celebrations to which special importance was attached , but seeing that it comprises only 13 lodges , we are gratified beyond measure at finding the total contributed on this occasion amounted to £ 493 ios . Of this the Province as a whole raised , per Bro . Abraham Green , £ 330 15 s ., and Bro . T . R . Arter , of the Masefield

Lodge , No . 2034 , Moseley , £ 84 , the balance being obtained by the representatives of Royds Lodge , No . 1204 , Malvern , the Lechmere Volunteer Lodge , No . 1 S 74 , Balsall Heath , and the Godson Lodge , No . 2385 , Oldbury . Last year the Province raised the sum of £ 653 2 s ., this Institution receiving £ 21 , the Girls' School £ 189 , and the Boys' School £ 443 2 s . In 18 95 the sum of £ 358 was raised ; in 18 94 £ 193 os . 6 d . j and in 18 93 £ 308 3 s ., while in 1892 the subscriptions amounted to £ 498 Ss .

As regards the Province of YORKSHIRE , WEST , the efforts put forth by it at each successive Festival , be it for the Old People , the Girls' School , or the Boys' School , are so well-known to , and so highly appreciated by our readers , that it will be enough , perhaps , if we say that on Wednesday 10 of its 78 lodges were represented , and that the 22 brethren who represented them together with Bro . F . Cleeves , Unattached , compiled a total of

£ 500 . Last year , the amounts subscribed to the three Charities totalled up to £ 2107 I 0 S -. ° f which this Institution received £ 700 , the Girls' School , £ 6 35 15 s ., and the Boys' School , £ 771 15 s . In 1895 , the total was £ 1716 8 s ., and in 1894 , when Bro . W . L . Jackson , M . P ., Prov . G . Master , was Chairman at the Boys ' School Festival £ 66 97 5 s ., of which £ 4559 15 s . was in behalf of that Institution . We do not need to go further into the particularsj > f what West Yorkshire does year by year for our Charities .

One of the 20 lodges in NORTH WALES was represented at Wednesday ' s gathering , and there were two Unattached Stewards , of whom the veteran , Bro , C . K . Benson , was one . The total raised by them was £ 31 ios . Last year , the Province took part in all three Festivalssubscribing £ 45 3 s . to this Institution , £ 84 to the Girls School , and

, £ 178 12 s . 6 d . to the Boys' School , making a total of £ 307 15 s . Od . In 1 895 there was distributed £ 302 8 s ., the Old People being benefited to the extent of £ 57 15 s ., the Girls' School with an equal amount , and the Boys' School with £ 186 18 s . In 1894 , £ 4 °° ' 7 * 6 d . was raised , and in 1893 , £ 474 18 s ., while in 1892—the year of the Benevolent Jubilee—it reached £ 495 12 s ., or not far short of £ 500 .

GUERNSEY AND ALDERNEY is a small Province , with only five lodges on its roll , and at the same time , it is situated at such a distance that one hardly expects it to be represented on these occasions . Yet , on Wednesday , Bro . Thos . Pengelley , representing the Province , compiled a total of £ 115 ios ., which , with the personal donation of the Prov . G . Master—R . W . Bro . J . Balfour Cockburn—gave a total of £ 126 . This is a most satisfactory return . In 1892 the Province raised £ 240 for the Benevolent Jubilee , and £ 57 10 s . for the Girls' School .

FOREIGN STATIONS . There were five Stewards ranged under this head , from Madras , Malta , Melbourne , Cyprus , and Japan respectively , the sum total of three of their lists being £ 31 ios . We should gladly have seen double the number and so doubtless would Bro . Terry , who , however , is delighted to have enlisted the support of these brethren .

CONCLUDING REMARKS . It only remains for us to add that while we have striven to analyse the returns exhaustively , we have done our utmott to avoid saying anything that was calculated to give offence . In this we sincerely trust we have succeeded .

Ladies' Night Of The Scots Lodge, No. 2319.

LADIES' NIGHT OF THE SCOTS LODGE , No . 2319 .

The annual Ladies' Night of the Scots Lodge , No . 2319 , the entertainment of which consists of a grand banquet , a charming concert , and a thoroughly enjoyable ball , was given on the 12 th inst ., at that most commodious place , the Hotel Cecil . To the great disappointment of the party , the W . M . of the lodge ,

Bro . James Thomson , who had used all his efforts to make the gathering a success , was absent through severe domestic affliction , having only three days previously lost his eldest son , a promising youth of close on 19 years of age . The greatest sympathy was expressed for him and Mrs . Thomson in their bereavement .

A brilliant company of over 270 ladies and gentlemen were present , whose comforts were unwearingly looked after by the following brethren : Bros . D . F . Gellion , P . M . ; Thomas Grant , P . M . ; and J . J . Whitehead , I . P . M ., Masters of the Ceremonies ; and the following Stewards : Bros . Dr . D . M . Forbes , P . M ., S . W . ; D . Robertson Duncan , S . W . ; the Ven .-Archdeacon Sinclair , P . G . C , Chap . ; Alexander Ritchie , J . P ., C . C , Treas . ; David Angus Ross , M . B . A .

Sec ; E . Johnston Gordon , P . M ., P . Z ., S . D . ; William Craig , J . D . ; James Anderson , LG . ; John Page , P . M ., P . X ., D . C ; Thomas Sandilands , Senior Steward ; J . Duncan Balfour , John Bennett and Peter Black , Junior Stewards ; A . Davidson Arnott , M . D ., Dunelm , A . R . C . O , Org . ; John Whitehead , P . M ., P . D . G . M . Aberdeen City ; John Plenderleith , Auditor ; David Chatteris , and John Latter , Tyler . Bro . Sergt . Peter McLean , piper of the lodge , and eight smart boy pipers

Ladies' Night Of The Scots Lodge, No. 2319.

pupils of the Royal Caledonian Asylum , contributed greatly to the success of the evening by their pipe music . By kind permission of Colonel Barrington D . B . Campbell , the beautiful string band of the Scots' Guards , conducted by Bro . H . T . DunkeitoTi , played a selection of music at dinner , and afterwards performed the dance music at the ball . The London Scottish choir , consisting of a large number of ladies and gentlemen , with Miss Maggie Keay , Miss Kate Inskip , and Messrs . Watson , Rowan ,

and Cameron were the executants in the concert which was given after banquet . Bro . Dr . D . M . FORMES , acting as W . M ., in proposing " The Queen , " said : Ladiesand Gentleman , —Bywayof preface , I would expressmyregretthat the W . M ., Bro . James Thomson , is unable to preside this evening , and that I have been asked by the brethren to act as Chairman in his stead . The first toast that I have the honour to propose is that of her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen-Empress . Through the Stuart line she represents the oldest monarchy of the world . She is the oldest sovereign in the world ; she has reigned over this great empire longer

than any ruler has done before ; and we are met on this , the " St . Valentine Festival " of the Scots Lodge , to celebrate her record reign of 60 years . Her reign has been the most glorious , the most progressive , the most prosperous in the history of this empire . Personally she has been benign in her manners , beneficent in her actions , and benevolent in her Charity . " She is an aged princess , Many days has she seen ; And yet no day without a Deed to crown it .

Her crown is in her heart , Not decked with diamonds And Indian stones ; Nor to be seen . Her crown is called content , A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy . " She has the contentment of a Queen ruling over the hearts of a contented people . Long may she reign and rule over us —• " The Queen . "

Bro . Dr . D . M . FORBES said : The next toast is that of " The Most Worshipful Grand Master , H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , Princess of Wales , and all the Members of the Royal Family . " The Prince of Wales was elected Grand Master in 18 74 , and since then Freemasonry has extended and flourished in England by leaps and bounds . He exhibits the distinguishing characteristics of a Freemason by the appeal he has issued for the shillings of the charitable to relieve the debt of the London hospitals as a record of his mother ' s long reign . May he live longer than I have time to tell , his years ever beloved , and loving may his rule be .

Bro . ALEX * . RITCHIE , C . C , J . P ., Treasurer of the lodge , proposed "The Ladies , " and said he should be very brief , as he knew the ladies wanted to be in the ball-room . It would ill become him , however , as a member of the Scots Lodge , not to say how much the brethren felt the compliment the ladies had paid them in gracing the tables that night . To Freemasons it was a Godsend for the ladies to come amongst them . The brethren were out so often at their lodges and

elsewhere —( laughter)—more especially Masonic engagements , and most especially Scotch Masonic engagements , that when they could hive the company of the ladies they appreciated it the more . He hoped and trusted the ladies who , unfortunately , were not Masons , had enjoyed the haggis ; and although , at the lodge meeting , the brethren went a little further than sheep ' s head and trotters , they asked the ladies on other occasions to come among them . Their admiration of the ladies was well expressed by Burns , when he said of nature :

" Her 'prentice hand she tried on man , And then she made the lasses , o . " He would say this of the ladies in the presence of the Venerable Archdeacon of London , Chaplain of the Scots Lodge , that the womin was not taken from the head that she might prove the master , nor from the foot , that she might be trodden underfoot ; but she was taken from the rib , near the heart and the arm , that she ' might be loved and shielded by her lord and master . The feelings the brethren

had as Freemasons were such that they loved the ladies , and they ought to love them whether they were wives , sweethearts , or sisters . Quoting Burns again , he would say" A man may drink and nae be drunk , A man may fight and nae be slain , A man may kiss a bonnie lass , And yet be welcomed back again . "

Bro . PERCV G . MALLORV responded , and said the ladies did enjoy themselves very much , and they were going to enjoy themselves further in the ball-room ; and they would go away pleased with the banquet , and the concert , and the bill , and say they had had a most pleasant evening . Bro . Archdeacon SINCLAIR , P . G . C , proposed "The Chairman , Dr . W . M . Forbes . " He said he was sorry , as all the company were , that the W . M . was not present , but it always happened in Masonic lodges there was a long list of Past

Masters ready to take the place of an absent W . M ., step down from the frames of the pictures , willing to perform the duties . They must all express their very deepest sympathy with the W . M ., who would have been present in ' the chair but for a very sad occurrence in his family . The greatest calamity that could befal the land of Egypt in the days of its sorrow was the death of the eldest son of a family , and the members of the Scots Lodge would now desire to send a very hearty message of sympathy with the W . M . in the very sad affliction that had

happened to him . No onc could have looked forward with greater zeal to that evening than Bro . James Thomson ; he did not know any Mason more keen or zealous in the lodge . Many were the schemes he entered into for the success of the reception , and they all regretted he was not present . His place was , however , filled by Dr . Forbes , than whom there was not a more enthusiastic Scotchmin in London . Dr . Forbes came from Caithness , the same county as his ( Archdeacon Sinclair ' s ) . Dr . Forbes had exercised for 25 years his gentle craft in London , and

was esteemed by all men ; there had bsen no more zealous or patriotic supporter of the Scottish Charities . Dr . Forbes told him that he had seen those Charities , since he had been in London , rise to an enormous degree . When first he came to London they were content with a collection on St . Andrew ' s Day with a few hundreds ; now it was some thousands . The brethren rejoiced to see Dr . Forbes in the chair and in such good form . They thanked him for the spirit and enthusiasm he had infused into the present gathering , and cordially wished him many years of usefulness and activity among the Scotch Fraternity in London .

Bro . Dr . D . M . FORBES , in response , said , in the name of the W . M ., Bro . James Thomson , he returned thanks to the Honorary Chaplain for the toast . Every word the Archdeacon had spoken was truth . No one had taken such an interest in the present gathering as Bio . James Thomson , and they were all extremely sorry to find he was not presiding over them . He ( Dr . Forbes ) would make it his business to tell him the next morning how deeply they thought of him ,

how they condoled with him , and he hoped he would receive their heartfelt consolation in the spirit in which it was given . As for himself ( Dr . Forbes ) , he hid done , as every Scotchman did , his duty when called upon , and as he hoped by the blessing of Providence to succeed the present W . M . in the chiir by rotation , he might have the privilege of holding a St . Valentine ' s Day next year as that night , and that the beautiful ladies who were then present would form part of the

company . This closed the banquet and concert , and shortly afterwards the ball proceeded , and was kept up with unlligging energy until past five o ' clock in thej moining .