Masonic Festivities.

opening the lodge , which was performed by the Prov . G . M ., who chose for his assistants as Wardens , the W . M . ' s of Jedburgh Lodge ( No . 104 ) , and Hawick-Lodge No . Ill ) , and the various insignia of the Craft were then committed to the office-bearers and others by Bro . W . M . Bryce , Grand Tyler , who also assigned to the several deputations from the provinces their respective places

in the procession . Deputations were present from the following lodges : —Dnnse ( No . 23 ) , Selkirk ( No . 32 ) , Hawick ( No . Ill ) , Lander ( No . 132 ) , Biggar ( No . 167 ) , Stow ( No . 216 ) , Galashiels ( No . 262 ) , Berwick ( No . 393 ) , and Hawick ( No . 424 ) . As was the custom on St . John ' s Day in bygone years , the rejoicing bells sent forth their merry peals ; and as their sounds were

quite strange to the ears of many of this generation , questions as to the canse thereof were anxiously put , and the reason was at once assigned as the day being "the centenary of the Jethart Freemasons . " The procession was marshalled about half-past one o ' clock , at the lodge-room , Canongate , and , headed by the Jedforest Instrumental Band , marched from thence via Market-place , Castlegate , and Abbey-close , to the Abbey Church , where a short address "On the Temple of Solomon , " was given by Bro . the Rev . Mr . Waddell ;

after -which the processson passed through several other streets of the town , returning to the lodge-room about half-past two o ' clock . The dinner took place in the ball-room immediately thereafter , and was presided over by Bro . Iuglis , of Torsonce . On the removal of the cloth the following programme of toasts were gone through during the afternoon : — " The Queen

and Craft , " by the chairman , followed by the song , " Queen and the Craft , " by Bro . Scott ; "The Prince of Wales and . other members of the Royal Family , " proposed by the chairman ; "The Army , Navy , and "Volunteers , " which was responded to by Bro . Thomson , of the 1 st Selkirkshire R . Y . ; song , "Red Cross Banner , " by Bro . Hogg ; "The Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and

Scotland , " by Bro . Newlands . The toast of the evening then followed , proposed by Bro . Inglis , in a lengthy and animated speech , iu which he surveyed the time of our forefathers down to the present , as also the many places of interest with which the district is fraught , and which was as follows : " Prosperity to the Lodof St . John ' sJedburgh ( No 104 )"

ge , . . A reply to the toast was made by Bro . Blackie , W . M . No . 104 , in a somewhat earnest manner , showing the progress the lodge had attained during the past few months .

A selection of Scotch airs was given on the cornefca-pisfcon , by Bro . T . Armstrong . "Freemasonry all over the World , " followed , which was proposed by Bro . Stewart , of Nateby Hall , Prov . G . M . for Dumfriesshire , in which he recited with great feeling his travels , and the benefits received by him at the hands of Icelanders , and also of Boers , who were

Freemasons—among the latter of whom he found their ancient Order existing at no less a distance than 400 miles from the South African coast , where he was petted and cared for for some considerable time without any gratuity being accepted of him , which took place in February of last year . Song— "The Minstrel Boy" bBroJScott

, y . . . "The Grand Lodges of Peebles and Selkirkshires , ' was proposed by Bro . Blackie , and was heartily responded to , when a song was given by Bro . A . Scott— " Scotland for ever , "—who was encored , when he gave " Jemima Brown . "

The other toasts were " The Grand Lodgo of Dumfriesshire , " by Bro . Alexsnder Hay , of Edinburgh : " The Grand Lodge of Berwickshire , " by the chair , which was borne out by Bro . Crawford , of Dunse , Prov . G . S . for Berwickshire ; " The Lodges who have sent Deputations to the Festival , according to their Seniority on the Boll of the Grand Lodge , " by the chair , when each W . M ., in the name of the deputations , thanked them for the cor-

Masonic Festivities.

dial maimer iu which the toast was received ; "The Office-bearers of St . John ' s Lodge ; " The Ladies ; " and "Happy to Meet , Sorry to Part , and Happy to Meet Again , " and it is sufficient to add that each toast was received and responded to in true Masonic spirit . The number of gentlemen who formed the procession would be nearly 120 . In the evening a ball in

connection with tho above was held in the ball-room , which was tastefully decorated with evergreens by a few of the junior brethren , in a manner that did the highest credit to their ability as decorators . Dancing commenced about half-past nine o ' clock p . m ., and was kept up till a late hour in the morning , reflecting the highest credit on the patience of the Jedburgh ladies , of whom there were

about eighty present . The election of office bearers for the current year was made on the 28 th December ( instead of St . John ' s Day ) , on which day it has been the custom to make appointments to the various offices either by re-election or by the infusion of fresh blood . For some very considerable time past this lodge has been almost at a

standstill , but previous to the above demonstration and since that , upwards of thirty candidates have been almost unanimously ballotfced for and admitted as Apprentice Masons . It had been found necessary , seeing that there were so many aspirants for Masonic honours , to hold weekly meetings , as more are expected to join our ranks and lace

many p us on a level with , if not above , some of our neighbours in the provinces , by which means this lodge may be able to send deputations to other lodges on occasions of a similar nature . The number of brethren previous to December 27 th , 1866 , was only about

twenty-five , but now by judicious management on the part of Bro . Blackie , W . M ., since his instalment , is to be attributed iu a great measure , the success still attendant on the meetings of the lodge . The names of the office bearers are : —Bros . James Blackie , W . M . ; John Newlands , S . W . ; W . Johnstone , J . W . ; J . Harkness , S . D . ; Peter Spence , J . D . ; Robert

Simpson , Treas . ; W . Easton , Sec . ; W . Murray , D . M . ; J . Minto , B . B . ; W . Turnbull , S . B . ; R . Furness , J . D . G . ; and W . Aitkin , Tyler . The duties of instalment to office were performed by Bro . Wilson , P . M . St . John ' s Lodge , Hawick ( No . Ill ) , who performed the several duties in an efficient , masterly , and becoming manner , and with impression on those under

¦ his guidance . Initiations then followed on the first degree , since which date ( December 28 th ) it has been found heavy work to get even apprentices initiated ( which , however , was satisfactorily performed ) seeing so many arrangements were required to be made for the above demonstration , At this time the lodroom has been found too small for comfortabl

ge y accommodating the brethren , and exertions are beinomade in order to obtain a room either in the- Corn Exchange or County Buildings ; for holding meetings in a hotel has a decidedly bad effect in a town with a population not exceeding 4 , 000 , and in order to give ample opportunity to those wishing to join , but have kept back merelbecause its meetings are held in a

y public house . Iu a future number of your excellent magazine I . will , with your consent , let your readers know of our hoped-for success . The lectures on Freemasonry appearing in your columns will , no doubt , when read to our members , have a grand effect on the junior brethren of our lodge .

Obituary.

Obituary .

DEATH OF THE H . W . BRO . MICHAEL FURNELL , ESQ ., D . L ., LATE PltOYIXCIAL GllAXD SIASTlilt 01 ' KOMII MUJvSTER , S . G . I . G . OP THE S . G . C ., 33 ° IIUJLAND , & C . "We are indebted to the kindness of the editor of the