Colonial And Foreign.

front , gently sloping to the north and east , and insuring excellent drainage , is a broad expanse of rolling meadow , at the centre and back a fine plateau . Across the west side , extending nearly from front to back , lies Silver Spring Glen , its steep bides lined with forest trees of natural growth . Across the south-west corner , and emptying into the glen , is a deep ravine , and at its mouth a fine sulphur spring . On the west , south , and east , and covering

some twenty-five or thirty acres , is a strip of woodland embracing many varieties of large trees , and furnishing groves in great abundance . From the p ' alcau the landscape is one of great variety and surpassing loveliness . To the north-west lie the beautiful Dccrlield Hills , crowning- the picture with such fair scenes as to make it one fit for canvas or poesy—a landscape seldom excelled in variety and never in loveliness . Here the Home for aged and

indigent Masons and the widows and orphans of Masons rot otherwise provided for , will be located . Utica will welcome it with opens arms , and guarantee to it an honoured place among her many charitable institutions . It is destined to become one of the greatest institutions of this character in the State . Supported by the proceeds arising from the rental of the Masonic Temple in New York , and by the contributions of the 717 Lodges scattered

throughout the State , administered with the bounty and liberality that has ever characterised Masons in deeds of charity , yet , with a care and uprightness that shall place it above suspicion or reproach , it will shed its beneficent influence in every community , setting an example of brotherly love that may wisely be patterned by men of all creeds , and standing as a monument to prove to future generations that the principles of Faith , Hope , and Charity have not been taught in vain . The Utican Masons have alone subscribed 4 , 750 dols . towards the purchase .

The Grand Lodge of Maryland has presented Bro . Captain Mmrell , of the Missouri , with a gold medal for rescuing the crew and passengers of the Danmark . * - * * The foundation-stone of the new Eden Masonic Hall , Wilmington , North America , was laid with ceremony the latter end of May . The hall is a massive

structure five stories in height , from the designs of Bro . E . Rice , jun . The Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chipter of Freemasons of England have cancelled the charters of nine Lodges in New South Wales which entered the United Grand Lodge recently established in Sydney under Lord Carrington as first Grand Master .

Chief Justice Way was re-elected Grand Master of the South Australian Grand Lodge at the Annual Communication , and , upon the retirement from the candidature of Bro . P . Sansom , Bro . II . E . Downer , M . P ., was returned without opposition D . G . M . The other positions , chiefly without elections , were filled as follows : —Bros . F . H . Wigg , J . P ., S . G . W . ; J . G . Jenkins , M . P .,

J . G . W . ; Rev . Canon Poole , M . A ., G . Chaplain ; S . Solomon , M . P ., President of Board of General Purposes ; F . W . Bullock , J . P ., G . Treasurer ; W . B . Webb , G . Register ; F . Olifent , G . Inspector of Lodges ; J . E . Thomas , G . Lecturer ; Harry Turner , J . P ., S . G . D . ; F . J . Harris , S . G . D . ; T . De Cean , J . G . D . ; A . Kemp , J . GD . ; J . T . McLean , G . S . W . ; G . C . Knight , G . D . C . ; M . Y . Adams , D . G . D . C ; J . Le M . F . Roberts , Assistant G . D . C . ; J . W . Peterswald , J . P ., G . Sword-Bearer ; H . Hamps > n , G . Standard-Bearer ; Dr . London , G . Standard-Bearer ; J . Shakespeare , G . O . ; T . Day , A . G . Sec ; Andrew . Simpson , G . Purs . ; D . II . H . Weir , A . G . Purs .

One of the most brilliant Masonic gatherings ever witnessed in Melbourne took place in the Masonic Hall , Collins-street , at the dedication of the "Davies" Lodge , the first established under the Victorian constitution , of which the Hon . Sir W . J . Clarke is the M . W . G . M . The new Lodge is named after its first Worshipful Master , the Hon . M . H . Davies , the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly . The ceremony connected with the installation of the

hon . gentleman was witnessed by 120 installed Masters , including the Grand Master and all the Grand Lodge officers . The oration was delivered by the Grand Chaplain , the Rev . W . W . Mantell , and the ceremony of installing the W . M . of the new Lodge was excellently carried out by Bro . B . iker , D . G . M ., assisted bv Bros . A . Aitken , G . G . W ., and W . B . Edwards , G . D . C .

The brethren of the Anglo-American Lodge are about to present a testimonial to Consul-General Waller 011 his retirement from the office of Consul-General in this country for the United States In the circular issued to the members of the Lodge , Bro . Waller is referred to as having efficiently fulfilled his Consular

duties to the entire satisfaction of every one who has come in contact with him during his four years of official duty . The Anglo-American Lodge lose a genial and eloquent brother , whose graceful and amiable society endeared him to all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance .

Drifting.

DRIFTING .

A VERY excellent article—more excellent it would have been from the pen of " Atlas " himself—was published some weeks since in the columns of the World , and spoke somewhat sympathetically of the drifting propensity of human nature . " A man who , " said the writer , " began life with exalted hopes as an art-student ,

who fondly believed himself of the glorious company of Michael Angelo and Raffaelle , who saw in the dim yet dazzling future , the mystic letters R . A—ay , and even the P . R . A . —following his worldrenowned name , ends in that vast sanctuary of the undecided , the Stock Exchange . He hardly knows how he came to be speculating

in Berthas or burning his fingers with Tintos . He never thought , what time the spirits who haunted his slumbers were Titian and Velasquez , that he should ever lie awake o' nights thinking of settling-day and contango . He only knows that to this conclusion lie has come at last by mere drifting . " Yes ! this is true , but the action of this universal " drifting " is a double one . The harum-scarum school-lad , pulled up sharp

from the discipline of his tutors , drifts into one of the many walks of life without any guidance from the rudder of discretion . At least , it is more often so . The parental influence is secondary to the childish whim , and so the untutored mind drifts into the ranks of law when the church should have claimed him for its lawful subject . Then comes the reckoning . Little by little the

light of truth draws upon the mind which is not steadfa ? t enough to its purpose to close its shutters against it . The germ of discontent is sown upon the soil which ripens it too quickly , and the unsuccessful lawyer drifts , wave by wave , into some other channel , whose current bears him from the place which

knew him first . If he can enter the lock and pass thus through to the lower reaches of the stream he is safe , but the weir is wider than the lock by far , and the current runs towards it . Once within its luring eddy all is lost—lost for the want of a little discretion and steadfastness of purpose .

From every purpose and institution of life men drift , from Masonry as from other things . There are instances—and we know of several—where candidates have been initiated into the ranks of our Order , drifting into their initiation without aim or reason , and who have never qualified themselves beyond it for the rank of a Master Mason . They have drifted out of it in the same manner as

they drifted in—with the current . But these instances are few . The drifting nature of the Mason ripens upon his passing the chair of his Lodge . This dignity reached , he steps down into the ranks of the Past Masters , vegetates in the sunshine of his Lodge during the mastership of his immediate successor , when , metaphorically ,

he is " potted" for some vacant shelf in the greenhouse of the Craft , until , by successive " slippings , " time and circumstances change him altogether . He has merely drifted .

" Grasmere."

" GRASMERE . "

CLOUDS , lingering yet , extend in solid bars Through the gray west ; and lo ! these waters , steeled By breezeless air to smoothest polish , yield A vivid repetition of the stars ; Jove , Venus , and the ruddy crest of Mars , Amid his fellows beauteously revealed

At happy distance from Earth's groaning field , Where ruthless mortals wage incessant wars . Is it a mirror ? or the nether sphere Opening to view the abyss in which she feeds Her own calm fires ? But , list ! a voice is near ; Great Pan himself , low whispering through the reeds , " Be thankful , thou , for , if unholy deeds Ravage the world , tranquility is here " ! Wordsworth .

The Rev . James Anderson , P . P . G . Chap , of the Province of Cumberland and Westmoreland , has been appointed Vicar of Holy Trinity Church , Whitehaven , as successor to the late Canon Dalton , who held the position for upwards of fifty-six years .