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Article Untitled Page 1 of 1 Article MASONS WHOM WE HAVE MET. No. II. Page 1 of 2 Article MASONS WHOM WE HAVE MET. No. II. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ar00902
l ^' . ' . V . VAMAVJ ffg [ 5 555 gCTTOg 9 CTW a ^^^^^^^ p
Masons Whom We Have Met. No. Ii.
MASONS WHOM WE HAVE MET . No . II .
MRS . MALAPROP , who figures so prominently in the famous play of " The Rivals , " is never tired of reminding us that " comparisons are odorous ; " and , acting
upou the hint , it will be our endeavour , in the series of sketches now in hand , to avoid anything that may be construed into invidious contrast or personal prejudice . Yet , there cannot fail to be marked distinctions of character and
demeanour which force themselves most strongly upon the attention of those who make a study of human nature , and which may be descanted upon without giving offence or causing any irritation , even to the most fastidious sense .
Thus , in drawing contrasts between various characters which constantly come across our path in the Masonic sphere , we may probably be enabled to deduce some lessons for serious and beneficial contemplation , and inspire some
reflections which may lead up to a higher idea of the teachings and responsibilities of the Craft to which so many good men and true esteem it an honour to be attached . We are urged nothing to extenuate , nor aught set down in
malice , and this is the silver thread we desire should permeate through all our musings upon the subject embodied in the title of this series . If we would err on any side , it would be on that of the truest charity , which tells
us" Be to our faults a little blind , And to onr virtues ever kind . " It will not be difficult for any of our readers who are acquainted with the more prominent members of the Craft to
discern , without too near a delineation of ours , the mon who g ive us food for the descriptions contained in these fugitive notes . And first and foremost at the moment there rises before us the face and fio-ure of one who stands
like a Saul , head and shoulders above his fellows , on the Masonic platform , whom years of toil and well spent energy have but added to the strength of his robust vigour in the cause he has upheld so valiantly ever since he joined
its ranks many years ago . Our earliest recollection of this " tower of strength " to Freemasonry was when , as an invited guest , we saw his manly form and listened to his eloquent pleadings in behalf of one of our Charitable
Institutions , in a provincial centre . We recollect how intently the brethren who crowded to that banquet hung upon the impassioned accents of the Visitor of the evening , as he dilated with warmth and genuine enthusiasm -upon
the beneficent aims of the Craft and the splendid results it had achieved in the cause of Charity . In our then young Masonic days , when the pulse beat high with ambitious desire to learn more of the depth and sublimity of Masonic
life , we slared with all the rest of that festive throng the admiration which his fervid utterances and manl y sympathy evoked . To us , as to others , our " Metropolitan friend and brother " was unquestionably the lion of the hour , and
as such was lifted , unconsciously to himself , to a pinnacle almost of adoration . Why was it ? Because in every word and gesture was made apparent the depth of honest conviction in the objects which he espoused , of sympathy
with the friendless and the orphan , and hel p for the indigent , the aged , and tbe afflicted . If these lines should meet the eye of the brother to whom we thus refer , they may convey to him some satisfaction , if indeed it is needed
that the words of counsel , of encouragement , and of emulation which fell so glibly from his tongue so many years ago , have not been spoken in vain , for , like the '' bread upon the waters , " that is " seen after many clays , "
they proved the source from which has sprung a well of Masonic activity in the particular county where first we met this great Apostle of the Craft . Years have rolled on
apace , and although old Time has silvered the locks and furrowed the brow of one who has stood so gallantly by the colours under which so large a span of his life has been employed , yet the patriotic fire has not dimmed , nov
Masons Whom We Have Met. No. Ii.
has the fervency and zeal one whit abated . In the personage whose image is now conjured up before us we see a youth and spontaneity of enthusiasm which , though softened by experience , is still as healthy and as hale as it
was in earlier days . Herein we see the sterling ring of the man who , for no mere sake of self-aggrandisement , but for tho common weal , has spent himself , and is willing to be spent , upon the lofty object which he has espoused , and
who , though heedless of the adulation which such a course of action must necessarily evoke , still pursues the even tenour of his way , shedding light and comfort all around him , like a fixed star in
the firmament of the Craft . The picture engraven so indelibly upon our memory , when he stood , the " observed of all observers , " at that Provincial banquet , and proclaimed so boldly and so eloquently the
priceless beauties of Freemasonry , is by no means au isolated one . With our experience has grown a closet observation of , and a more intimate acquaintance with , the sturdy efforts of this doughty champion of our Order , and
the more we see the more our admiration deepens . Bo there a cause for his presence , or a necessity for his special p leading , in any nook or corner of the realm , there he is to be found , with ready voice and firm hand ,
doing good suit and service to the grand and glorious object of his career . Distance is no object , or privation no hardship , so that he can lend a hand to brethren who require his stimulating aid . " Once more into the breach ,
clear rriends , is the motto which seems to be inscribed on his escutcheon , and wherever he raises the banner of Brotherly Love , Relief , and Truth , there rally round him true and trusty followers who only need the inspiration of a leader to incite them to deeds that must
" Leave their footprints on the sands of Time . " Let there be a Charitable Festival , a prize distribution , or the raising of a more lasting and potential adjunct to the Institutions of the Craft , there we discern the guiding intellect and the master hand that lifts the scheme to a
glorious accomplishment . Not disdaining the petty details of his Craftsmanship , but turning every stone which can in any possible shape or form lead to the advancement of the structure , his giant-mind grapples with the more ponderous
constructive work , and directs the energies of his " expert workmen . " The good which he has wrought , and the solidity which his efforts have given to the permanent Institutions of our Order are matters which we need not
here directly indicate , but will live in memory long after their author has been " gathered to his kindred dust . " May that clay be yet far distant , so that he who has
conceived so many grand designs for the welfare of mankind may see the keystone placed upon the superstructure amidst the " well done" of all who know the ori (? in and
maturing of a work so disinterested and so cosmopolitan Then of him may be written" Only the actions of tho jnst Smell sweet , and blossom in the dust . "
Better than any jewel or decoration given by appreciative friends will be the memory of such an one who , though coveting no adulation , or assuming no self-glorious attitude , has reaped the harvest of a well-spent life , and left
a name behind of a true man and Mason , and a benefactor of his race . Time enough , however , we trust , for such reflections , for in the mind of him who has accomplished so much there is still in course of development schemes of
potent interest to Freemasonry , and to the completion of which the Craft are looking with complacent solicitude . Bland , affable , and courteous towards all with whom he is brought into contact , no matter on whatever rung of
the Masonic ladder they may stand , his ear is ever open to the voice of supplication , and his hand ever outstretched for the alleviation of pain and sorrow . At the festivities to which he is so frequently invited , and which it is in his
province to attend , his cheery visuge and radiant versatility lend a charm to the assembly , whilst his read y wit will often " set the table in a roar . " And when in response to
wishes kindly expressed towards the Charities , his sonorous tones n G uplifted , there beams a geniality upon his benign features which adds a zest to the emanations of his mind .
Here wo have a type of a Mason whom many may emulate , hut whose eminence few can hope to reach , and in bidding adieu to our illustrious brother , we are sure our readers
will agree that in thus speaking of him we are onl y exemplif y ing the axiom , "Palmam qui meruit ferat . " Turn we now to a different and less agreeable the mo ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ar00902
l ^' . ' . V . VAMAVJ ffg [ 5 555 gCTTOg 9 CTW a ^^^^^^^ p
Masons Whom We Have Met. No. Ii.
MASONS WHOM WE HAVE MET . No . II .
MRS . MALAPROP , who figures so prominently in the famous play of " The Rivals , " is never tired of reminding us that " comparisons are odorous ; " and , acting
upou the hint , it will be our endeavour , in the series of sketches now in hand , to avoid anything that may be construed into invidious contrast or personal prejudice . Yet , there cannot fail to be marked distinctions of character and
demeanour which force themselves most strongly upon the attention of those who make a study of human nature , and which may be descanted upon without giving offence or causing any irritation , even to the most fastidious sense .
Thus , in drawing contrasts between various characters which constantly come across our path in the Masonic sphere , we may probably be enabled to deduce some lessons for serious and beneficial contemplation , and inspire some
reflections which may lead up to a higher idea of the teachings and responsibilities of the Craft to which so many good men and true esteem it an honour to be attached . We are urged nothing to extenuate , nor aught set down in
malice , and this is the silver thread we desire should permeate through all our musings upon the subject embodied in the title of this series . If we would err on any side , it would be on that of the truest charity , which tells
us" Be to our faults a little blind , And to onr virtues ever kind . " It will not be difficult for any of our readers who are acquainted with the more prominent members of the Craft to
discern , without too near a delineation of ours , the mon who g ive us food for the descriptions contained in these fugitive notes . And first and foremost at the moment there rises before us the face and fio-ure of one who stands
like a Saul , head and shoulders above his fellows , on the Masonic platform , whom years of toil and well spent energy have but added to the strength of his robust vigour in the cause he has upheld so valiantly ever since he joined
its ranks many years ago . Our earliest recollection of this " tower of strength " to Freemasonry was when , as an invited guest , we saw his manly form and listened to his eloquent pleadings in behalf of one of our Charitable
Institutions , in a provincial centre . We recollect how intently the brethren who crowded to that banquet hung upon the impassioned accents of the Visitor of the evening , as he dilated with warmth and genuine enthusiasm -upon
the beneficent aims of the Craft and the splendid results it had achieved in the cause of Charity . In our then young Masonic days , when the pulse beat high with ambitious desire to learn more of the depth and sublimity of Masonic
life , we slared with all the rest of that festive throng the admiration which his fervid utterances and manl y sympathy evoked . To us , as to others , our " Metropolitan friend and brother " was unquestionably the lion of the hour , and
as such was lifted , unconsciously to himself , to a pinnacle almost of adoration . Why was it ? Because in every word and gesture was made apparent the depth of honest conviction in the objects which he espoused , of sympathy
with the friendless and the orphan , and hel p for the indigent , the aged , and tbe afflicted . If these lines should meet the eye of the brother to whom we thus refer , they may convey to him some satisfaction , if indeed it is needed
that the words of counsel , of encouragement , and of emulation which fell so glibly from his tongue so many years ago , have not been spoken in vain , for , like the '' bread upon the waters , " that is " seen after many clays , "
they proved the source from which has sprung a well of Masonic activity in the particular county where first we met this great Apostle of the Craft . Years have rolled on
apace , and although old Time has silvered the locks and furrowed the brow of one who has stood so gallantly by the colours under which so large a span of his life has been employed , yet the patriotic fire has not dimmed , nov
Masons Whom We Have Met. No. Ii.
has the fervency and zeal one whit abated . In the personage whose image is now conjured up before us we see a youth and spontaneity of enthusiasm which , though softened by experience , is still as healthy and as hale as it
was in earlier days . Herein we see the sterling ring of the man who , for no mere sake of self-aggrandisement , but for tho common weal , has spent himself , and is willing to be spent , upon the lofty object which he has espoused , and
who , though heedless of the adulation which such a course of action must necessarily evoke , still pursues the even tenour of his way , shedding light and comfort all around him , like a fixed star in
the firmament of the Craft . The picture engraven so indelibly upon our memory , when he stood , the " observed of all observers , " at that Provincial banquet , and proclaimed so boldly and so eloquently the
priceless beauties of Freemasonry , is by no means au isolated one . With our experience has grown a closet observation of , and a more intimate acquaintance with , the sturdy efforts of this doughty champion of our Order , and
the more we see the more our admiration deepens . Bo there a cause for his presence , or a necessity for his special p leading , in any nook or corner of the realm , there he is to be found , with ready voice and firm hand ,
doing good suit and service to the grand and glorious object of his career . Distance is no object , or privation no hardship , so that he can lend a hand to brethren who require his stimulating aid . " Once more into the breach ,
clear rriends , is the motto which seems to be inscribed on his escutcheon , and wherever he raises the banner of Brotherly Love , Relief , and Truth , there rally round him true and trusty followers who only need the inspiration of a leader to incite them to deeds that must
" Leave their footprints on the sands of Time . " Let there be a Charitable Festival , a prize distribution , or the raising of a more lasting and potential adjunct to the Institutions of the Craft , there we discern the guiding intellect and the master hand that lifts the scheme to a
glorious accomplishment . Not disdaining the petty details of his Craftsmanship , but turning every stone which can in any possible shape or form lead to the advancement of the structure , his giant-mind grapples with the more ponderous
constructive work , and directs the energies of his " expert workmen . " The good which he has wrought , and the solidity which his efforts have given to the permanent Institutions of our Order are matters which we need not
here directly indicate , but will live in memory long after their author has been " gathered to his kindred dust . " May that clay be yet far distant , so that he who has
conceived so many grand designs for the welfare of mankind may see the keystone placed upon the superstructure amidst the " well done" of all who know the ori (? in and
maturing of a work so disinterested and so cosmopolitan Then of him may be written" Only the actions of tho jnst Smell sweet , and blossom in the dust . "
Better than any jewel or decoration given by appreciative friends will be the memory of such an one who , though coveting no adulation , or assuming no self-glorious attitude , has reaped the harvest of a well-spent life , and left
a name behind of a true man and Mason , and a benefactor of his race . Time enough , however , we trust , for such reflections , for in the mind of him who has accomplished so much there is still in course of development schemes of
potent interest to Freemasonry , and to the completion of which the Craft are looking with complacent solicitude . Bland , affable , and courteous towards all with whom he is brought into contact , no matter on whatever rung of
the Masonic ladder they may stand , his ear is ever open to the voice of supplication , and his hand ever outstretched for the alleviation of pain and sorrow . At the festivities to which he is so frequently invited , and which it is in his
province to attend , his cheery visuge and radiant versatility lend a charm to the assembly , whilst his read y wit will often " set the table in a roar . " And when in response to
wishes kindly expressed towards the Charities , his sonorous tones n G uplifted , there beams a geniality upon his benign features which adds a zest to the emanations of his mind .
Here wo have a type of a Mason whom many may emulate , hut whose eminence few can hope to reach , and in bidding adieu to our illustrious brother , we are sure our readers
will agree that in thus speaking of him we are onl y exemplif y ing the axiom , "Palmam qui meruit ferat . " Turn we now to a different and less agreeable the mo ,