Relief.

"Did you find that poor woman in great distress ? " I queried . " Yes , " said he . " She is suffering for the want of the necessaries of life , I suppose ? " " Yes "

" Did you do anything for her ? " "To be sure I did ; that was what I went for . " "True , true , "I said , "but I thought you Avould . only look into her condition , and then lay her case before the lodge . "

"Lay her case before the fiddlesticks , " said he abruptly . " Adelaide Sullh'an ' s case is already attended to . She will never seek relief from a Masonic Lodge Avhile there is strength in this right arm to provide for her a , nd her boy . "

" Adelaide Sullivan ! " I exclaimed in surprise . ' It is not possible that your old flame , Adelaide Sullivan , has been reduced to AvidoAvhood , penury , and want , and that you have just found her ?" " It is true , " said he . " Her husband

has been dead two years , and Avretchedl y poor he must haA'e left her ; but thank fortune , I have enough for both . " "And mean to share it Avith her , " I said mischieviously . " But I forgot , the romance of life is over with yon , uncle .

The fires of passion are extinguished , — not a smouldering ember exists . So it is not probable that you will marry her . " " It is probable , " said my uncle in his straightforward Avay , « probable and certain . The romance of life may be over , but I have a feeling of love for this woman , neA'ertheless , —a feeling that can be smothered , but never extinguished . "

And so , kind reader , it proved in the end . My uncle married her , and a SAveeter , kinder woman , never gladdened a domestic scene . All things to her had shown its dark side , but at last there came through Masonrv "light . "—Masonic Monthhi .

"Eradication Of Error."

"ERADICATION OF ERROR . "

REPLY BY BRO . W . J . HUGHAN . AVe think that some of the points alluded to by our friend , Bro . Jacob Norton , have already been examined by us in the pages of the Voice of Masonry , Chicago , but in

order that the proof demanded for our statements be plainly seen and freely gh'en to the brethren in the United States as well as in the " old country , " Ave have penned the folloAving facts of our final explanation of the matter , and we hope they will proA'e as satisfactory to Bro . Norton aud your readers , as we believe them to be fairly and accurately described , according to the evidence so far known .

As the introduction in Bro . Norton ' s article does not allude to our views , we proceed at once to the ] 3 oi'tion which does so . It appears that our good friend has had some little difficulty in making up his mind " to attack the shortcoming of even Bro . Hughan himself ; " butafter a most

, courageous and stubborn resistance , his desire to shield our " defenceless head " has been silenced , and he has boldly stated fiis objection to our only " stopping short on one point , " in the acceptance of our learned Bro . Findel ' s opinions on

Freemasonry . AVe should have been exceedingly sorry if Bro . Norton had been silent instead of exposing our error ; indeed , Ave consider his i-ahied friendship ought not to have , and has not , kept him from demonstrating the fact that " a fair field and no

favour" is the only inalienable ri ght of those who seek to enlighten others , either as respects the history of Freemasonry or of any other institution . We have either

proof For oar statements , or we should be quiet . AVe either know Avhat we are talking about , or discretion should lead us to Avait until Ave do , and then the time may come for us to speak to some purpose . Several years of close application to Masonic studieswith Bro . the Rev . A . F . A .

, Woodford , M . A ., of London , and Bro . D . Murray Lyon , of Ayr , as our esteemed and indefatigable collaborators—have enabled us , in our united or individual capacities , to probe many curious stories Avhich have heen foisted on the records of the craftas

, Avell as to confirm many links in the chain of Masonic history , reaching far back into past centuries , and especially lo prove the existence of speculative Freemasonry antecedent to the " revival of 1717 . " Bro . Nortonfirst of alltells us that

, , the fact of John Bos well , Esq ., attending the Lodge of Edinburgh on the 8 th January , 1 G 00 , and signing his Masonic mark to the record of the meeting , " has nothing to do with our mark degree ^ which is