American Knights Templars

Charles Meyer , and the Grand Treasurer , gir liichard Mark Muckle , some sixty miles to meet one party , and though the return train was two hours late , aud did not reach Philadelphia till 2 a . m ., there at the station were found the faithful deputheir

tation and band , ready to sacrifice own sleep and murder that of all citizens within earshot of their serenade rather than be the least wanting in respect to their illustrious guests . The guests are permitted to pay for their rooms and for

anything they may choose to order in their hotels . ' But if they like to stroll down to the nearest " commandry , " they can , from morn to midnight , get some sort of light meal , taken standing , without ceremony , as if on the march . They must

be content , however , to " wash it down " with some liquor that does not intoxicate , unless , indeed , claret punch is to be considered an exception to this rule . It is excepted , perhaps , partly as a drink too harmless to have any effect on the stout

Templar head , and partly , it may be , to prevent any undesirable confusion in the popular mind between Templars and Temperance men .

This proud privilege of thus keeping open house for the whole Templar world belongs specially to the Philadeiphians , but the other expenses are shared by their brethren of Pennsylvania . The theory of the entertainment is that the Templars of Pennsylvania are the hostsand all other

, Templars , no matter whence they come , the guests . These gatherings are yearly , each State playing host in its turn to all the world , and once every three years the Templars of all the States unite for what is called a grancl camp . There areI am

, told , 50 , 000 Templars , in round numbers , in the United States , from 5 , 000 to 6 , 000 in Pennslyvania , and about 2 , 000 in Philadelphia . These last divide themselves into seven " Commanderies , " some of which , not satisfied with the honour of providing

perpetual refreshments to all comers , give in addition evening receptions and balls . On Thursday evening the " Grand Commandery , " or Governing Body , of all Pennslyvania gave a reception , to which , I am told , nearly 10 , 000 tickets of invitation were issued . Two fine buildings were converted into one by a connecting bridge : still , as it was well known

beforehand that they would not hold half the number of invited guests , the majority wisely contented themselves with walking in at one door and out at the other , thus securing the double advantage of making room for their successors , and themselves

escaping to some less crowded entertainment or getting early to bed . Many must have been utterly worn out , for Thursday was the chief and culminating day of the festival , and on it were held the installation and the grand parade . The object of

the installation , at which the new officers for the current year have to be sworn in , is obvious enough , but that of the parade , which consists in marching under a hot sun up one set of streets and clown another , is , to an outsider , not quite so clear . One

may conjecture that the Knights sacrificed themselves in order to impress the Philadeip hians with a just notion of their military strength and discipline and to gratify a peaceful popmlation with a martial display . They certainly had a hard day of

it . At 8 . 30 a . m . they mustered some 8 , 000 strong , and paraded till nearly I o'clock . A few of their very great dignitaries were in carriages , and small bodies

of cavalry protected the van and rear . But the great majority , among them some veterans of considerable age , were on foot . They are a fine body of men and their marching past and saluting were surprisingly good , considering what few opportunities their every-day avocations as

merchants , shopkeepers , or mechanics allow them for the exercise of their military duties at Knights . The installation of officers was held an hour or two later , and was largely patronized by ladies , who , iu Americaseem to take far more interest

, in the Templars than is taken by their sisters in England . But this difference is , of course , only in accordance with the very different degrees of estimation in which they are in England and America respectively held . ¦

Why the Templars are made so much more of in America it is not altogether easy to see . They have long ceased to claim any special interest in the Holy Sepulchre , and the primary objects for which they now exist are , 1 am told , the " protection of innocent maidens , helpless orphans , and the Christian religion . " But the maidens and orphans are , to say