A Mason's Story.

Let us draw near and see what the strange topic which interests both so much can be about . The old Hindoo priest is telling Falconer—about whom he is much concerned—in his own way his ideas of a Deity . He is saying : " You , my white friend , must of a sheer necessity admit that all things had a beginning . Nowif we look to what that beginning waswe shall soon come

, , to understand what he whom you call God is . Without the great light which shines above us our earth would be nowhere ; we could never have been brought into being . I have spoken with your learned Englishmen , and they tell me they know as what they call in their language a " scientific " fact , that this ball which we inhabit is thrown off from the sun , and to that sun it is now returning , so that we shall by-and-by become a very part of

that sun . That sun , in its turn , is travelling to a great fountain of light from which everything has proceeded , and that will become eventuall y absorbed in it . This is what wo believe to be Brahma , the great god , into whom we shall all become at last absorbed , and with whom we shall be endlessly happy . The ' spirit , ' says your Veda and mine , ' shall return to he , the Brainah , who gave it and the Shiva who preserved it . ' Let me

tell you what the great Mahomet said of the sun . He said it was the ' great brightness , whose attendant angel was the moon , and his creation the glory of the heavens—the ni ght , the sight of the sin which covered the earth . He completely formed the soul , and inspired the same with its faculty of distinguishing between wickedness and piety . Now he . hath purified it , and is for ever happy when he hath gathered in unto himself all that he loved and redeemed . ' Praise be unto Him , the Creator of heaven and earth , for He is almi ghty . Oh , man , remember his favour to you ; there is none beside Him . who provideth food for you from heaven and earth . "

He ceased , and his words gradually faded away , while Penrhyn remained buried in thought . But his utterances had not been lost . A new train of ideas had been opened up to the mind of one of the listeners , and henceforth he determined to try , with the assistance of the God whom he sought , to find out for himself the cause of this faith which , reached to all nations , and exercised so great an influence on all alike . Penrhyn and his noble patron were now on the best of terms ; andin facthe

, , was treated with as much confidence as though he had been a friend of lonostanding . As they walked home through the almost deserted streets , arm in-ann , his lordship said : " Well , you and the old Brahmin seemed to be having a long confabulation together this afternoon . You seem to pick up friends wherever yon go . You are very fortunate . May I inquire how it came about , ?"

" Certainly , my lord , " replied Falconer . " I went to one of their temples the other clay in order to witness their mode of worship and contrast it with that used in our own country . I can assure you I saw some very strange feats performed , which are to me wholl y inexplicable , and which I cannot at all account for on the score of legerdemain . On the conclusion of the service , being , as you know , an adept in the linguism of Hindostanee , I ventured to accost the

remarkable individual whose company we have been honoured with this morning . He seemed struck with my earnestness , and gave me a good deal of information . When , however , 1 asked to inspect their sacred books he looked very wise , and informed me that this was a favour which could only be allowed to initiates . His concluding remarks were : ' I shall see you again where yon least expect it , ' and he was waiting by the river this morning when went

we down . He told me that he knew we would be there at this time . He seems to be a sort of Zicci . " " Well , " said his Lordshi p , " I would give something to know as much as you know about himself and his fraternity . There are not many Englishmen with whom they can be brought to associate . " < J 2