Ad Sorores.

Meeting him at a railway station , I said to him " are you bound to the ' do' on Wednesday next ? " We used the word « do " in that historic county popularly — -in a good sense—of any festival or " stir . " "Way not so , " Avas his reply in

the pure vernacular . " Dost thou think , Bro . Mentor , " he added solemnly , "that I would find myself sitting agen a Mason in petticoats V The . worthy man departed sadly shaking his head as if it Avas an atrocity

hardly credible , ancl certainly not endurable . Now , I confess I think , that while there are no doubt occasions without end when ladies cannot ever be

admitted into a Masonic meeting , yet that Ave may well open the door of Masonry a little for their appearance amongst us , pleasant as that appearance always is , and elevating as their society always must be . There are several

opportunities , such as our " summer St . John ' s" as they are termed and our occasional provincial gatherings , Avhen the addition of ladies to the banquet would give animation to tlie scene , and an attraction to the assembly . I

cannot help thinking , too , that if Ave had occasionally a Masonic Conversazione , where all the brethren and their lady relatives ancl friends might collect together , Ave should enlist the ladies more than we do , in the cause of our

good old Order . We haA r e Ave knoAV some Avarm lady friends and supporters , as those kind sisters of ours Avlio subscribe to our Masonic Schools ; but by a large portion of the female community Freemasonry is looked upon , I know

full well , Avith doubt , suspicion , and fear . Some think ancl say that Ave have no secret ancl that Ave are a benevolent association of " convivial impostors ;" others like to assert , that Ave must be ashamed of something , or we should admit

them ; while not a fewavoAv their opinion , that they have no doubt they are better away , as they have heard some wonderful stories of speeches and s ° ngs , and late sittings , ancl early goings home . I have always felt , that ™ le all this Avas very easy to say , we

had an answer plain and ready for our fair Impugners . It is not that we , care for them less , but that Ave love Masonry more , which makes us keep them at a distance even from our " symposia . " We knoAV their attraction , Ave have

felt their power , Ave OAVH their SAvay , we older Masons ; ancl knowing well IIOAV sensitive and sentimental our youth in Masonry are , Ave feel perfectly persuaded , that , any general admittance of ladies to our social assemblies , Avould turn all

heads and no doubt melt all hearts , and that Ave should have A ery little chance of haAong any more business attended to , or any more orders obeyed . While , then I admit , as all must admit , hoAv much of charm , and goodness , ancl grace , ancl elevation woman ever

does lend , and woman ever will lend to our male assemblies , ancl Avhile I advocate their appearance amongst us on special occasions and for distinct objects from time to time , I fear , that our fair sisters must still be debarred the

privilege of learning hoAv to keep a secret . Happy for them that they are above the praise or blame , the privileges or refusals of us all alike , as despite all that Ave can say or do , they are in themselves the greatest gift God ever sent

to man , to watch , to prize , to aid , to bless . Ancl though for them the airopp-qra of Freemasonry must remain the avopprjTo . still , they have no more fervent admirers , or devoted friends , than the enrolled brethren of our loyal and loving Craft . MENTOR .

Curious Old Attack On Freemasonry.

CURIOUS OLD ATTACK ON FREEMASONRY .

The following pages are taken from a IIOAV very scarce work , Avhich has recently been alluded to , by our American brother , Jacob Norton , ancl by Bro . " W . J . Hughan . As the Avork is

practically almost unknown to the Craft it has been thought Avell to reprint it in the Magazine , as one of the objects of the Magazine is to call the attention of the brethren to old ancl forgotten works .