Lights And Shadows Of Scottish Freemasonry.

in every privilege appertaining to those AVIIO have paid their three guineas , and what has it cost them ? Why , £ 1 12 s . Gd ., and an affiliation fee of perhaps half a sovereign . Ought this to be alloAved ? Certainly not . Are the men AVIIO pursue this course the men Avhom we Avant into

our Order . Certainly not . HOAV is the matter to be mended ? It .. seems to us that the best method would be to institute a commission of inquiry , and alloAv a report to be laid before the Grand Lodge . Then there might be some arrangement come to which Avoiild tend to prevent its recurrence . For our own part Ave would be strongly inclined to recommend that those AV I IO

come from lodges in tho country Avhose fees are lower than those of the lodge into Avhich they Avish affiliation should pay , not only an affiliation fee , but tho difference betAveen the fees of the two lodges . To those who seek admission into our Order prompted only by curiosity , money maybe

an object of the first importance , and the cheaper that curiosity can be satiated the better for them , but to those who are actuated by the true spiritof Freemasonrythat spirit of brotherly love , and kindness and charity—money will become only a secondary consideration , and the desire to become members of a most ancient and

honourable body , aud to lend their influence toAvards augmenting its powers of doing good , the primary one . Give us such men as the latter , and soon there will be a very different state of affairs . But now comes the puzzling question : HOAV are Ave to know such men as the former in

order to exclude them ? Alas , Ave cannot tell ; but this AA * O can tell , that there ought to be a great deal more discrimination exercised when considering an application for initiation , and we advise our Brethren to be sure they know their friends and acquaintances to be good men aud true

before they append their names to the application forms . An old writer says , " If it be the case that ten guilty men should be let off rather than one innocent one should suffer the penalty , it is no less the case as regards Freemasonry that ten good men should be turned from our doors rather

than that one spurious Mason should be alloAved inside of them . " Apply this , Avhich Avas Avritten concerning the testing of strangers , to the applications for initiation , and though time alone Avould tell the

Lights And Shadows Of Scottish Freemasonry.

result , yet we believe it Avould be found well Avorth Availing for . We had intended making some remarks about the Ritual and Lodge Instruction , but we have occupied so much space Avith the Fees Question that we feel compelled to allow these two important matters to stand

over for another paper . X . Y . Z .

The Origin Of The Corinthian Pillar.

THE ORIGIN OF THE CORINTHIAN PILLAR .

An old Athenian Avoman , bent with years , Collecting flowers near Avhere Corinth stands , Her furroAv'd cheek bespoke her many cares , A strange employment for such Avither'd hands .

They Avere not flowers to streAV the bridal train , They were not flowr ' s to welcome heroes home , But meant to scatter SAveets Avhere death had lain A hapless victim in an early tomb .

She Avas a young Corinthian lady , cast , All innocence , in beauty ' s moulding stone , A fragile flow ' r that could not bear the blast , Which chilly winter had too roughly bloAvn .

In vam the ancient Grecian matron strove To fill the simple basket at her side ; The bloomless garden , and the leafless grove , The boist ' rous wind had scattered far and Avide .

One lonely lily of the field remain'd , Like to some fading image lingering still ; She snapt the stem ; but ere the prize Avas gain'd , The snowy honours of the flow ' ret fell .

No flow'rs have I to streAV , or croAvn to Avear , Take , then , the meed , an empty g ift thy due , May nature fill the basket that I leave , And may she grant what art refuses you ,