SECRECY OP MASONRY.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 357, 26 March 1861, Page 4

SECRECY OP MASONRY.

Freemasonry, I admit, has its secrets. It has secrets peculiar to itself, but of what do these principally consist? They consist of signs and tokens, which serve as testimonials of character and qualification, which are only conferred after a due course of instruction and examination. These are of no small value ; they speak a universal language, and act as a passport to the attention and support of the initiated iv all parts of the world. They cannot be lost so long as memory retains its power. Let the possessor of them be expatriated, shipwrecked, or imprisoned, let him be stripped of everything he has got in the world, still these credentials remain, and are available for use as circumstance lequire. The good effects which they have produced are established by the most incontestable facts of history. They have stayed the uplifted hand of the destroyer; they have softened the asperities of the tyrant; they have mitigated the horrors of captivity ; they have subdued the rancour of malevolence, and broken down the barrier of po itical animosity and sectarian alienation. On the field of battle, in the solitudes of the uncultivated forest, or in the busy haunts of the crowded city, they have made men of tbe most hostile feelitgs, tlio most distant regions, and the most diversified conditions, rush to the aid of each other, and feel special joy and satisfaction that they have been able to afford relief to a brother mason.— Benjamin Franklin.

The Luxury of Doing Good.—A small j'-'urnul of New South Wales, the Twofold, Bay Telegraph, distinguished itself greatly by its Mew Y> ar's Day address; and though as a rule •we don't identify ourselves with the opinions set forth l>y correspondents or in extracted articles, we have no hesitation in adopting the views expressed by our contemporary as follows. After the u&ual amount of moralising proper to such occasions, he thus concludes:—" We must recollect that the greatest happiness we can enjoy in life is that of making others happy, and this reflection should bring to mind the little outstanding bills due to the baker, the butcher, the milkman, and the washer-woman, and after all these most necessary and useful providers for our physical requirement are satisfied, think of the broad sheet that nourishes our intellectual or-grn-s. Seize your pen, dear reader, therefore, and let us enjoy our New Year, by finding the consideration of our friends expressed in some such terms as these : —' My dear Mr. Editor, ' I regret to find that in the hurry of other mat. ters, I have overlooked my last quarter's subscription. I now enclose it, together with the additional amount for a quarter in advance, and wishing you a Happy New Year, I am yours, &c, &a.' We, as journalists, wish a Happy New Year to all our readers, but to those who pay up we wish and will guarantee a double amount-, of happiness, and this being borne iv mind we shall immediately strengthen the legs of our office table, lest it sink under the burden of remittances during the next few days." We have only to add that " thim's our sintimeuts."

A Stinging Head-dkess.—We read in one of the Magazines of Fashion as follows: • Pretty little caps ate woru of a round form eucircled with a ruche.' .Now, from what we recollect of our French, a rucbe ia a hive, and we can liardly imagine that as being about the most bee tnming straw bonnet a lady oould wear. We know that many of the beautiful sex carry their love of the fashions to a degree of madness, but still to encircle or.c's face1 with a hive, would be decidedly so certain a method of getting ' a bee in one's bouuet' that we cannot believe any woman in her senses would think of lending her countenance to it. Jt is true that bees delight to live in the neighborhood of flowers, such as gallantry delights in poetically supposing bloom perennially on lovely woman's features; nevertheless, it is doubtful whether the most fioricultural beauty would like to expose the roses and tulips of her countenance to the risk of being stung, even if she could be sure that from the homed result there would be distiiieil for her the very «sweetest of bonDetg.' Put by that Stick, my Man.—Young men would cull upon him (Mr. George Stephenson)

for advice or assistance in commencing a professional career. When he noticed their industry, prudence, and good sense, be was always ready. But, hating foppery and frippery above all things, he would reprove any tendency to this weakness which he observed in the applicants. One day a youth, desirous of becoming an engineer, called upon him, flourishing 0 gold-headed cane. Mr. Stepbeuson said, " Put by that stick, my man, and then I will speak to you," To another extensively decorated young mau he one day said, " You will, I hope, Mr. , excuse me, I am a plain-spoken man, and am sorry to Bee a nice looking and rather clever young man like you disfigured with that j fine-patterned waistcoat, and all these chains and fang-daDgs. If I, sir, had bothered my head with such things when at your age, I would not have been where I am now."— Men Who Have Risen. *° ■-

Attempt by a Negro.—There were two learned Negroes in Kentucky, of wbom one was named after the great founder of the Roman Empire, and the other bore the namo of bis assassin. Brutus, smoking' a cigar, was accosted by Julius Csesar. • What—you smoke ?' asked the latter nigger. * I do,' said Brutus, offering bis friend a whiff. 'Et Chew, Brute?' was the exclamation of Caesar.

The hew French Dye.—The recent discovery at Lyons of a new species of red dye, more brilliant than any hitherto produced, and, above all, more solid than the best Chinese reds, has caused a sensation amongst the manufacturers. The color is particularly Boffc to the eye—■ something betweeu scarlet and ponceau—the peculiar red beheld in the small garden-flower known by the name of " blood of Adonis." It is already so highly appreciated that it has been given out as " rouge sublime" to the trade, aim promises to become highly popular, both for furniture and dresses during the winter. A Queer Will.—Our next specimen, the will of the Earl of Pembroke, who lived in the days of the Commonwealth, after a good many profane jests, proceeds thus .:—•' Item.—l give ail my deer to the Earl of '^pisbury, who I know will preserve them, because he denied the King a buck out of hi* own park. Item.—-I give nothing to Lord Say, which legacy I give him because I know he will bestow it on the poor. " Item.—To Tom May I give five shilliugs; I intended him more; but whoever has seen his " History of Parliament," thinks five shillings too ranch. Item.—l give up the gbost.— Quarterly Review.

An Ambigious Answee.—At the close of the volunteer parade one of the corps accosted one of our rather practical townsmen with—' Mr. A , why don't you .join our corps ?' • Haven't got time for such exercises,' replied Mr. A . ' Time !' expostulated tbe civilian warrior, * Do you think it will be time when an enemy appears ou the coast ?' •Iv that case,' replied Mr. A " you will find me as nimble as any of you.'— Dundee Advertiser. # Our Ancestors.—Mr. Darwio, whose treatise on the development of species ba3 been the book of the season, did not appear at the British Association. His place was, however, .well filled by Mr. Huxley, who had to battle for the new doctrine. «If I may be allowed to inquire,' said the Bishop of Oxford, • would you rather have bad an ape for your grandfather or grandmother ?' I would rather have had apes on both sides for my ancestors,' replied the naturalist, unabashed, " than human beings so warped by prejudice that they were afraid to behold the truth."

The late Captain Strange.—We take the following remarks on the death of the late Captain Thomas G. Strange, 65th regiment, who was killed at Taranaki, from. an. Auckland paper: —No death since the commencement of the present war has occasioned a more lively feeling of regret in this community than that of this lamented officer. As an officer, a gentleman, and a Christian, he had deservedly won the respect and affection of all ranks in his regiment, as well as on those among the civilians who were acquainted with him. Ever cheerful and patient, kind and courteous to all, as well as strict and conscientious in the discharge of his duties, he was especially beloved and respected by his brother officers. He fell on the 10th of February, in the 34th year of his age, in front of Hapurona's pa on the Waitara, nobly doing his duty at the head of his company. It may be some consolation to his friends to know that his death was an easy and a painless one, and that the last words he ever uttered in this world was to call lor prayer, which was read to him by Captain Paul. His death has awakened a deep feeling of sympathy in every portion of this community for those whom he has left to mourn his loss.

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