which she struggled with poverty and privation, eking out but a scanty subsistence by her ceaseless toil; the invalid still lived on, a burden to himself and a constant trial to his unselfish attendant.

We will pass over a few years, till we find her no longer able to carry on her little school, being herself prostrated by a debilitating fever. The neighbours are very kind, for she has gained an entrance into many a heart in that quiet spot; and the doctor, although he looks for no fee, is unremitting in his visits, but how little can his kindness or his drugs avail, to chase the racking thought of debts accumulating upon her with every day's inactivity, and the unsatisfied demands of the querulous invalid, whose mental perception is not acute enough to understand the stern necessity of foregoing comforts which a sister's love has hitherto provided for him, he knows not at what cost. She, who once scorned the idea of depending upon charity, would now be only too grateful for a donation, however trifling; and the clergyman of the district collects a small sum for her immediate need, but his congregation, though benevolent, are neither wealthy nor influential. Then efforts are made to obtain an annuity from the institution mentioned to her long ago by Mrs. West, but, alas! the candidates are numerous, hers is no solitary instance of penury and distress, other cases, equally painful, are more ably advocated, and election after election takes place, leaving her still amongst the unsuccessful-unsuccessful in a struggle for a certain income of £15 per

annum !

Her friends would like to secure her a home in the asylum, for she, poor thing, is old enough now in years and trouble to be admitted; but such is not her desire, she cannot leave her brother till death shall part them, and for his sake she prays that she may not be the first taken.

At length, when all other resources have failed, she writes a bare statement of the facts to the sister in Australia, whose path has been so much smoother than hers; but from whom she has never received either assistance or sympathy. A five pound note, and a request not to repeat the application, is the only response.

Seven years go slowly by, and one of the sufferers has entered into rest; but Lucy Hill still lives on; she is very aged and infirm now, for her sight is almost gone, and another stroke of paralysis has crippled her hopelessly, she is still cheerful, patient, and enduring, grateful to the many friends who do what they can to alleviate her sufferings; but, she is still a rejected eandidate. Her case has been again brought forward, and more influentially advocated than at first, and she no longer objects to the prospect of a home in the asylum, for she has been for some time an inmate in the family of a benevolent medical man, who can scarcely afford to keep her long as their guest, and other home she has none. She has, however, succeeded in obtaining a regular annuity from the charity which she had so long tried for in vain. And now the election day comes round again, a dull, depressing, foggy November day, and the good doctor's wife is early at the Hanover Square Rooms, in the hope of securing a few more votes at the very last. She is a bustling, active woman of business, and canvasses eagerly right and left; but not, alas, with the success she deserved. Her friend stands high on the poll, high enough to receive the £10 now awarded to the five next in rotation to two successful candidates; but not high enough to be one of those two. Tears came to her eyes, it would be May before the next election. The long, dreary winter lay before them, an increasing family and increasing infirmities for the aged guest, who had suffered so much during the previous winter, demanding so many comforts which it would be now still more difficult to afford her.

"You were very nearly in, if it had not been for the ten votes I secured

yesterday from my friend Sir John, you would have beaten my candidate," said a jovial, facetious-looking man at her elbow,-" By George, it was a close shave; you are sure to be all right in May tho', you shall have my interest," he added more considerately, on noticing how really pained his neighbour looked as she prepared for her comfortless walk home. "Let me see the particulars on your card. Dear me, a very distressing case indeed; I think I've heard her name before-knew something of her brother-ah, well you may depend on me in May."

May came at last; the winter had been struggled through, and old Miss Hill had not been deprived of the hospitable shelter of Dr. M's roof-it would only be till May, they would make the best of things till then, when she was sure of becoming an inmate of the Home in Kentishtown. A lovely, genial day it was, when, in company with the gentleman whose interest had really been devoted to Miss Hill, Mrs. M. once more found herself in the election room. She had left her old friend with considerable reluctance, finding her weaker than usual and somewhat agitated, probably from anxiety as to the result of the election. However, there was no cause for apprehension-no fear of disappointment now. She was returned at the head of the poll, her election was secured at last, and with beating heart and bounding step, Mrs. M. hurried home with the good news. Her husband was out; but one of her daughters, who had been sitting all the morning with the old lady, said she was then quietly asleep, so the doctor's wife had to restrain her impatience, and took up her station by the bed-side, to be the first to give her the welcome tidings on her awaking.

The sleeper's face was turned from her, but she was perfectly tranquil, and, bending over, she saw a half smile upon the aged lips. Her dreams were certainly not of failure; so Mrs. M. sat quietly down to watch her; but, ere long, fell into a half slumber herself, from which she was aroused by her husband's hand resting on her shoulder.

"William !" she exclaimed, starting up, "it is all over, she has a home at last, she is successful!"

"Thank God!" was the fervent rejoinder.

Both turned towards the sleeper; their voices had not aroused her, for she was very weary, the husband and wife drew nearer, and bent over her with hushed breath and a strange undefined feeling of expectancy. It was true, she was indeed no longer a rejected Candidate; but the home she had entered into was eternal in the heavens !

Y. 8. N.

The Lodge Room.

SOIREE IN HONOUR OF OUR GRAND MASTER.

ON Monday evening, August 8th, the members of the Order, in the Stockport District, held a tea party and soiree in the hall of the Widows' and Orphans' Institute, Wellington Street, for the purpose of celebrating the honour conferred upon the Stockport District by the appointment of Mr. William Hickton to the high office of Grand Master of the Order. The room was very tastefully decorated with flags and banners of different devices, the flag of the Order being in the centre. On the front of tho

gallery, the fundamental principles of Odd-Fellowship were inscribed on white banners-Faith, Hope, Charity, Friendship, Love, and Truth.

An efficient company of singers was engaged, who added not a little to the enjoyment of the company by the tasteful manner in which they "discoursed sweet music" during the evening. Mr. Henry Collier presided at the pianoforte.

On the platform were-The Rev. E. D. Jackson, rector of St. Thomas's Church, Heaton Norris; Henry Coppock, Esq.; Ralph Howard, Esq., president of the Widows' and Orphans' Institute; P.P.G.M. Councillor H. Saunby; Mr. Councillor Heginbotham; P.G.M. Schofield, of Bradford; P.G.M. Alexander, of Leeds; P.G.M. Street, of Wirksworth; G.M. Wm. Hickton, Stockport; D.G.M. Buck, of Birmingham; P.P.G.M. John Gale, of Liverpool; Rev. John Allen, Long Sutton; P.P.G.M. J. Woodcock, Glossop; C.S. Burgess, South London; P.P.G.M. John Harper, Stockport; P.P.G.M.Webb, of Hyde; Mr. Sykes and Mr. Stanton, of Birkenhead. In responding to the toast of the evening-the G.M., D.G.M., and C.S. of the Order, proposed by Mr. Councillor Saunby, Mr. W. Hickton spoke long and feelingly. Stockport, he said, could not boast of its dukes, its lords, or its squires, like some districts, but they could boast of having working men among them who had the honesty to carry out those important principles, "faith, hope, charity, friendship, love, and truth." He was sure the gentlemen of Stockport would not be ashamed of joining the Odd-Fellows, if they would only become acquainted with the principles that guided them. Their society now extended to every part of the world where civilization had already gone; and he was proud to say that last year they initiated 24,907 persons into the Order. (Applause.) Stockport, although progressing favourably, might not have increased so rapidly as other districts had done of late years, but still he was proud to belong to it, for he believed in no district would they find greater attention paid to those high principles to which he had alluded, than in this.

Various other toasts were proposed and responded to-by P.G.M. Alexander, the Rev. E. D. Jackson, P.G. Schofield, Mr. H. Coppock, Mr. J. Gale, the Rev. J. Allen, Mr. H. Heginbotham, Mr. A. Lomonte, Mr. Ralph Howard, and others. We regret that want of space prevents us giving a full report of this interesting meeting.

INAUGURATION OF AN ODD-FELLOWS' BURIAL GROUND.

THE ceremony of opening the burial ground of the Pimlico District of Odd-Fellows, Manchester Unity Friendly Society, took place on Monday, September 5th. The proprietors of the Great Necropolis having presented the district with a plot of freehold land, about three hundred members and friends went down to Woking Cemetery, by special train, in order to take legal possession of the gift, and formally inaugurate the monument, erected to commemorate the event. Among those present on this interesting occasion were Mr. Stiff, G.M. of the Pimlico District; D.G.M. Jones, P.P.G.M. Yates, P.G. Rickards, and Mr. Goodchild, secretary; Mr. Filsell and Mr. Roe of the North London District, P.G.M. Fisher of the South London District, Mr. Walker, D.C.R. of the Ancient Order of Foresters, Mr. G. F. Pardon, and various members of the metropolitan press.

On arriving at the ground the company formed into procession and proceeded to the chapel, where the Rev. R. G. Lemaire delivered a short but impressive discourse from the 133rd Psalm, applying the text, "Behold

how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity," to the purpose for which his audience had assembled, and concluding with an appropriate prayer.

The rev, gentleman then proceeded from the chapel, followed by the members, in procession, to the monument erected in the centre of the space assigned to the Pimlico District as a burial-place. On arriving there Mr. Churchill, the secretary of the company, read the deed of assignment, and then handed it over to the trustees. Mr. Stiff, G.P.M. of the Pimlico District, then read, in an impressive manner, an eloquent and appropriate address written for the occasion by Mr. Stuart, the well-known tragedian and Odd-Fellow, who was present during the ceremony.

Dr. Pettigrew then made some appropriate remarks, pointing out the benefits which the establishment of the burial-ground would conter upon the members of the Pimlico District, and more especially on their widows and families, by diminishing the cost of funerals, and thus leaving a portion of the fund set apart for the purpose to be applied to their maintenance, or to help them in commencing some branch of business or industry.

The monument was then unveiled, and the burial-ground was declared to be duly inaugurated. The monument, which is about seven feet in height, is exceedingly chaste and beautiful. It was executed by the sculptors of the company, and represents by allegorical figures the three evangelical virtues-Faith, Hope, and Charity; together with the symbol of the Order-Friendship, Love, and Truth. At the base was the following inscription: Burial-ground of the Pimlico District of the Independent Order of Odd-Fellows, Manchester Unity, inaugurated the 5th of September, anno Domini, 1859. Erected by voluntary subscriptions."

The members and their friends then returned to the railway station, where they partook of refreshments, and afterwards enjoyed themselves in walking over the common, till the railway bell recalled them to the train in which they returned to town. An excellent dejeuner was provided by the Necropolis Company for the committee and the members of the press.

LORD ASHLEY A SUBSCRIBING MEMBER.

Ir having been intimated that Lord Ashley, M.P. for the Borough of Cricklade, intended joining the Widows' Hope Lodge, Swindon, his Lordship was met at the station on Saturday, the 6th of June, by many of the past officers and brothers of the lodge. Lord Ashley, with the officers and brothers in full regalia, proceeded to the lodge house, where his Lordship was duly initiated as a subscribing member. A copy of the rules, handsomely bound, was then presented to him by Past Grand John Gray, with an appropriate address; to which his Lordship responded in eloquent and touching language. After the closing of the lodge, his Lordship was escorted to the station by the officers and brethren, attended, as before, by the excellent band of the Great Western Railway.

INITIATION OF TWO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.

A large and influential meeting of officers and members of various lodges in the North London District took place on the 10th May, at the Marc Antony Lodge, under the presidency of N.G. Pardon, for the purpose of

initiating Mr. Edwin James, M.P. for Marylebone, and Mr. Acton S. Ayrton, M.P. for the Tower Hamlets.

After the initiation and usual lodge business, Prov. G.M. Filsell, in a brief but eloquent speech, proposed, "Health and prosperity to the newlyinitiated members."

Mr. Edwin James, in acknowledging the compliment, observed that, but for his attention having being drawn to this great and useful association, he might have passed through life without having added to his knowledge the fact that there existed a society numbering, as he was told, near 300,000 members, whose duty and business it was to aid each other in manfully fighting the battle of life. It was by prudence and forethought alone that the working man was enabled to raise himself in the scale of society, and become an actual power in the land. If working men were true to each other they would find that not only must legislatures accord to them that independence and that legal protection so necessary to the proper working of societies like this; but they would materially assist in the amelioration of the disabilities under which they, as working men, had so long and so patiently laboured. He had listened with admiration and no small surprise to the noble and even pious sentiments expressed in the initiation charge, and he must say that he no longer wondered to find the Manchester Unity was increasing in numbers and importance. He cordially thanked the members of the Marc Antony Lodge for the honour they had done him in making him a member, and esteemed himself happy in being useful in bringing before Parliament the great living truths and philanthropic principles advocated by the society known as the Manchester Unity of Odd-Fellows.

Mr. A. S. Ayrton expressed himself happy in endorsing all that had been said by his honourable friend the member for Marylebone; but he must say something more. He had the honour of representing the largest and perhaps the most important constituency in the kingdom. Now, however, since he had become an Odd-Fellow he had the additional responsibility of representing in Parliament, with Mr. Edwin James, the members of the metropolitan section of the most important Friendly Society in the world. A new chapter had this night been opened in his experience. He saw before him a great number, many of them young men, whose future could not but be influenced by the lessons of prudence, forethought, and integrity inculcated in every act and deed of this most useful Society. The world was apt to sneer at the assumption of scarfs and other emblems of authority by members of associations like this, but he was assured that so far from the use of regalia having a bad tendency, it gave a gravity and purpose to working men's assemblies which nothing else could so well effect; the red scarf of the Chairman was indeed but as the robe of the Speaker in "another place" or the collar of S.S. and garter of the Peer. It would be his duty and pleasure at all times to attend to the interests of the working man, and he knew no better way of effecting that great object than by making himself thoroughly acquainted with the principles and practice of OddFellowship.

The healths of the District Officers and Visiting Officers and Brothers, together with that of the Chairman, concluded the proceedings of the evening.

[A more full and complete account of the above initiation was among th "lost" MSS. of last quarter.]