The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-07-06 00:00:00

MRS. GRUNDY HAS HBR BAY ABOUT
MASONRY.
To at Editor.

Sir,—You know all about it ov coons. Your young
man with the pots and hangers has no doubt Dent it
all to you in short an I. But I should like to say a
word, too, about this Masonry work as has set us all
at sixes and sevens. You've seen "some," as the
Mericaus say,
sin your time, but you never did see sigh
• sight as we had in Poole h-street this next come
Thursday is a week. Wt, sir, there were a
string on 'eta as long as—the Poole Bench I 111
warn% twood have reached from the Quay to the Post- I
office, only you see they were turned tother way. When
Temuna rushed in to say the masons were all ,
"collared" you might ha' knocked we down with a I
feather. Then, see I, its all over and me shan't see no
procession ; but to think ov all they visiters a being
dragged off to the sta'ion and they come to dinner!
Forty "refreshments" for them, I ass. That artful
gal slid n thing to un leceive me, but pointing out a
tall g.to kuisti almost covered with gold and medals.
'lb. r.' ! sos she, don't; yes see the two plicemen oue on
each ahleov him, he's in custody; and I really thought he
were, and that lie'd a kleutomised all they fine jewels
and gold as he were ouvere,l with. But I soon found it
were only Jemitna's nonsense and that his Wurtchip
was the master of all the other mason boys. A tremjua
big sword was carried just before him to cut off the
beads of any who 'cc caught biding and puking their
mooe into massoory. Then there vain Brotherly Loves
crriyi.g all manner of funny things—trowels
ant lettls and mortar boards ; two ov 'em had
tr tom a di seemed to be selliult penny paper.,
and three on 'sin had whopping candles awl
candlesticks in their heeds —Doric and I ,nic
lights they. called 'em ; but, Lord bless you I it was •
himposition. not one on 'em was lighted. Jemiina said
it were the candles to light 'em to bed after " Refresh-
ments," ipul that they d m't use ti have 'em lighted,
as they can see just as well in the dark after Banquet.
Wich I do believe, for there were two on 'ism wi big
Jugs that would hold each • half-gallon, and Jemima
said they were full of champayne. Wen they got up
to the old church the master he spread the mortar wi'
a silv tr mortar-board and hit the et ne and said it
were all right and square, and then they sung and
called oat—" Let go!" ' Now then!" "Sten ly !"
" Lower!" " Stop !" and the stone were laid ; but wi
it wanted all that passel o' people to oit and all them
queer thingamys carried up High-street in the rain
(which it washed some of the finery out) I cern% for
the life of me conceive. Witt do it all mean? I tied.
Can't yer see? sed Temima. I can see a lot, said I,—
Ov blue ! says she, taking o' me up; now carn't you see
it—its pirlitikle Oh, sea I, now I see it all, and that's
wi they re all in blue, and wi tha had two clues
instead ..f one, and had the Grand Master to lay one
and the Grand Minus to do the other. Well, arter all,
they masons are that artful that there's no being el
sides 'em. And to think that this here hit f massonry
and all the to-do abut pouring wine and oil on the
stones, and a singing salmi', and processioning, and
tiling, and walking, and feasting, is coy one ov them
little numhoovers as the Lorigfieet fellow are so used
to! Oh mi, I'll write ft all down to the 2'elegrant, or
ml name isn't

SALLY Gatatny.