The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-03-07
'aGRAND SECRET OF MASONRY.

= - On visit to a neighboring city recently
7 called at The house of my friend B.
with whom I had been long and intimately
acquainted. To my as,onishment, founo
his lady reading Masonic paper. asked
her what change had come over her, that
qs she could not OILY admit such paper to
her huse, but sit down to its perusal; for
Knew her fathers family was among the
most vindictive, bitter. proscrptive anti-Ma'
sans, that ever left the infected district
of New York. She rcnsslisd, that she
had discovered the grandsec- ct Of Mason.
ry;and ie il would be agreeable to me, she
would relate how she came to make the dis
scoyery. j requested her ty proceed, which
ssshe- did as foiIows:
Soon after you left here last fall, learn.
ed 10 my extreme modification, that my hus.
band had become Mason. | altributed il
/, 10 your influence, and need not say what
my feelings were toward you or my husband.
:; al once came to the conclusion that my
domestic happiness was at an end; but re-
solved that my conduct in all the relations Of
wife and mother, should see that | had done
all woman could do. Some three or four
months after / learned my husband had
ioincd the Masons, a circumstance occurred
that, for the frsttime. gave me any reason
to doubt his integrity. 1t was one of the
coolest nights Of last winter, that my husband
returned at a late hour, and said 10 me,
t-Margaret, cannot YOU do without your
sblankef shawil" ] replied that could. He
asked me 10 get for him, and bring him a
bedspread or comforter handed The ar
ticles 10 him, and he Immediately left the
house. My FIRST thoughts were t. follow
!, him.. ] went to the window, aud BY the
Z light fram the lamps discovered another
man with large basket theshawl and COM
q. t,rter were placed in it. and they both soon
disappeared. NV husband returned in a
bout half aa hour. expected in the morn
ing as matter Of course, he would have
some story prepared to explain his mystcri.
Gus coaduct but not a word did get out Of
him. determined 10 keep sharp look out
for ny shawl, for if could once get my
eyes on;thai, l would be able TO unravel the
whole mystery. II was not long after, as
was ia the street, that female whisked a.
long pa1 me, upon whom discovered my
shawl The good for ahing huzzy! thought
]; while a glow of triumph thrilled every
nerve and quickened my pace in the pur-
suif. followed her closely from u.'o street
20 another isto the fourth story Of bindery.
i saw her very composedly lay aside my
shawl, and sit down 10 her work-where.
.aarsed on by that Unsuitable desire to get the
clue TO my husbands Per6dy. soon learned
,.ihe, street, the number other residence, and
SimmediaieIv left for it. was not mistaken.
aneitlMr, forI saw my comforter there. The
whole secret flashed on my mind at once,
4 as clearly as if il had been wrtlen with
SUNBEAM, frum Heaven. There found a
widowed mother in the last stages nt con-
sumption. and three children dependent up.
toa the scaniv pittancc earned by the elder
! sister, whom had so suspiciously followed.
] learned from the lips of the dying woman
lesson, thai in all my philosophy had
never dreamed of-such a tale OF sorrow as
] had never before listened to-and when
she had related the deed of charity, that had
been the cause of all my unhappincss. felt
that there was not room in my bosom toap-
preciaie the disiutcrested bencvoIence OF my
husband. She said, 4 do not know how
4we should have lived but for the kind
( ness Of two persons who came here late one
night, and left basket filled with provisions
and some bed clothes, shawl and five dol
lars. They Just opened the door, and SET in
tho basket, saving: Accept this, and ask no
questions; and left before had time to in
cuirc even their names. lido not know who
they were; and ! have had some doubts
from where these things came. But l new
'er forget in my daily prayers to Him who
spcneih His hand and 6leth tho poor with
bread, 10 ask If these were men, lie will
keep them and theirs from the SORROWS with
: which am visited. I lefishe house bet
fer woman than when entered it."
,s.s.. ...But the grand secret of Mascnry. said
j. II thought yop were to tell what It is."
She replied, ut is tlis--todo good, and not
to tell Of a''
a@i EXTENT OF THE UNITED SrArEs.-We
cert4inly haze big country! From the
eastermost town IN the United States, East.
port. Maine, via the St. Lawrence, Buffalo.
scincinnati, 81. Lo,,is, and The Sonth Pass of
the Rocky Mountains, TO Astoria in Oregon,
sl.e distance by the travelled route is 4,5l7
miles. Erum The Madawaska, in Maine, by
ahe Atlantic route WAN. York, Washington,
New Orleans and Galveston, TO The mouth
Of the Rio Grandc. 1928 miles.
From New York to the head Of Lake Su-
;pcriar, via Detroit and Mackinac, 1856
miles; thence down the Mississi sippi, to the
Gulf of Mexico. is 1884 miles. From
Eas,port, Me. TO the Bay of Gan Francisco,
California, ON the Pacific, via Portland. Phil,
adelphia, Pittsburg. 81. Louis Santa Fe. and
the Colorado of the West, is 2,544 miles,
~ K,ss1Nc BY TELEeRAAH.-A man was