Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-02-28
+ From tho Masonic Review.
The Grand Secret OF Masonry
Discovered by u Lady.
INDIANAPOLIS. June q, 134S.

i INDIANAPOLIS. June q, 134S.
EDITOR REvIEw:-The following Incl
dent needs neither preface nor comment:
it speaks for itself. If you think it wor-
thy Of publication. you will please give it
q place in your next number.
On visit to a neighboring city recently,
called at the house of my friend B.,
with whom had long been acquainted
To my establishment, found his lady
reading a masonic paper. l asked her
what change had come over hey that she
could not only admit such paper to her
house, but could SIT down to its perrsal:
for knew her fathers family were among
the most vindictive. bitter, proscrptive.
anti-masoi.s. that ever left the infected
district in New York She replied that
she had discovered the grand secret of
masonry; and if it would be agreeable to
me. she would relate how she came to
make the discovery. requested her to
proceed. which she did as follows:
i "Soon after you left here last fall.
learned to my extreme modification. that
my husband had become a mason.
attributed il to your influence, and | need
not say what my feelings were towards
you or my husband. | at once came to
b
ness was at an end; but | resolved that
my conduct in all the relations Of wife
and mother should be such. that the worli
should see that had done all woman
should do. Some three or four months
after learned my husband had Joined
the masons. circumstance occurred that.
for the first time. gave me reason TO
doubt his integrity. 1t was one Of the
al a. u 4
} returned at a late hour. and said to me:
} margaret, cannot you do without your
! blanket shawlH replied that | could.
: him a bed-spread Or comfort. | handed
the articles to him, and re Immediately
J left the house. | went to the window, and
oy the light from the lamps discovered
another man with large basket-the
shawl and comfort were placed in it, and
: they soon disappeared. My husband re-
turned in about a half an hour--I had
retired, and he had every reason TO sup
| pose | was asleep. but | was not. neither
did close my eyes with sleep that night
. | expected III the morning, as matter OF
course. he would have some story pre-
pared TO explain his mysterious conduct
This he failed to do, which induced me
for knew if could once get my eye on
that. would be able to unra,el the whole
mystery. 1t was not long after. as was
on the street, that female whsked along
} past me upon whom | discovered my
shawl! The good for nothing huzzy
thought |. while a glow OF triumph thrilled
the pursuit. | followed her closely from
!; into no
of book bindery. l saw her very com
posedly lay aside my shawl and sit down
to her worll-where, urged on by that in
satiable desire to get the clew to my hus-
bands pcridy. soon learned the street
and number of her residence, and imme-
dlately left for it. was not mistaken Ell
| Their, for saw my comfort there. The
whole secret flashed upon my mind at
) once, clearly as if it had been written
with a sunbeam from Heaven. There
found widowed mother, in the last sta
ges Of consumption, and three children
ed by the elder sister, whom | had So
suspiciously followed. learned from the
lips Of the dying woman a lesson. that in
all my philosophy had never dreamed
of-such tale OF sorrow, had never
OGioiC iiSttilctl tO"dLu Wien Suc n6.O re
lated the deed of charity. that had been
} the cause of all my unhappiness. fel,
that there was not room in my breast 10
appreciate the disinterested benevolence
) Of my husband. She said. 81 do not
; know how we should have lived. but for
the kindness Of two persons who came
here late one night. aud left a basket filled
; with provisions, some bed clothes, shawl
and five dollars. They just opened the
; door and set in the basket saying: SAC
: cept this and ask no questions and left
before had time to inquire their names.
do not know who they were; and hare
!, had some doubts from where these things
came-but l never forgot in my daily
prayer to Him who openeth His hand
and filed the poor with bread. that ]!
these were men. to keep them and their
from the sorrows and atflictions with which
have been vsted'' Il left the house a
better woman than when / entered it,
But the grand secret Of masonry" said
IL thought you was to tell me wha:
it isl" She replied, at is, to do good
and not tel Of it.