Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-05-09
From Scott's Phila. Dollar Weekly Paper.
The Great Mysteries
OF THE

lHs Great mysteries
SONS OF TEMPERANCE FOUND OUT.
BYs. E. SITES.
srve Jest found it all eout bout you Sens
of Temperance exclaimed old Mrs. Credu-
lous in an ecstacy of i'll concealed delight.
you Sonies can't cheat me, Pm little tew
cunnen for you. No use,,for you to tell me
bout your Love for your Bretheren, and all
that sort of stuff, and put ON your mysteri-
GUS airs and keep your tongues under lock
and all that. Ive found it all out. l know
the hull o'nt from beginning to eend.' And
she looked very knowingly as she tossed her
head proudly. Her eyes sparkling like Goals
of fire. The old lady had just returned
from tea party given by Mrs. Jones where
young man, not member of the Order,
but who affected. to be one, and well acquain-
ted with all the mysteries of the Order
and every thing appertaining to it, had qui-
etly fallen in with the whimsical objections
the dear old creature had wisely made a.
gainst the Sons of Temperance, and to fix
them in their opinions, and perstitious, con-
, them with apretendea development Of the
secrets of the Order, land full description of
the ceremonies of initiation.
Her sou-in-aw, to whom she made the tri-
umphant exclamation above quoted, was
member of the Order who had long ago
ceased from what he saw vain attempt to
eradicate the good old lady's objections, and
now suffered her to enjoy her opinions to
her hearts content But on this OCCASION
her triumphant and emphatic manner, ex-
cited his curiosity, and he quietly asked her
to explain herself. ...
'Oh! Johnny said she, you wouldn't ak
me to 'splain myself eli you knowed what l
could tell you, eli was mine tew. But [
won't crafty you SO much, that WON'T
Well said Johnny, as he took up his
hat, and stepped toward the door.
sYou remember that No persuasion was
powerful enough to induce Jack to his supper
on particular occasion, don't you?'
sWhat do you mean?' cried Johnny.
This raised the ire of the old lady, and
she declared she would tell it now Jest eout
of spite She was dying all the time to
make her revelation, but hoped Johnny
would coax her to unfold the tale.
FWell,' said Johnny, Pm all attention.
'Ln the first place. began the old lady,
sthe feller that's to be took in, has got to go
with passel of fellers in dark room, and
when they git him there, they lock him up
in big iron chest, with hole in one eend
for him to breathe through. And there he's
kept three hours, then he's snaked eout of
that and rubbed all over with soft soap, and
down big holler pipe till he hollers like
loon. Then he taken out and tied up In
a sack, and passel of them heathenish fell
lers carryhim into the room where they hold
their meetin's. Then the lights is all put
eout, and when the rooms as dark as Egypt
he's taken eout of the sack and put in cof-
fin. The lid is screwed down, and he's
lugged round the room, right about halt an
hour -.
How does he breathe, motherp
sYew needn't make so strange bout them
holes bored in the top ont, abeout half an
hour, as was saying, and then the coffin
is sot up on eend, and a dead march is sung,
and he's axed in awful solemn voice, that
sounds Jest for all the world like a ghost, ct
ne WllllHS W PioCeeu. Gi n0 % . ~ -~'
then the lid is unscrewe'd, and he finds him.
self standin' with six sharp pynted swords
held close few his breast and neck, by fellers
dressed like evil spirits OH massy on US!
Its enuff to make body's blood run cold to
think ont. And he's told if he ever tells
word about the secrets of the Order, he'll be.
made away with jest as sartin' as death
sDo you believe they would murder him if
he should tell, mother?'
eTo beshure 1 do,3I kmoa0 they would
sHow did Tom Smith escape to tell you
thisp ~,
Poor creeter! exclaimed the good old la
DIV. I'm the first one he ever told,' and l
'spect ev'ry mint to hear that he's missing
But don't enterupt me so o-yeaw put me out
Wall, he promises faithfully blessed
if don't believe he descent for his life Go
any other way than promise that he Il never
tell no living creeter. Then he's told ct ne
duz that his tongue will be chopped Oft, and
his mouth sewed up, his eyes put out, and
his hands tied behind him, and in that dis
tressed condition he'll be put in coffin and
buried alive in less than no time.
wall, the miserable critter is then let out
of the coffin and walked about the room on