Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-08-10


Womaa's Curiosity. before lac, :,
brethren of the Lodge of Odd Faljo,v,, 'ne
Woodstown, N. J +, determined 10 have "a a.
hall swept out and cleaned, when it was pna1 inc"
imously resolved that Mrs Keep Secret shou1a
be called upon TO do the Job.
After the meeting had adjourned, the lamn
lighter, who we'll knew the inouisnive ch.rp
acter OF Mrs. Keep Secret, went and procursd
a monster billy goat, and placed it in The clos
ct which was kept as reservoirfor all secra,
things. He then proceeded to the domiciIe ri
the good lady, Informed her of the iob NJ
cleaning and sweeping the hall, and requested
her to come early next morning, as he would
be at leisure to show her what was TO be dopo
The morning came-with it Madam Keen
Secret appeared according topromise, with her
brooms, brushes. pals, tubs, &c. Doorkeep.
er waiting for her.
chow, madam said the mischevous door.
keeper, "Ill tell you what we want done,
and how we come to employ you. One of
The brethren said it would be difficult to get
any body to do the Job, who would not be,
meddling with our secrets in that closet, be.
cause we've lost the key and can't lock it.
assured them that you conld be trusted, and
so they ordered me to call upon you, as
knew you could be depended upon.'
depended upon," says the madam, IT
guess can, my poor dead and gone hasban'
who belonged to the Free Masons, or Anti4
Masons, don't know which, used to tell ne
the secrets OF the consarn, and when be show
ed me the marks of the gridiron when he was
initiated, and told me all how they fixed poor
Morgan, never told livin' soul TO this day,
and if nobody troubles the closet to find out
your secrets till do, they'll all lay there tilA
they rot, that they will"
81 thought so," says the doorkeepef, "and
now want you 10 commence at that corner"
pointing with his finger to place where some
undigni6ed and indecent brother had thrown
out guilds OF tobacco, "and give the whole
room decent cleansing, and have pledged
my word and honor for your fidelity to prom
ises-don't go into that closet;" and then he
left the lady to herself. ..
! No sooner had she heard the sound of his
feet upon the last step of the stairs, than she
exclaimed, ''That closet! What on earth be
there Ill warrant there's gridron, or some
other nonsense-just like the Anti-Masons
for all the world, I'll be bound I'll just take
peep in, and nobody'll be any wiser but me,
and can keep it to myself" Suiling the &C
ton to the word, she stepped softly TO the
door of the forbidden closet, and turned the
button, which no sooner done, than ba- ba-a,
ba, ba. went Billy, with spring to regain his
liberty, which came nigh upseting her lady
ship Both started for the doorway which
was filled with her implements of house cleans
ing, when all was swept clear from their po-
sitions to the bottom of the stairs. The noise
and confusion occasioned by such an uncere-
monious coming down stairs. drew half the
town TO witness Mrs. Keep Secrets effort to
get flom under a pile of goats, pals, tubs,
brooms, and scrubbing brushes.
Who should be first on the ground but the
rascally doork eeper, who, after releasing the
goat, who was made a cripple for life, and
unpiling the other rubbish which bound the
good lady to the floor, anxiously inquired if
She had been taking the degrees"
"Taking the degrees" exclaimed our lady,
eff you call tumbing from the top 10 the bot
tom of the stairs. with tarnal goat TO Jump
upon we as We go, taking things by degrees,
have, and if ye generally frighten folks as bad
as you have me, and hurt 'em TO boot, I'll
warrant they'll make as much noise as me-"
{" hope you didn't open the closet, mad
am" said the doorkeeper.
"Open the closet an sure did, and didn't
Eve eat the apple when forbidden %
" If you wanta woman to do anything, hell
her not to, and she'll do it sartin. couldn't
stand the temptation. There was the secret ;
wanted to know it, and as opened the clos
ct, out popped the tarnal goat, right in my
face. thought TO be sure it was the devil,
and run from the stairs, with it at my heels,
when fell over the tubs, and we all arrived
al the bottom, as you found US, in heap 10.
gether''