Eastern times., 1855-12-06

Taking the Degrees.

A lodge of |. o. o. F., at Woodsiown, de-
termined to have their lodge room done up
clean and nice, it was resolved unanimously
that Mrs. K. should be employed to do The
job. tat-
After the meeting adjourned, the guardian,
who knew the inquistive character of Mrs. X.
procured billy goat, and placed him in a clos
et that was kept as reservoir for the secret
things. He then informed the lady of the
wishes of the lodge, and requested her to come
early next morning az he would then he at
leisure to show her what was and what was
what was not to be done.
Morning came, and with i, Madame X. with
her broom, brushes, pals, tubs, &c., prepared
and armed for the job, and found the guardian
waiting for her.
Now Madame said he, | tell you what
we want done, and how we came to employ
you. The brothers said it was difficult TO get
anybody to do the job. and no. be meddlng
with the secrets in that little closet we have
lost the key and canno, find it to lock the door
on
Depended On = said she, Il guess / can
My poor dead and gone husband, who belonged
to the Free Masons or ii-Masons, dom know
which. used TO tell me all the secrets of the con-
cern, and when he showed me all the marks
the gridiron made when he was initiated, and
told me how they fixed poor Morgan, never
sod living soul to this day if nobody iroub-
les your closets to find out your secrets till do
they'll lay there till they rot-they will
i thought so,' said the guardian, and now
want you To commence in that corner, and
give the whole room decent cleaning, and l
have pledged my word ard honor 70. the fdei-
ty to your promise /; now don't go into that
closet and then left the lady TO herself.
No sooner had she heard the sound Of his
feet on the last step of the stairs, than she ex-
claimed, 'don't go into that closet = I'll war-
rant there is gridiroo, or some nonsense, just
like the anti-masons for all the world I'll be
bound, will just take one peep, and nobody
will be any wiser, as can keep it to my
SELF
Suiting the action to the word, she stepped
lightly to the forbidden closet, turned the but
ion, which was no sooner done, than bah
went the billy goat, with spring to regain his
liberty, which came near upsetinq her ladv-
ship. Both started for the door, bat it was
filled with implements for house cleaning, and
all ,hair
10 the bottom of the stains.
The noise and confusion occasioned BY such
aneeremonious coming down stairs, drew hall
the town to witness Mrs. K effort to get from
under the pile of pals, tubs, brooms, ard
brushes in the street.
Who should be hrst 10 the spot but the ras-
cally door keeper, who. after releasing the
goat, which was cripple for life, and uplift.
ing The rubbish that bound the good woman to
the earth, anxiously inquired if she had beer
taking The degrees,'
Taking the degrees y exclaimed the ladv
'if you call tumbling from the top to the bottom
Of the stairs, with the devil after We, takinc
things by degrees, j have them, and if W
irighsen folks as ye have me, and hurt them te
boot, Ill warrant they'll make as much nois.
as did,
i hope you did not open the cleset madam,
said The door orkeeper.
Open the closet . Eve ate the apple sh,
was forbidden you want woman to d,
anything, tell her not to do it, and she'll do i
certain. could not stand the temptation. :
The secret was there, wanted TO know it.
opened The door, and oui popped the tarna