White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1857-07-16
StIett Gale.
INITIATING A FREE-MASON.
BY HARRIET N. GRAVES.

"niS 'fht69verthOw they made Free-Ma-
.sss-ls..Ean Scrigginsl' asked Aunt Petgrew
OF me enc evening, as we sat before bright,
blazing FIRE, she with her knitting work, and
with no work at all, except watching the myriad
sparks, and wishing they were each gold dol
lar, rolling downwards instead OF flying up.
Dear old Aunt Petigrew! She has numbered
her threescore years and ten yet she is as blithe
and lively as many maiden, tEo-score and ten
younger. Then she is always so good natured,
that, be the day over so cloudy, you would GER
tainly think, while in her presence, the sun was
shining with usual lustre. Never. cross or pee
wish like many aged matrons, who, Heaven bless
them, have enough 10 make them so, after rear
ing set of young ones that grow as ungOdly as
the ancient Egyptians, in spite of all their good,
pious mothers examples.
Though Aunt Pedgew bears no relationship
to me, except that which Mother Nature COM
pels us to bear each other, yet love her dearly,
and well worthy is she of my love, for do not
know that she possesses single fault! il she
does, have never been able to discover it.
Indeed, / have often thought while gazing
into her mild blue eyes, and reading an express
sion of purity and decision Of character such as
never read in those Of any other female. that
she alone Of all my sex had possessed sufficient
strength to resist the H forbidden fruit for
who has not plucked i'll who has not yielded TO
q temptation Of some kind, though We are of a
stronger sexl Don't believe it, do you mascu-
Iines1 Why, don't the Good Book tell you Tor
don't you read it) that it took the Old One him
self to tempt the woman, while, poor, weak, sill
" man, jumped at the apple the moment the
woman offered it to hint Isn't that proof pos
tive that we are the strongest minded of the two
sexes1 ta
But as I way saying, there we sat, Aunt Pet
igrew and myself, with the bright fire dancing
and blazing before Us, and the light in her eyes
dancing in unison as she asked me the question:
"Did / ever tell you how they made Free
Mason of Tim scrigginsi''
al believe not" said I.
swell, you see" she continued ait was ma
ny years ago, when my husband belonged to
them, Che left them soon after they doomed Door
Morgan to such fate.) Tim had been tearing
and teaEing for ever so long to join them, but
they hadn't quite faith enough in his secretive
powers, and so they had been putting it of month
after month, until at last be became SO obstrep-
ulous that my husband told them to take him,
but to be sure that the initiating took place at
our house.
~You see We had large room-hall sup
pose is now the popular term-whieh we didn't
use only when we had large quilting party,
husking, apple-bee or something Of that kind;
then they used it to dance in. There was a
large closet opened out Of it that was used most
ly to stow away the bonnets and shaKls, and the
fellers hats and great coats. But one cornsr of
ii, had reserved for my pewter and silver dish
es, that mother gave me when she died.
You know they used pewter and silver in
them days, instead Of earthen or china, and
much better it was, too, for it wasn't getting
smashed up Wen, you see, set a great store
BY mine, because they were once my dear moth.
er's, there Aunt Petigrew's lip quivered.) and
50 thought that itWould be good out of the
way place to keep them safely, and / had sort
Of temporary cupboard made with shelves in
It to set them ons and they shOne so bright that
they always attracted the attention of the girls
that came to the parties, because great many
never saw any srcb dshes anywhere else. The
upper part Of the door that opened from the hall