The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-11-05
PAYABLE IN ADVANCE.
A LADY FREEMAsON.


only female ever initiated into the ancient
mystery of frecmasonry. How she obtain
cd this honor we shall lay before our read
ers. Lord Democratic, Miss st. Lcrer's
father, a very Jealous mason held warrant,
and occasionally opened lodg &c at Donerai!e
House, his sons and some intimate friends
assisting and it is said that never were tho
masonic duties more rigidly performed than
by them. Previous to the initiation of IL
gentleman to the first step of masonry,
Miss st. Leger, who was young girl, hap
pened to be in an apartment adjoing tho
room generally used as a lodge room. This
room at the time was undergoing some
alteration; amongst other things the wall
was considerably reduced in one part Tho
young lady having heard the voices Of tho
tr, emasons, and prompted by the curiosity
natural to all 10 see the mystery, SO long
and so secretly locked up from public view,
had the courage to pick brick from the
wall with her scissors, and witnessed tho
ceremony through the first two steps. Gu
riosity satisfied, fear at once took possession
of her mind. There was no mode Of cs-
cape except through the very room where
the concluding part Of the second step was
still being solcmnizcd, and that b ing at
the end, and The room very large one,
she had resolution sufficient TO attempt to
; escape that way; and with light but trcm-
bling steps glidcd along unobscrvcd, laid
her hand on the handle of the door and
gently opening it, before her stood Il grim
looking tyler, with drawn sword a
shrek that pierced through the apartment
/ alarmed Inc members of the lodge who, all
rushing to the door, and finding that Miss
st. Lcger had been in the room during tho
ceremony, in the first parqxysm of their
rage, her death was resolved on but from
the moving application o: her younger
brother, her life was saved, on condition Of
her going through the whole Of the solemn
ceremony she had unlawfully witnessed. -
This she consented to, and they conducted
the beautiful and terrified young lady through
those trials which are sometimes more than
enough for masculine resolution, little think
ing they were taking into the bosom Of
their craft member that would afterwards
reflect lustre on the annals OF masonry.
The lady was cousin to General Anthony
st. Lcger, governor of St. Lucia, who insti-
tuted the interesting race and the ccIebra-
ted Doncastcr St. Leger stakes. Whenever
benefit was given at the theatres in Dub
lir or Cork for the Masonic Female Orphan
Asylum, she walked at the head of the
frcemasons with her apron and other in
sigma of freemasonary, and sat in the front
row of the stage box. The house was
always crowded on those occasions. Her
portrait is i'll the lodge room Of almost
every lodge in acknowledgement Popar.
THE ADVANTAGES OF A DAILY NEWSPAPER.
The frequency of blcssings-thc rcccp-
ton of continues favors, no matter what
may be their character-renders us Obvious
to their importance and benifcencc. We
are unmindful Of the air. We neglect tho
pellucid water that g,.shes and sparkIes at
our feet 1t is only when the flowers have
ceased yielding their fragrance, and tho
bright stream has lost its ripping melody,
tina: we remember with regretful pleasure
the solace and comfort they once gave lis.
So too it is with other features of life. And
the daily newspaper may well be cassed in
this category. In seasons Of calm. when
neither the financial nor political world is
agitated, the reader does not appreciate or
acknowledge the usefulness of the daily
press. Heis eager to Gull from it many and
lasting pleasure. But these lie regards as
only incidentals Of his existence. He en-
joys the flood that is yielded him, and lie
thrives wonderfully upon it, but lie does not
consider the newspaper rs an essential of
existence, rs q sine Qua non Of business
life.
II only when some storm like that which
is now raging bursts with fury over the coun-
| try that the invaluable character of the dali
y newspaper is presented in its true light to
The people. In our long connection with
the press we have never known period
when it was SO eminently and peculiarly
important to every branch OF trade and bu-
siness as now. In these hourse of gloom
and apprehension and danger it is the peo-
ple's only safeguard. 1t forewarns, and in
that degree forearms against disaster. 1t
protects the humble capitalist from tie ex-
tortions Of the wealthy. 1t throws flood
Of light upon the whole system of finance
and commerce, so that all who read may
thoroughly and perfectly understand. It's
not less useful as a means Of restoring con-
fidenee, Of imparting tone TO the popular
mind, and Of f,idding business circles of those
jealousies and foolish prcjudices which are