North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-11-30
THE MASON'S WIDOW.
OR THE MASONIC TALIsM AN.
BY AN oFFICER OF TIE U. 6. A.

During the late Mexican war a lad of ST x
teen, daring young Virginan ieaped fence
and climbed parapet some hundred yards
ahead of his company, and was taken prison
er; but not before he bad killed three Mexi-
cans, and MORALLY wounded a Colonel. His
mother, poor widow, but, though poor, a
lady, (and why not p heard of his fate, and
as he was an only son, her heart yearned for
his release. She wept at the thought, but
while the tears were streaming down her
cheeks, suddenly she recollccted that she
was Mason's widow. Hope lighted up In
her bosom at the thought-she dried her
tears and exclaimed:
{" will goand test the talsmanic power Of
the order my husband loved and rendered SO
much"
In her dusty attire she entered the Depart
ment Of the Secretary of War, and with some
difficulty obtained an interview, As she
entered the apartment in which he was seat
ed, and he saw how dusty she appeared -
"Well ma'am," Eas the solution he gave her;
bat when she removed her veil, and saw the
visaee Of the lady in her face, he half raised
himseifin his chair and pointed to a seat -
She told him OF her sons capture and wished
TO go to hjm.
" can't help you, ma,am," he replied, "a
very expensive journey to the city Of Mexico.
Your son will be released by and by on ex-
change OF prisoners"
6 Sir" SAID the widow, as7the tears Of woe
rolled down her cheek, 'can you not htlp me
to paSsPort,'
"Of course, he replied that viii be grant
ed TO you at the Secretary OF the State office.
but YOU are poor. bow do you expect to pay
the expenses Of such a journey 1t is Wis
ionary scheme. Good morning ma'am."
Sir, said the lady, will you be SO kind as
to roccommea3 me to the officer in command
of the regiment that Will sail from Baltimore
IN few days ~
- Imposoib'c, ma'a-n, impossib!c," he re-
Plicd. Then tnrniug to the page, he said.
4" WHO did you -ay vas wa;ting for an audi
ence ? Tel ;!tern am at leisure, now" "
" SIR, said ;he lady, I have one more ques-
tim tc ask you before leave your Office, and
pray you answer it-are yoa Mason 2,
Yes. ma'am."
Then, sir, " . permit me to say am a
Mason's widow-wieh this declaration leave
your office.
That moment tie Sccrctay's manner was
changed to that Of he most courteous inte-
TEST.
He entrcatcd her 20 be seated until he CO..
write few lines to the Secretary OF State
In few moments nc presented her with a
note to the Secretary, Recommending her to
his sympathy and friendship. The Secretary
nf STATE received her most kindly, and gayr
her letter to the commandant at New Orlc-
ans directing him to procure her a free pass
to Vera Cruz b. the first steamer. Through
tie agency Of the two Secretaries the Lodges
placed in her hands three hundred dollars,
with talisHa; card from the Grand Mas
ter at Washington, and the widow left the
city.
When she reached pittsburg. the stage
agent seeing the letter she bore from the
Grave Master would receive nothing for her
paSsagc- the Captain Of the steamer on
which she embarked ftr New Orleans, no soon
er deciphered it thaD he gave her the best
state room he had, and when she reached the
Present City, she had two hundred and
ninety dollars left of her three hundred
She there waited on the general in command
Of the station, with the letter Of the Secreta-
ry Of State, who Immediately instructed the
Colonel in command Of the forwarding troops
to see that she had free passage to Vera
Cruz by the first steamer BY all the officers
she was treated with tie greatest poIrteness
and deicacy, for they were all Masons and
te!t bound to her by ties as strong and del-
cate as those which bind brother to Sis
ter and rejoiced in the opportunity offered
them of evincing the benign AM noble prlnci,
plies Of the craft.
After passage Of five days she reached
Vera Cruz, ard having letter from the com
mandant at New Orleans to tho American
Governor she sent it to him, enclosing the
taljsnatrc. card she received from the Grand
Master at Washington. The Governor i'm
medately waited on her at the hotel and OIL
cred her transportation 10 the city tf Mex
ico by tram that would start the next
morning. Tho Colonel who commanded the
train, kindly took her IN charge and offered
her every facility and comfort IN her journey
provided her with a carriage where the coun-
try was level, and with mules and palaquins
over the mountains,
Within ninety miles of the city, they were
overtaken by detachment of Dragons es-
corting government official TO the general
in command An.ious m oct IN faster she