Litchfield enquirer., 1868-02-27
THE REASON WHY A WOMAN CAN
 NOT BE A MASON.

The reason may to some seem novel, anG not very complimentary to the fair sisters yet we trust they are SO palpable, all youl readers will permit them to be assigned. l Woman sometimes complains that she is not permitted to enter our lodge and work with the craft in their labers. and learn all l there Is to be learned in the institution. We learn that before the Almighty had finished his work, He was in some doubt about creating Eve. The creation of every llvlng and creeping thing had been accom- pllshed, and the Almighty had made Adam, who was the first Mason, and created for hlm the finest Lodge in the world, and 1 called 1t Paradise. No. l. He then called all the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air to pass before Adam, for him to name them. which was piece of the work he had to do alone, so that no confusion might thereafter arise from Eve, whom He knew would make trouble if she was al- lowed to participate in it, if He created her beforehand,
 Adam being very much fatigued with the labors of his first task, fell asleep. and when he awoke, found Eve in the Lodge with him. Adam being Senior Warden, placed Eve as pillar of beauty in the south, and they received thelr instructions from the Grand Master in the east, which, when finished, she immediately called the craft from labor to refreshment. Instead o1 attending to the duties of her office as she ought, she left her station, violated her obligations, and let in an expelled Mason who had no business there, and went around with him, leaving Adam to look af- ter the jewels. The fellow had been ex pelled from the Grand Lodge with several others some tune before. But hearing the footsteps of the Grand Master, he sudden ly took his leave, telling Eve to make aprons, for she and Adam were not in prop CT regalla. She went and told Adam, and when the Grand Master returned to the Lodge, he found his gavel had been sto- len He called for the Senior and Junior Wardens, who had neglected to guard the door, and found them absent After searching for some time, he came to where they were hid, and demanded of Adam what he was doing there, instead of occu- pylng his official station, Adam replied that he was waiting for Eve to cali the craft from refreshment to labor again, and that the craft was not properly clothed, which they were making provision for. Turning to Eve. He asked her what ex- cuse she had to offer for her unofficial and unmasonic conduct. The replied that fellow passing himself off as Grand Lee turer had given her instructions, aud she thought 1t was no harm to learn them. The Grand Master then asked her what had become of his gavel: she said she didn't know, unless the fellow had taken it away.
 Finding that Eve was no longer trust worthy and that she had caused Adam to neglect his duty and had let in one whom he had expelled, the Grand Master had the Lodge chased and turning them out, set a faithful Tyler to guard the door, with 3 flaming sword. Adam repenting of his folly, went to work like man and good Mason, in order to get reinstated again Not so with Eve, she got angry about it and commenced raising Cain. Adam, on account of his reformation, was permitted to establish Lodges and work on the low degrees; and while Eve was allowed to join him in works of charity outside, she was never again permitted to assist in the regu- las work of the craft. Hence this is the reason why woman cannot be an inside Mason.
 NORFOLK