Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-10
MOMAN,s CURIOSITY.

The SECRETS Of odd FeIIowshiP-A We
man that wanted Just a Peep Ins
that Private Closet.
i A lodge OF the Independent Orde
Of Odd Fellows, at Woodstown, dc
termined to have their lodge-rooT
done up clean and nice. 1t was re
| solved unanimously that Mrs. K
should be employed to do the jot
| After the meeting adjourned, tb
Guardian, who knew the inquisitiv
character of Mrs. X, procured
billy goat and placed him in close
that was kept as a reservoir for th,
secret things. He then informed
the lady of the wishes of the lodge
and requested her TO come early mex
morning, as he would then be e
leisure to show her what was anC
what was not to be done.
Morning came, and with it Mad
anne h, with her broom, brushes,
pals, tubs, ETC., prepared and armed
for the job, and found the Guardian
waiting Tor her.
CHOW, Madame" said he, {" / tell
you what we want done, and how we
came to employ you. The brothers
said it was difficult to get any body
to do the job, and not be meddling
with the secrets in that little closet
we have lost the key, and can not
find it to lock the door. | assured
them that you could be depended
on"
depended onr Iguess / can.
My poor dead and gone husband,
who belonged to the Free Masons,
or anti-Masons, 1 don't know which.
He used to tell me all the secrets of
the concern, and when he showed
me all the marks the gridiron made
when he was initiated, and told me
how they fixed poor Morgan, /
never told living soul to this day /;
if nobody troubles your closet to
find out your secrets till / do, they
will lay there till they rot-they
will"
Il thought SO, said the guardi
an, land now l want you to com
mence in that corner, and give the
whole room a decent cleaning, and
l have pledged my word and honor
for the fidelity to your promise,
now don't 60 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 exclaimed, Don't
get into the closetr I'll warrant
there's a gridiron, or some non
sense, just like the anti Masons for
all the world, I'll be bound. | will
just take one peep, and nobody will
be any the wiser, as l can keep it to
myself"
Suiting the action to the word,
she stepped lightly to the forbidden
closet, turned the button, which was
no sooner done, than bah went the
billy goat with a spring to regain
his liberty, which came near upset
ting her ladyship. Both started for
the door, but it was filed with imple-
ments for house cleaning, and all
were swept clear from their posi-
ton down to the bottom of the
stairs.
The noise and confusion Occas-
Toned by such unceremOnious COM
ing down stairs drew half the town
to witness Mrs. KS. effort to get
from under the pile of pals, tubs,
broOms and brushes in the street.
Who should be first to the spot
but the rascally doorkeeper, who,
after releasing the goat which was
a cripple for life, and uplifting the
rubbish that bound the good WO-
man to the earth, anxiously inquired
if she had been taking the degrees p |
Taking the degrees - exclaimed
the lady, III you call tumbling from
the top to the bottom of the stairs,
with the devil after We, taking things
by degrees, / have them, and if We
Brighten folks as We have me, and
hurt them to boot, Ill warrant
they will make rs much nsise as |
did"
4 hope you did not open the
closet, Madam" said the door
keeper.
open the closet Eve ate the
apple she was forbidden! If you
want a woman to do anything, tell
her not to do it, and she'll do
it certain. | could not stand the
The secret was there,
| wanted TO know it. l opened the
door and out popped the tarnal crit
ter right into my face. l thought
the devil had me, and | broke for
the stairs with the devil butting me
at every jump. l fell over the tub
and got down stairs as you found
us, all in a heap"
"But, Madam" said the door
keeper, ''you arein possession of the
great secret OF the Ofder, ana must
90 up to be initiated and sworn, and
then go in the regular way"
Regular way!' exclaimed the
lady, "and do you suppose am
going near the tarnal place again,
and ride that ar critter without a
bride or lady saddle? No, never
l don't want nothing 10 do with the
man that rides it. Id look nice
perched on billy goat-wouldn't / T?
No, never! I'll never go nigh ii
again, nor your hall nuther-if /
can prevent it no lady shall ever
ioin the Odd Fellows. Why, I'd.
sooner be Free Mason, and be
broiled on a gridiron as long as fire
could be kept under it, and pulled
from garnet to cellar, with a halter,
in pair of old breeches and slip
pers, just as my poor dead husband
And he lived over it, but never
could live over such another ride as
[ took to-day"