Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-11-17
4 STORY OF A FRENCH FREE
MASON.

illustrations of the value of Freemasonry
in dangerous emergencies, and the anec-
dotes are endless CT the lives saved by it's
means. Among the cart loads Of wound
cd of both nations which arrived from
Sedan were two men whose consideration
of each other was SO marked us to occasion
inquiry. They wore the Prussian and
French uniform respectively, and though
neither could understand word Of the
others language, they shared their ratioDs
and seemed to be interchanging signals
Of amity all day long.
Their story was very simple, one. The
Prussian, who is an officer, and man of
50 or so. with stern, grave face, and a
heavy oyerhanging meustache, had met
the Frenchman, whe is at least dozen
years his junier, On the battlefield, the
latter being supported by couple Of
comrades.
Twice did the wave Of the conflict
bring these men in contact, on the last
occasion the Prussian, who was himself
badly wounded in the chest. pressed the
young Frcnchman hard, and had, indeed,
his sword uplifted to administer the coup
de grace, when the latter who was faint
from the loss of blood, made hasty sign
to MS victor which causel the latter to
stay his hand. Farley was impossible,
both from the exigencics of language and
the turmoil Of battle, and besides both
men lost consciousness and fell at each
others side. 1t turned out that the young
Frenchman had been made a Freemason
few months before tho outbreak of the
war, and that he had instincsively made
the sign by means Of which members of
fraternity ara taught to ask their breth-
oran for holp. The Prussian was an old
Mason, who recognized it instantly, and
who as instinctively paused. and before
there was time fer consideration, both
men tainted away. When consciousness
was restored they found themselves side
by side, and with the dead and dying
around them.
By a strange coincidence, their
wounds were such that each could give
the other some slight relief, and the late
enemies employed their weary hours, in
which they lay disabled and INTENDED.
in rendering little kindness to each other,
and in thus cementing the friendship
which had begun, so strangely. When
he Up came they petitioned to be permitted
to keep together, telling their story with
considerable ehusiveness to the doctor,
who, after some time came to them on the
field This gentleman, who was not a
military surgeon, but a member Of the
blessed society which dates from Geneva,
raised his hands, in pleased establishment
at the tale he head, and at once showed
himself to be Precursor too; so that
the three brethcren Of the mystic tie
were to be seen wondering over the
strange chance which had thrown them to-
gether.
The wounded men are supremely salts
fed with the result, and their story has
given them quite celebrity among thes
fellow sufferers. At Iges, where the
French prisoners were placed after the cap
itulation of Sedan, and where, it is but
too true. they were all but starving, some
of their numbers contrived to make it
huoHb W tHoiI oaptoAS OuaV 9uoy "olo
Masons, aud though this was Intellectual in
many instances, the sturdy and uninitiated
Prussians laughed the Masonic gestures
to scorn, whenever it succeeded the men
obtained little com forts which were price
less. A stout trooper was seen handing
warm freize coat to one prisoner, and
giving part of his rations to another ;
and explained his conduct to al inquirer
with shespish smile, which spoke volumes,
They are my brothers, though I have
fought with them, and they are hungry
and cold, aud mast be helped. They
would do it for me" These are mere ty-
pical cases. But it is impossible to mix
much with the troops particularly after
battle, without hearing of kindred
instances of masonic usefulness. London
Times