Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-11-08
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Story Of a French Free-Maaon.

This present war has been prolific in illus
tratiOns of the value of Freemasonry in dan
gerous emergencies, and the anecdotes are
endless of the lives saved by its means.-
Among the cart loads of wounded of both ua-
tions which arriv ed from Sedan were two men
whose consideration of each other was SO
marked as TO occasion inquiry. They wore
the Prussian and French uniform respectively,
AID though neither could understand word of
the others language, they shared their rations
and seemed to be intcrchanging signals of
amity all day long.
Their story was very simple one. The
Prussian, who is an officer, and a man of 35
or so, with stern, grave face, and heavy
overhanging moustache, had met the French
man, who is at least dozen years his junior.
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 Frenchman hare. a.
and had, indeed, his sword upliited to adj
minister the coup de grace when the latter
who was faint from the loss of blood, made
hasty sign to his victor which caused the lat-
ter to stay his hand. Farley was impossible,
both from the cxigencies 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 FreemasOn few months before
the outbreak of the war, and that he had in-
stinctvely made the sign by means of which
members of the fraternity are taught to ask
their bretherau for help. The Prussian was
an old Mason, who recognized it instantly and
who as instinctively paused, and before there
was time for consideration, both men tainted
away. When consciousness was restored they
found themselves side by side, aud with the
dead and dying around them.
BY strange co incidence, 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 untended, in rendering little kindness to
each other, and in thus cementing the friend
ship which had begun, So strangely. When
help came they pettioned to be permitted to
keep together, telling their story with con-
siderable effusiveness to the doctor, who, af-
ter some time came to them on the field
This gentleman, who was not n military. sur
geon, but a member OF the blessed society
which dates from Geneva, raised his hands in
pleased astonishment at the tale he heard, and
at once showed himself to be Freemason
! too; SO that the three bIctheren of the mystic
tie were to be seen wondering over the strange
chance which had thrown them together.
The wounded men are supremely satisfied
with the result, and their story has given them
quite celebrity among their fellow sufferers
At Iges, where the French prisoners were
placed after the capilulation of Sedan, and
where, it is but too true, they we're all but
starving, some of their numbers contrived to
MAKE it known to their captors that they were
Masons, and though this was Intellectual in
many instances, the sturdy and uniuitiated
Prussians laughing the Masonic gestures to
scorn, wherever it succeeded the men obtained
little comforts which were priceless. A stout
trooper was seen handing warm fre;ze coat
to one prisoner and giving a part of his
rations to another and explained his conduct
to an inquirer with sheepish smile, which
spoke volumes, 'They are my brothers, though
L have fought with them, aud they are hungry
and cold, and must be helped. They would
do it for me-" These are nero typical cases.
But it is impossible to mix much with the
troops particularly after battle, without hear
ing of kindred instances of masonic useful
ness.-London Times.