The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-01-28
Why Can't a Woman be a Mason ?

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Austin, Nevada, recently, Major
Sherman delivered the address,
abounding in wit and humor, clus
tering around eloquent gems of Ma.
sonic history. AS specimen Of the
humor, we quote the solution Of the
above query, as reported in the Re
veille:
"Women sometimes complain
that they are not permitted to en-
ter our lodge and work with the
craft in their labors, and learn all
that there is to be learned in the III.
stitution. We explain the reason.
We learn that before the Almighty
had finished His work He was III
some doubt about creating Eve.
The creation of every living thing
had been accomplished, and the AL
mighty had made Adam (wllo was
the first Mason) and created for him
the finest lodge i'll the world, and
called it Paradise No. l. He then
caused all the beasts of the field and
fowls of the air to pass before Adam
for him to name them, which was a
piece of work he had to do alone,
so that no confusion might there
fore arise when Eve was created,
whom he knew would make trouble
if she Was allowed to participate in
it, if he created her before hand.
Adam being very much fatigued
with the labors of his first task,
fell asleep, and when he awokc he
found Eve in the Lodge with him.
Adam, being the Senior Warden,
placed Eve as the pillar of beauty in
the South, and they received their
instructions from the Grand Master
in the East, which, when finished,
she Immediately called the Craft
from labor to refreshments. In
stead of attending to the office as
she ought she left her station, vio-
lated her obligations, let in an ex-
PEELED Mason, who had no business
there, and went round with him,
leaving Adam to look after the
Jewels. This fellow had been ex-
PEELED from the Lodge, with severa!
others, some time before but, hear
ing the footsteps Of the Grand Mas
ter, he suddenly took his leave, tell
ling Eve to go and make aprons, as
she and Adam were not IN proper
regalia. She went and told Adam,
and when the Grand Master re-
turned to the lodge he found his
gavel had been stolen, and He called
tor 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 Adam what he was doing
there, instead of occupying his ot1l-
cial position. Adam replied that
he was waiting for Eve to call 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 she had to
offer in her excuse for her unofficial
and unmasonic conduct? !? She re-
piled that a fellow, passing him
self off as a grand lecturer, had been
giving her instructions, and she
thought it was no harm. That
Grand Master then asked her what
had become of his gavel? She said
she didn't know, unless that fellow
had taken it away. Finding that
Eve was no longer Trustworthy, and
that,she had. caused Adam to neg
lect his duty, and having let one in
whom He had expelled, the Grand
Master closed the Lodge, and, turn
ing them out, set faithful Tiler to
watch the door with a flaming sword.
Adam, repenting of his folly, went
to work like man and good Ma
son, in order to get reinstated again.
Not so with Eve; she got angry
about it and commenced raising
Cain. ... g.. . ..."-
"Adam, on account of his refOr
nation. was permitted to establish
Lodges and work in the degrees, and
while Eve was allowed to join him
in acts of charity outside, she was
never again to be admitted to assist
in the regular Lodge work OF the
Craft. Hence the reason why a wO-
man cannot become all inside Ma
SON." .-. ....