The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-06-22
A Masonic Incident.

were witness, before we were admit |
ted to enjoy the great gifts Of Masonry: |
During the fall of the second wear of |
the late civil war, we were passing down |
one ofOur principal thOroughfares, when |
we stepped into store on business with |
the proprietor. While c0nversing with
! the owner, woman Of thirty, and al
tered, and after looking Wistfully about
a Minute or two, timidly drew near to
where we were standing, and as she
extended her open, thin, white hand,
we saw four pennies therein. She said.
us she did so: "Please, sir, will you
! give me another penny? I want to get
a loaf of bread. | have four cents, and
| want penny more" While speaking,
she turned toward the proprietor Of the
store, who looked at her a second, and
then said in heartless manner: "Oh,
clear out! | can't be bothered with beg
gars.7 With tears streaming down her
cheeks, she started to gO'out; the little
child by her side clinging to her dress,
looking up into her mothers face, and
lisping as children can only speak:
Mama L want Il cookie" We had
been a silent spectator until now, and
following the woman to the sidewalk.
we stopped her. and invited her to step
into the bakery adjoining, where we pllT-
chased her large loaf OF bread. With
the usual mlstruSt that perVades the
human heart, we broke the loaf across
our knee, for fear she might pawn it for
drink. W. handed the woman the broken
loaf, and she gTasped it and sank upon
her knees, and if there ever was a
prayer and Thanksgiving that went to
the throne above, it was the earnest
words OF this starving woman.
In the bakery there were several gen
tlemen, whose eyes were wet with tears
unbldden. The poor woman was assisted
to rise by one of the gentlemen, who
extended his hand to help her. AS she
put forth her hand, Oh her finger was a
small gold ring, on which was engraved
the letter &C" The gentleman looked
at it a second or so, and then, turn
ing to the owner of the bakery,
asked him if he knew the woman. The
baker said all he knew was that she
lived just around the corner, and that
her husband had enlisten in one of the
three years regiments, and had gone to
the war. The gentleman atom ordered
the baker to fill a basket of provisions
and take them to the home of the woman.
The woman was too much overcome to
express her gratitude, while the little
child looked ON with apparent astonish-
ment. After finishing his orders to the
baker, the gentleman took the little
child by the hand, led her into q store
close by, and procured a pair of shoes
for the little feet, which were DurDle
: with cold. He then bade the woman
goodbye, promising to come and see
her that night, and turning to us, asked
us to accompany him. We consented,
and went. In single room, without a
carpet, we found the mother and two
chlldren-the little girl whom we saw in
; the afternoon, and little boy not over
, four years old, asleep close beside a
= wood fire. We were welcomed with
tears falling down the cheeks of the
! lady as she bade us enter and take seats.
, After thanking us and making excuses
for her appearance, she told us her story.
, Her husband an English brick-layer,
came to this country early in the spring,
5 but on arriving in this city he did not
t readily find work, and while out looking
| for something to do, became dishearten-
ed, and enlisted for three years. He left
the city in week after enlistment, leay-
ing his family nothing with which to
, purchase the necessities of life. The few
| spare article of furniture which the
/ broken hearted family possessed, and
could do without, she had paWned, until
? only two broken chairs, a table, a lounge
and a stove, with few dishes, formed
| SIOCh VI lGE IIOuSGuOlu IIlrlll-
= ture. Herhusband had promised to send
y her some money, but she had not heard
g a word from him since he marched down
e Long Wharf, off to the war. Her mar,
ratlve was often interrupted by scalding
e tears, but there was such an earnestneSF
/ In it, that both of the visitors felt re.
q lieyed when she had finished. One friend
then asked her where she got the ring
y that she wore upon her finger. She sale
|. that just as she was leaving LIVERPOOL
Y her mother, ,Efather and sister came to set
t her OIL, and as she was about to step on
n board the ship, her father took from his
: finger the ring and put into her hand
and told her to always wear it, and i
[ She had worn it ever since, and had for
Il gotten, i'll her troubles, her fathers ad
n vice. She slipped the ring off her finger
I and showed 1t to us, and after viewing i
I q short time, our companion enQuired i
her father was Mason. She answered
, that he was, and master of one of th'
8 Lodges in Liverpool. We were an in
2 terested spectator during the whole
3 scene. We looked at the letter &c,
but to our eyes it had no meaning. an(
I innocently enough we enquired of on
o companion what it meant. "What doe
| it mean ~ he repeated after us. "Why
| 1O WOlIIdl is lily D1UUIlGE
4 daughter, and she is in distress, ant
b that it is my duty and pleasure to hell
Y her. And we know he was as good al
t his word, The dreary home was mad,
g happy, and the hearts of the lone ont
; and her children We're bound up will
the silkeH cords of love and charity
Our companion interested himself il
8 finding out where the husband was, anC
|, it was not many months before remit
d tances came regularly from the patrio
a in the gallant army to his family a
o home.
f The wife sent letter home to he
8 father and to-day our brother,-fOr w
n have learned the value of the lette
H "Go-has In his possession token ant
n letter of thanks, as high in gratitud
r as words can make it from a brOthe
t Mason who presided over Lodge o
d the Craft in Liverpool. The husband
r served his time amid the cane-brakes o
!, Louisiana, and returned to his home t
@ thank in person him who had cared fo
# his wife and little ones in his absence
i Thus the simple letter &C" may teac
h all lesson, and prompt us to do work
:, of love and charity that make the hear
glad: for "it is more blessed to Civ
than to receive. ."-Loomis' Journal.