, 1873-01-05
why a Woman cannot be a Mason.

At the Masonic celebration at Austin,
Nevada, recently, Major Sherman de-
livered the address, abounding In wit
and humor, clustering around eloquent
gems of Masonic history. As spcci-
men of the humOr, We quote the sOlu-
ton Of the above query, as repeated In
the "Reveille":
"Women sometimes complain that
they are not permitted to enter our
lodge and work with the craft in their
labOrs, and learn all there Is to be
/ learned In the institution. We learn
that before the Almighty had finished
his work he was in some doubt about
creating Eve. The creation of every
living creeping thing had been accom-
plished. and the Almighty had made
Adam twho was the first Mason) and
created him for the finest lodge In the
world, and called 1t Paradise No. |.
He then caused all the beasts of the
field and the 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 arise
when Eve was created. whom he knew
would make trouble If she were allowed
to participate in Il, If he created her
before hand. Adam being very mnch
fatigued with the labor OF his first task.
fell asleep, and when he awoke he found
Eve in the lodge with him. Adam
being senior Warden. placed eve In 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 refreshment. In
steal of attending to the duties OF the
office as she ought, she left her station,
violated her obligations, let In an ex-
/ PEELED Mason, who had no business
there, and went around with him, leav-
| lag Adam TO look after the jewels.
The fellow had been expelled from the
lodge with several Others, some time
before. But hearing the footsteps Of
the Grand Master, he suddenly took his
leave, telling Eve to go to making
aprons, and she and Adam were not in
proper regalia. She went and told
Adam, and when the Grand Master
returned to the lodge he found his
gavel had been slOlen. He called for
the senior and junior War1en, 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 of Adam what they were
doing there, instead Of occupying his
official station.
Adam replied that he was waiting
tor Eve to call the craft from refresh
ment to labor again /; and that the craft
was not properly. clothed, which they
were making provisions for. Turning
to Eve he asked her what she had to
offer in excuse for her unofficial and
unmasonic conduct. She replied that
fellow passing himself for a grand
lecturer, had been giving her instrnc-
tions, and she thought it was no harm.
The Grand Master then asked her what
became of his gavel? She said she
didn't know, uIless the fellow had
taken it away. Finding that Eve was
no longer trIIstwOIth. and that she had
clused Adam to neglect his duty, and
having let In one who had been expelled,
the Grand Master closed the Lodges
and turning them out set faithful
Tiler at the door with flaming sword.
Adam repenting of his folly, went to
work like a man and good Mason IN
order to get reinstated again. Not so
with Eve-she got angry about it, and
commenced raising Cain.
Adam, on account of his reformation,
was permitted to establish lodges and
work in the degrees, and while Eve
was allowed to join him in acts ofchar-
ity outside, she was never again to he
admitted to assist in the regular lodge
work of the craft. Hence, the reason
woman cannot become an inside Mason.