, 1876-06-30

scription to the missionary society. The
following conversation took place:
Your husband is a Presbyterian, 1
believe, Mrs. Butterwick? said the
deacon.
mo" replied Mrs. B. "He belongs
to pretty near everything else on earth
except the church. That's what say
to him, that while he's joining 80 much
he had better Join something decent,
that'n do him good. But he says he
has no time. He belongs to about forty
six secret societies of various kinds.
He's the awfulest man for such things
you ever saw, and all the time running
after them. Monday night he goes
round to the Free Masons, Tuesday he
associates with the Odd Fellows, We'd
nesday is his Red Man night, Thursday
is his Temperance Lodge, Friday he goes
fooling round with the Knights of Pyth-
las, and all the day Sunday he is visit
the sick and the widows and orphans
Of dead members. If there were sixty
days in week, 1 believe Butterwick
would have some lodge to attend to every
night.
''Mr. Grimes, that man actually knows
ninety-three grips and over two hun
dred passwords. And he's awful mys-
terious about them. The other day 1
saw him swinging his arms about kind
er curious at breakfast, and presently he
stops and says: Thunder, 1 forgot
where was Mary Jane you saw that !?
1t was a grand hailing sign. Swear
you'll never reveal it. And you know
he'll wake up nights and ask me if 1
heard him talking in his sleep, and if 1
say yes, he'll look scared to death, and
get out his pistol and say he'll blow my
brains out if ever repeat one of those
passwords. And he is all the time prac-
ticing grips on me, but he won't even
tell me what any Of them are although
he knows I am Just dying with curios-
ity. He says he knows more secrets
than any other man in the whole State,
and he says if he was to tell one of them
those Knights and Patriotic Sons, and
the rest Of them, would put him in a
vault and seal him up alive, or tear him
to pieces with red hot pinchers.
VHe's so careless, too. I see him Civ
ing the grand hailing sign to the slop-
man yesterday, and the slopman asked
Bridget If Mr.. Butterwick had the st.
Vitus bad; and I know when he tried
one Of those grips on the man that
came to tune the piano, the man said
if he squeezed his hand that hard again
he'd give Mr.. Butterwick . bloody
nose.
"And as for professions. Well, it seems
to me that when Mr.. Butterwick amt at
lodge he's marching in q procession.
Always some funeral or celebration or
something, and he turns out and goes
skipping around through the streets,
dressed in q cooked hat and sword, and
looking fierce enough to frighten any
body out Of their wits. And he told
me that sometimes he gets all these
grips mixed and he'll give o Mason an
Odd Fellows grip, and tell me not to be
surprised II he is kidnapped and made
away with before morning. And he'll
kiss the children goodbye, and make
his last little arrangements SOS every
thingl be straight when he's gone, and
then the children and nell cry, and he
look solemn, and go to bed TO rest before
his doom. But nothing ever came Of it.
They never touched him.
"You ought to Just see the letters that
come here directed to him. e. Butter
wick, and then Q whole alphabet of let
ters strung after his name. He's Right
Worshipful Grand Master, and q Sir
Knight, and an Eminent Past Grand
Sachem, and O Noble Grand, and q
Grand Chancellor, and o Chief Magnifi-
cent Reverend Druid Priest, and q lot
more such things as that, enough to
take your breath away; and with all he's
no more stuck up than you are. Just
as humble as q lamb. And he SAYS he
can reel out more stuff that they say at
their ceremonies than would fill Z small
library; and he has about sixty sheep
skin aprons. and all kinds Of pictures
on them that he wears when he is on
duty.
80 he has no time to tend to church.
and no money for heathens. He paws
his last dollar Saturday, paying up his
past dues to the Knights of Pythias.
and he says II he can't settle up with
the Druids by Thursday, they cut him
Oh and chuck him out. / don't know
what happens to q man when the Druids
shut down on him, but Butterwick hints
that it is not much better than sudden
death. Perhaps you are q Druid ? No |?
Well, you can see Butterwick and he'll
explain it to yon, and meantime those
heathenu have to shuttle along the
best they can. Maybe, If you was to
write to them how Butterwick is fixed
they might consider it sufficient. Good
morning: Remember me to Mrs.
Grimes"
Then the heathen withdrew and went
around to visit less mysterious family.
-ErchGnge.
THE original Masonic apron worn by
General Washington, has been present
ed 70 the Centennial historical dnr,nrt-