The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1880-04-23
Women and Masonry.

tAO q laIc hooOLiC DauiuCl, II. L
Brown, Cincinnati humorist spoke
as follows, in response to "The La.
dies"
1t may be light matter for you.
brethren, to conscript me in this way
but it is far from being such to me-
DO you realize what you have called
upon me to do? Have you for one
single instant considered the magni-
tude of she task you have thrust upon
me! You have not, or that far reaching
charity which makes his headquarters
in this lodge room would have spared
me. You impose upon me task
that would have made Hercules turn
pale and feel like small boy with q
bile on his elbow. Yon ask me to
enlighten you on subject that has
always been utterly incomprehensiblc
TO the minds of men, from the begin
ming Of humanity down to the last
new bonnet-in fact, ever since the
morning when the first woman Glled
her pretty eyes with tears, put on her
waterproof and went home 10 her
mother in high dudgcon, with what
she conceived to be 4 broken heart,
and 'deep.seated impression that
her hubby WAS a beast, because he
persisted in going to the lodge every
other night. From that unfortunate
morning, say, up to the present mo-
ment, woman has been q riddle that
no man could guess, and yet not one
of them would give her up. The lit
tie boy wasn't far out Of the way
when he said, "NIan is a mister, and
woman is q mystery" But mys-
terry, you know, is always attractive
until it is solved and understood, and
as the ladies never have been, and
never will be, fully understood, it is
safe to say the time will never come
when they shall cease to be attrac-
tive. My subject is an old one, or at
least Of uncertain age, but most in
-teres:ing one; especially in the morn
ing gsof youth; in the days of the first
budding mustache, when John Henry
looks into the lovc-lit eyes Of Mary
Ellen, and sees in their limpid depths
everything in this world worth look
ing for and large slice of heaven
besides. For him the magic pencil
of inspiration itself can produce moth
ing brighter than the sweet loo!; o!
effectionate confidence that beams
upon him at the moment of betrot ul
and fills his heart with noble aspira
lions and newborn interest in the
market value of household and kitchen
furniture. In the priceless gems Of
coroncts can be found no jewel that
shines with brighter and pu"cr light
than the eyes of love. Brawny smith
and relentless anvil have never forged
more binding fcttcr than has been
found in one little tiny golden curl ;
and, in all the marvels Of mechanism,
where, l ask, can you find anything
in machinery that can keep up with
n woman's tongue, without break or
smash-up?
in many respects women and Ma
sonry strongly resemble each other.
Both are full Of mystery and dcvo-
ted TO men. Both are celebrated for
thheiraood works. Masonry is the
handmaid Of religion; so, also, is
woman. The mission Of Masonry is
10 relieve the suGering,, minister to
the distressed, comfort the afflicted.
and watch by the bedside of disease
and death, and in all these good of.
fees the soft hand Of woman is never
missing. Masonry has signs and
eymbols to remind its me cmbers Of all
the cardinal virtues, but in woman
they are all manifest, even to a near
sighted man like myself, and require
nogilt and tinseled cmblems to adj
yertise their presence. Masonry has
its alter, upon which are pledged
VOWS Of fraternity and virtue, but
not more sacred is it than the altar
Of woman's heart, which never shrinks
from sacrifice in behalf Of those she
loves.
Masonry raises man to sublime de-
grees Of beauty, pruncs his heart of
vices, and implants in their stead
vines of virtues and flowers of fra
grant goodness. Woman "raiscs"
him also-if he happens to stay late
at the lodge-.to sublime degrees of
CONSERVATION and infinite amaze
ment at the high-pressure endurance