Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-03-15

into the once Oh u prominent 4st-
- son few mornings since. aud took
q chair. She wiped her nose and
the perspiration frlm her face on
4 bIue-checked apron, and when
the. Mason looked at her, with
J ! IN interested. bF0tlierIy look, as
though she vas - trouble, she
said al 5sf AL
aAre you the boss Mason r.
He blushed. told her he was a
Mason. but not the highest in the
land. She hesitated q moment.
fingered the corner OF her apron,
and curled it up like boy speak
ing piece in school, and asked I:
1HaYe you taken the whole two
hundred and thirty three degrees
Of Masonry
The man laughed and told her
there were only thiFty-three de-
grees, and that be had only taken
thirty two. The Dtberdegree cogld
only be taken by a very few who
were recommended by the Grand
Lodge, and they had to go to New
York to get the thirty-third de-
gree. ~ lGE a
The lady studied a minute. un-
pinned the safety that held her
shawl together, and put il in her
month, took . loags breath, and
SAFE -
where does my husband get
he The other 81 two hundred degrees
The PROMINENT Mason said he
guessed her husband never got two
hundred degrees. unless he had
degree factory. He said he didn't
understand the lady. 80
docs my husband have to set
up with a corpse fhree nights a
week 90 she asked. her eyes flash
ing fire. "And do they keep a lot
of sick Masons on tap FOR my hns-
band to set up with the other three
nights ?"
The prominent Mason said he
was thankful that few MasOns died,
and only occasionally was one sick
enough to call for Masonic assis
lance.
Z, ,''But whysdO you ask these ques-.
tiOns, madam Z" said the promi-
nent Mason.
The woman picked the fringe of
her shawl, hung her head down,
and said: 'tsA 90 - 600
well, nv husband began to
join the Masons about two years
ago, and he has been taking de-
grees or sitting up with people ey-
cry night since. He has come
home twice with the wrong pair
of drawers on, and when | asked
him haw it was, he said it was a
secret he could not reveal under
lhe penalty of being shot from a
cannon. All he would say was
that he took a degree. | have kept
Il little track of it, aud / figure that
he has taken 233 degrees, includ-
lag the grand Sky Fugle degrees,
which he took the night he came
hO ne with his lip cut, and his ear
hanging by piece OF skim"
ID, madam" said the prominent
Mason, ''there is no Sky Fugle de-
gree in Masonry. Your husband
has deceived you"
THAT'S what think,s said she,
as a baleful light appeared in her
eye. HE said he was taking the
Sky Fugle degree, and fell through
the sky light. / had him sewed up
and he was ready fOrmore degrees.
\ Ter he had taken about a hun
dF,'d aud fifty degrees, told him
should think that he would let
up ON il, ard put some potatoes in
the cellar for the Winter, but he
said when man once got started |
0n The degrees he had To take them
all, or lie didn't amount to any
thing. Sometimes y brother Ma
S0n comes home with him along in
the morning, and they talk about
full flush aud about their pat
hands" and raising 'em OUT
Slne night when he was asleep /
beard him whisper, raise you ten
dollars and when Iasked him
Nhat 1t meant, he said they had
been raising a purse for poor
widow. Another time he raised
up In bed, afterhe had been asleep,
and shouted, i stand pat and
when | asked him what he meant
he said he was ruined if told it.
lie said he had spoken the pass
word, and ii the brethren heard il,
they would put him out ofthe way.
lister. Is i stand pat your pass
word ~
The Mason told her it was not.
That the words she had spoken
was an expression used hy men
sinen playing draw poker, and he
added that he didn't believe her
husband was Mason at all, but
: that he had been lying to her all
these years.
She sighed and said. SsThat's what
/ thought when he came home
with . lot Of ivory chips in his
pocket. He said he used them at
the lodge to vote on candidates.
and that a white chip elects and a
blue chip rejects a candidate. I'll
you will look the matter up and
seeifhe has joined the Masons I will
be much Obliged t0eylu. He saws
he has taken all the 233 DEGREE.
and now the boys want him 10
lDln the Knights Of Pythias. II
want To get out an Injunction 70
prevent him from Joining ANYTHING
else until we get some undercInthes