Smyrna times., 1883-02-21
Initiated into Masonry.

cinnamon bag on the shelf and took
out long stick of cinnamon bark to
chew.
Why, yes, of course am, but what
set you to thinking of that?" asked
the groceryman, as he went to the
desk and charged the boys father with
half pound of cinnamon.
"Well, do the goats bunt when you
nishiate fresh candidate?"
No, of course not. The goats are
choice ones, that have no life, and we
muzzle them, and put pillows over
their heads, so they can't hurt any
body" says the groceryman, as he
winked at brother Odd Fellow who |
was seated on sugar barrel, looking
mysterious. but why do you ask ?"
90, nuthin' only wish me and my
chum had muzzled our goat with a
pillow. Pa would have enjoyed his
becoming a member Of the lodge better.
You see, pa had been telling us how
much good the Masons and Odd Eel
lers do, and said we ought to try and
grow up good so we could jine the
lodges when we got big, and asked
pa if it would do any hurt for us to
have a play lodge in my room and
ptIrtend to nishiate, and pa said it
wouldn't do any hurt. He said it
would improve our minds and learn us
to be men. So my chum and me bor-
ried q goat that lives in livery stable
and carried him up to my room when
pa and ma was out riding, but the
goat blated so we had to tie handker-
chief around his nose, and his feet
made such noise on the floor that
we put some baby's socks on his feet.
Well, sir, my chum and me practiced
with that goat until he could bunt a
picture of a goat every time. We bor-
ried buck beer sign from a saloon
man and hung it on the back of a chair
and the goat would hit it every time.
That night pa wanted to know what
we were doing up in my room, and l
told him we were playing lodge, and
improving our minds, and pa said that
was right, there was nothing that did
, boys of our age so much good as to
initiate men, and store by useful
knowledge. Then my chum asked pa
if he didn't want to come up and take
| the grand bumper degree, and pa
y LATED and said he didn't care if he did
just to encourage us boys in innocen
o pastime, that was so improving to ou
intellect. We had shut the goat up il
,, a closet in my room, and he had go
over his blating, so we took off tn
r handkerchief, and he was eating som
q of my paper collars and skate straps
+ "We went up stairs and told pa t
# come up pretty soon and give thre
distinct raps, and when we asked hir
who comes there he would say, Z"
pilgrim who wants to join your ancier
order and ride the goat Ma wante
to come up, too, but we told her if sh
come in it would break up the lodg
W cause woman couldn't keep a secre
and we didn't have any side saloon fC
9 the goat. Say, if you never tried
u the next time you nishiate man
your Mason's lodge you sprinkle
o. little kyan pepper on the goats beal
1c just before you turn him loose. YC
op can get three times as much of Il
70 square inch of goat. You wouldn
H. think it was the same goat. Well, v
er got all fixed and pa raped, and we |
ia him in and told him he must be blin
II folded, and he got on his knees
.rs laffing, and tied towel around /
of eyes and then 1 turned hiu aroul
W. and made him get down on his han
OIL also, and then his back was rig
his toward the closet door, and 1 put t
led buck beer sign right against pi
ats clothes. He was laffing all the tin
he and said we boys were full of fun
his they made 'em, and we told him it "
H. a solemn occasion, but we would
permit no levity and if he didn't st
lafHng we couldn't give him the gra
NE. bumper degree. Then everything "
ev- ready, my chum had his hand on I
md closet door, and some kyan pepper
OF his other hand, and l asked pa in Il
or bass tones if he felt as though he wa
Gus ed to turn back, or if he had mel
s enough to go ahead and take
The degree. warned him that it was
in of dangers as the goat was loaded
OF bear, and told him he yet had time
Flor retrace his steps if he wanted to.
1cls said he wanted the whole busin,
and we could go ahead with the 1
Inc nagerie. Then l said to pa that if
ON had decided to go ahead, and
'ns. blame us for the consequences, to
ar peat after me the following: 'Br
and forth the Royal Bumper, and let |
ed bumpw Pa repeated the words, .
hort my chum sprinkled the kyan pep
um- on the goats mustache, and he snee
nee, once and looked sassy, and then
aid, saw the lager beer goat raring up,
her, he started for it just like cow-catc
k. and blated. Pa is real fat, but he kr
he had got hit, and he gruRted
the said, Hell's fire what you b
,inal doin' 7 aud then the goat gave
this another degree, and pa pulled off
per- towel and got up and started for
hom stairs, and so did the goat, and ma
only at the bottom of the stairs listen
his and when 1 looked over the bani
and pa and ma and the goat were all
any. heap, and pa was yelling murder,
loso- ma was screaming fire and the
nted was blating and sneesipg and bunt
n he and the hired girl came into the
and and the goat took after her, and
crossed herself Just as the goat str
her and said; : Howly mother, pre-
the me = and went siovn ota;rs fba x.,a,