Omaha daily bee., 1890-07-06
Female Masons in Europe.


In all parts of Europe save England, where
females are rigidly excluded from participa-
tiOn in Mason ic la bos of any description, a
lodge member being recently expelled for
allowing the covert presence of a couple of
female relatives at lodge of sorrow, there
EXISTS the Order OF Fidelity, more generally
known as the Rite of option, says tn @ New
York Mercury. This system is not Masonic,
correctly speaking, still it apprOXimates in
principles and benefits to Masonry closely
with very ingenious ritual, signs, pass
words, grips and disnc tive em5lems. Prior
to the ntrOdu cton of Masonry into France
there Were numerous secret societies
admitting women into membership
hours of distress and of danger;
afording asylums for thewives, widows and
children OF men slain or persecutcd during
civil disorders then prev alent. The spirit of
Chiv airy was not extinct when Masonry was
introduced int France and thereit fingers
still. The more intellectual NaSons perVeiv ed
the advantages acruing through permission of
females to comming Gle with them at their so
Cial reunions. Con emily, as women could
not be initiated into the mysteries, some OF
the leading lodges of Paris held extra in
| formal, sessions in which they invited ladies
of rank, distin ction and ability TO participate
| as comembers, whence came the phrase
adoption as the females were invested
|
| their branch in labor
Androgynous Masonry madeits appearance
| at Paris about 1870, only five years after the
| first lod ge had been constituted in that city.
! In l760 the Count de Bcrnouville created a
odgeof adoption at his manrion in the sub
urbs, attended by all the literary aud other
| celebrities of the day, while several OF her
noblemen held other at their city residerC Ces,
and none dispersed without generous
collections for the poor, In 1ii5 a
lodge OF adoption was established
Bourbon, assisted by the duke of Chartres,
grand master of Nlasons, Among its mem.
bers were the Duchessesde LuyneS, de Bran
cas-, the Countess de Caylus, the Vicountess
de TWannes and numerous ladies of the court.
Their object was the payment of debts for
| winch the epoorwcc impris oned. In lIi9 the
Lodge of Adoption la Candeur'' busted
| itselffor the relief Of titled brother perse-
cuted by family hatred and driver TO fright
ful misery, AT its solicitation Louis XVI
presented its ward with 1000 lvres and
| ordered him apenson ofS0O francs aud com.
mission ed him to alieutenancy in the army.
| There Were simultaus ously lodges presided
| over by Mime, Helvetius, the Princess de
| Lamballe and other ladies OF quality, which
gave brilliant festivals and charity balls until
| the outbreak of the resolution. Under
! Napoleon the Rite of Adoption was revived
| Withthe Empress Josephine as grand mistress
| and the Princess de Carignon and the
Duchess de Vaudlmont as her assistants in
office
1t is understood that in the coming winter
an endeayor will be made TO introduce the
original Rite OF Adoption into this city aud
asSupdly, If IL afforded entertainment TO the
great ladies ofthe courts of the French soy
ereims and remains highly in Europeit can
be cultivated with profit by the fair sex Of
Gotham, especially those indulging in foreign
travel, towhom the sigus and passwords may