Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-05-03
DObley'S Secret Society
He Is High Wielder OF the Sledge" at
the Hammer Club.


that made his wife forget to look at the
clock and sigh as she usually did when
she had waited over long for his com
ing. AS he removed his coat she no
ticed with some amazement that his
coat and waistcoat were wrong side
out and that various signs resembling
the printing on a Chinese laundry
ticket were inscribed upon his shirt
front.
Through long experience, however
Mrs. Dobley had learned to be surprised
at nothing in the way of eccentricity
which might mark her husbands be-
havior or attire when he arrived home
late. She only raised her eyebrows
slightly and swept them questioningly
over his makeup, with just a suspicion
of amazement in her glance.
Mr.. Dobley smiled triAe APOLOGIZE
cally.
81 have been installed tonight" he
said, past master and high wielder
of the Sledge in our new Lenten Ham
mer club"
"Lenten Ham," began Mrs. Dobley
in surprise.
That's fact-I didn't tell you about
it. my dear, did /? The fact is, Fresh
ington and myself have had an idea for
some time in regard to the forming
of a powerful secret society. We felt
that. on certain lines, the club might be
made a marvelously strong organiza-
ton in the world of finance and in the
social world as well"
Mrs. Dobley's eyes again circled over
Dobley's disarranged attire and the HI
eroglyphics upon his shirt bosom, as
though trying to connect them with
the lofty purpose of the new organiza-
ton. Following her glance, Mr.. Dob
ley observed the inscriptions and col
ored slightly.
"Ah!" he said, while Twas blindfold-
ed | see the boys have given me the
symbolic brandiDgs of our society,""
81 wonder if it will wash?" said Mrs
Dobley, anXiously. 1T is all crinkled
and damp"
THAT is the result of the siphon
BAPTISM" said Dobley, seriously, lone
OF the most beautiful rites of our Or
der. 1t was Fresh-lgtOn's idea"
''You seem to be encouraging the
laundry industry" said Mrs. Dobley'
81 suppose that is why you employ
the signs the Cinnamon use in their
wash lists?"
1T is not Chinese" said Dobley.
1T is the sign language of our or
der Each mark means a link OF
brotherhood that we at once recog-
nize. In any quarter of the globe
these mystic characters bind the
members in loyalty. We considered it
safer and newer than grip"
And the reversing Of your clothes"
said Mrs Dobley; mas that any mys-
tic sig-ifcance?"
Before the meeting begins" said
Dobley, Eve all put our coats and
vests on wrong side out in order to
be secure from the intrusion of any
ore not in the ranks. 1t is simple
method but absolutely safe"
"Why did you choose Lent as the
time to begin your club?" asked Mrs.
Dobley. ut isn't high church af'
fair, 1 should judge?"
"The season OF Lent" said Dobley,
sis the great club-forming season.
The sewing circle and the reading club
become rampant; thecooking class and
the Browning association flourish; the
Golf club fever fairly sizzles at the win
ter resorts. Then neither Freshington
nor myself has ever belonged to Sc
cret society. We felt that something
was lacking in our lives. We wore no
mystic badge; no ton-weight watch
charm that identified US with the an
cient order of anything-why, we had
mt even a dinky little button that sig
nifed that we were sons Of anything.
We weren't in it, and we agreed that 1T
gave a man a certain distinction to
wear these things that he could never
get any other way. Even fire badge
gives a man an air of power. So one
day Freshington said: Dob, when
Lent comes around we will form a
great secret society," Those were the
simple words. Mrs Dobley, in which he
announced the beginning of what
promises 10 be the greatest thing that
ever happened"
"Has the society any object beyond
that Of filing a gap in your life and in
Mr. Freshington's?" asked Mrs. Doh'
ley. THE name is somewhat contus|
ing"
1.-THE name" said Dobley, in a mys-
terious undertone, ''is only to con-
ceal the true purpose of the club. 1t
indicates the process through which
the members of the club will pass in
order to fit themselves for the great
work in view. Each member of the
club in time will become full-fedged
Yogi"
"a Yogi?" exclaimed Mrs. Dobley,
what on earth is a Yogi?"
as it possible that you do not know
what a Yogi is?" said Dobley, commits
eratingly. "a Yogi is a person in
whom the spirit is developed to such
an extent that he or she--for there are
female Yogis-can exercise wonder
full power simply by willing things to
come to pass. BY the time the mem
hers of the Hammer club reach this
state we propose to encircle the earth
in q system of mind waves-by which
we will rule the world practically. In
other words we are going to apply
theosophic theories ordinary to every
day life; to gradually advance from
the primer stage to point where we
can project our minds on currents that
can be directed anywhere-and in this