Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1913-05-20
She had Business With The Boss Mason.

A middle-aged lady with black alpaci
dress, cheap shawl, and cheap bonnie
and her hands all puck cred up aud blue, a
though she had just got her wash out, wen
into the Office of a prominent mason few
mornings since, when the Mason looked
up at her with an interested brotherly look
as though she was in trouble. She said
Are you the Boss MasoD?7
He ushed, told her he was a Mason, bu
not the highest in the land.
She hesitated momont and asked, Have
you taken the whole two hundred aud
thirty-three degrees in Masonry
The Mason laughed and told her there
were only thirty-three degrees i'll Masonry
and he hsd taken thirty.two degrees, and
that the other one could be taken by very
few and that they had TO be recommended
by the Grand Lodge and go to New York
city in order to take it.
The lady studied minute, then said,
"Well, where does my husband get the
other two hundred degrees, Id like to
know?
The prominent Mes n led he did lot
| know unless be had degree factory, but
| he guessed he never got them. He said he
didn't quite understand the lady.
docs my husband have to sit up with q
corpse three nights out q week, and do
you keep lot of sick Masons on tap for
my husband to sit up with the other three
nignts?'
The Mason said he was thankful to say
only few MasoDs ever died and il was only
| once in two or three months that a Mason
| was called upon to sit up with anybody.
But why do you ask these questions?
The woman picked the fringe of her shawl
hung her lead and said, well my husband
joined the Mason's about two ears ago and
he has been taking degrees or sitting up
with sick people every night since. Hhy
he comes all hours of the night smelling OF
beer and cheese. The way reckoned for
the smell was that he had been 20 the NOR
que TO help carry home some brother Ma
son who had been found in the river, and
twice he aas come home with the wrong
what had happened to him.-all ne would
say was that he took degree but couldn't
tell any more under penalty or being shot
with a cannon. | have Kept track Of these
gree the night he came home with his lip
cut and his ear hanging by piece of the
skin"
lob, Madam, there is 20 Sky Fugle de-
gree in Masonry. Your husband has lied
to yon.'
That's just what think, but he told me
he mad taken the Sky Fuyle degree and had
fallen through the sky light. Well had
him sewed up and he was ready for more
degrees. After he had taken about one
hundred and fifty degrees l told him
thought be should let up on the degrees and
get some pototoes in the cellar for winter"
He said when Llan once gets started on
taking degrees he has to take them all or he
don't amount to anything. One time
wanted hat to wear to church with 9
feather on it, He said feathers were all
nonsense. But the very next day he came
home carrying leather case with a felt
coal scuttle in it and had on it feather
that must have cost $40 the way | figure
millinery and when he put it on and 1
laughed at mis- ridiculous appeara ce he
foamed around just like crazy person,
Well he must spend fortune on the last
one hundred and fl ~ d grees.
One morning he came home with hi coat
tail split right up his back and his pants all
torn just like deg had chewed him and
one eye closed up and wad of hair pulled
out OF the top of his head, be said he had
just taken the two hundre .th degree.
Sometimes brother Mason comes home
along in the morning and they Talk about a
full flush, and let me tell you they both act
pretty full as they stand there and TX
about their pat hands and '-aisem out"
and "bobtail flush"
Why one night when he was asleep
heard him whisper, II raise you ten doll
srs,' and when l ask him what it meant.
he said they had been raising purse for a
poor widow. Another time after he had
been asleep heard him shout out, / stand
pat boys" and when l asked him what it
meant, he said he was ruined if I spoke
of it that he had spoken the pass word word
aud if the Masons heard of it they would
put him out of the way just like they did
Morgan.
Now | want to know is II stand pat y
your pass word?"
The Mason said that it was not He told
her the words she had jus spoken were
terms used by men when playing draw po-
ker and he further added he didn't believe
her husband was Mason at all, but that
he had been lying to her sill these years.
She sighed and said. That's what |
thought when he came nome with lot OF
ivory chips in his pocket. He said thes
used those to vote on candidates and that q
white chip elects and blue CHR rejects a
candidate. I'll be ever 50 much obliged to
you il you will look the ma ter up and see
| if my husband is Mason Il all. He says
he has taken the whole two hundred and
thirty three degrees and now the roys want
him to JOIN the Knights of Pythias. want
to get out an injunction to prevent him from
joining anything mo-e until We get some
winter othing.
Til tell you what | am going to do the
next time he comes home and says any
thing about the skv fugle degree. am go.
ing to take the v ash board to him and make
him think there is enc degree in Masonry
he has skipped. Well you have comfo-ted
me greatly today. and tonight when my
husband Gomez from the Lodge with hi:
s'pat hand Ill make him think he has
forgotten his ''snte" So now. good bye.
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