| Show II I THE ONLY WOMAN MASON In a lUI little pamphlet published by J J. J P. P Babington at at lIng ln Green Va there thero Is 18 given gl en the story o of or the circumstances cir dr er- er b by which ono one ont woman beame be bo ame iame a Blue Duo Lodge Loch e Mason This we wc are arc told la is the tho tol 1 only ono one if f f her FOX sex who has gained the secrets secret jf Jt f Masonry tn nry In the town where the she yae n brought up the school which she Bhe attended occupied the foor o of a n story two frame building The top toor had been originally dt designed for tor fora tora a church and a pulpit and other chur church h had been Installed but later Inter this plan was n abandoned and the Masonic lodge secured d the place for fot their meetings Under Unde the unused pulpit the girl Catherine Sweet one day 15 dl discovered co an nn excellent hiding place when playing and seeK Later she he utilized It Il t during fc sessions of or orthe the lod lodge an and gained brined many secrets secret of Masonry Masonry- Of or her anti onel discovery discover further further fur fur- th ther r adventures adventure we wo read For more than a year she hc had been an on unobserved attendant at all nt the meetings of or the lodge She had hal or on 01 several cral occasions run some ome narrow c escapes but a day came care when she Jho failed fall fail foi- foi ed In her calculations As before mentioned tho the members member member of ot the lodge always carried their rifles when they thy attended the meetings On this fatal atal day one aria oe of or her uncles left his rifle In the ante room and had gono I some fome distance before h he thought of o I it Ho lie retraced his steps and an n as he lie ht approached aimi ap aim- i the building h he saw raw fW Kate I crawling out from front her 1 eI place of con I She Sh discovered rc him at al about the j-ame j mt time and anti she h knew that a a. a reckoning was at hand hant When men sho ho reached the ground her uncle told loll her r hr to return home and go o to tn her room and stay tn until h he came for her Upon her return h he called his hiI brothers broth broth- em tr ers nOd th they y went Into Ino their After relating what ho he h had Hl seen ton the they decided to call cal Kate In tn and lind out oUI mu if I poSSible what she Jhc had learned about Masonry She was nH summoned to appear r for Cor what she he thought would be her d death donth nth sentence as ns she he had been lod tl believe beleve that no one was wa allowed allow allow- alow- alow ed to JIve who stole stoic the secrets of Ma Ma- ta- ta nr It t was at al this his time that she sho showed her courage In a n nn n way uva that probably saved t n her cr a 1 vast amount of or trouble Sh he h. h entered tho the presence prence of or her uncles all aU of whom h she knew lo loved lod d her better better bet bet- ter tITan than thc they lid did their own liven t 1 with witha wih vitha a n firm Irm step and head hea erect erect As AM soon as W sho was Mate seated the eldest brother became spokesman and the tho following conversation con took place Uncle Uncle Kate Kate tell us ua where tel you have been this evening Kate Under Kate Under the pulpit In the lodge What wore were you ou doing loing there Watching and listening Was as this your first visit No o. o sir r. I How now lon long have p you ou boon bean bon doing For a year nr and anda a half or ever tr c sl since cc John Joun Williams I lams was initiated U Have Ue e you been hn able ablo to I learn arn an any of I the thui the secrets of oC tho thu lodge i I Y Yes sir nil all 01 of of th m. m I Well 1 toll tell teJ U us all al you nU know I r will wi an answer wel all al questions you 0 may ask me for or I am a Mason Inn andam and am nm willing to answer r r mf questions when properly put to t me but I cannot give gle you OU my knowledge of or Masonry In any nn i other way way I Where hhall I comment comman and ant what kind of of- of questions shall shah I ask you OU 7 Begin at nt the beginning and ask askI such questions n as you 01 would ask Wk a aI I I stranger anger nger l-nger If IC you Ou wanted him to prove pro o to you OU that he was wa a Maln Mason j Seeing that she c would woul not Impart I her Ma Masonic Information In an any other otherl l I wa way or manner tho the brothers decided that it I would bo be o be best t to put her through the r gular regular which th lh they proceeded proceed d to do Tho The Masonic reader rader can enn understand tho the looks and C feelings of the five fl e brothers brother as the examination proceeded and the they dis discovered djs djs- Js- Js covered co that their year old nl niece co cowns was better er versed d In tho secrets of oC Frt Free Freo Masonry than either of Q them The trial came to an nn end ent w when cn they reached cached the tho point when Kh she he revealed re to them that hc the had even f en caught aught the tho words that nr are spoken b by tho the master candidate Is of oC the lodge when the finally rl d m d to the th degree decree delec or of of-a of n a master Mason After all ni was wnM over o fr and Kate told i tho the broth brothers that no one except t tm-I tm know what she sho had done dont sat h j wn was confined to her hr room room and closely I watched pending the tho th d decision Ilon of oC the thet I t lodge a a to the proper stops steps to be J 1 I I taken In her case The master of the tho lodge was wa want at nt once tol told of oC what I had hal taken n place Each member W was notified of a n call cal communication aton to beheld beheld be bo held hold the next day the tho lodge lodgen n assembled it I went Into a n committee of the tho whole hole and anti after hours of del deliberation de de- l liberation ton adjourned to meet again the tho next da day Messengers were s sent admit rt out and the oldest arid and wisest mem members mtr- mtr bers br of other lodges were called calet In toon to consult on and ls ad advise Long and earnestly earnestly earnst ear ear- nestly did the they discuss the matter maUer Many different suggestions ellon Wt were ro made but none seemed practical The Tho laws lauts of or Masonry Ia which had hail been In f force over ever 21 PC the da days of I King Solomon said old Il plainly that po no woman could be bc made a n Mason ct t there here was a young oung girl who hail had nil all ni the tho thi s secrets of or Masonry that Could bo be obtained ob oh- I tamed In the tho Blue Bue Lodge The question question ques ques- tion ton arose What hut was as to be bE dono done consumed b the Almost a n month wa was by lodge lotge In dl cuK the ht he matter and consulting the mo most t learned Ma Masons on of or the state At last It W wa was decided d that thaI Inasmuch much Ina-much as ns Kate t Sw Sweet ot had obtaIned obtained ob ob- ob- ob I tamed all ni the secrets of or Free Masonry tn the only thing that could be bo done dont was to obligate Ji her wr r. In t the Ime e regular 3 way and ant risk the thu Accord 1 Accord I a suitable uniform was waH made mae of red flannel and she hl wa was taken to thel thet theli i lodge where sh lh she was wn obligated as a. a It I II I regular Mason lal but not admitted to I membership I The day sh she sho took th the obligations was wan the tho tr first t an and last hut that she he was ever fr Inside a a hor she ht could uld b bR be Hn Jol It Il was WD at work ork She knew r onry mind ond f J 1 A 4 1 k kept lt herself posted up until a n short time before her death eath but but never attempted attempted attempted at- at tempted to visit a n lodge log Man Inn Many In Instances or are related In the tho pamphlet In which she h found her hem knowledge of Masonry of nt h help lp when she needed assistance Tho Literary DI Digest t |
