A Masonic Curtain Lecture.

Here I stay with the children , all alonelying awake half the ni ght waiting for you . Couldn't come home any sooner ? Of course you couldn't if you didn't wan't to . But I'know Something ; you think I don't , but I do . I wish I didn ' t . Where were

you Monday night 1 Tell me that . The Marshal told me that the Cit y Council didn't meet that night . Now what have you got to say 1 ' Couldn't get a quorum . ' Well , if you couldn't , why didn't you come home 1 Out e-v-e-r-y ni ght—hunting—for—aquorum . But you wouldn't hunt me in this

way if I was missing . Where were you Thursday . night and Friday night ? There was a show in town wasn't there ? Do you always put on your best vest and clean shirt to go to the Council' ! What did you buy that bottle of hah oil for and hide it ?

'Oil for a whetstone ? ' So you think I didn't see you in the other room , brushing and greasing your hair , and looking in the glass at your pretty self ? ¦ 'A man ought to be decent ? ' He ought , ought he ? Yes , indeeda decent man ought to . beand a

, , decent man will stay at home with his wife sometimes and not go out e-v-e-r-y night . How comes it that the City Council didn't meet but twice a month last year ? 'Trying to work it out of debt ! ' Yes , that ' s probable—very ; laughing and joking ,

and smoking and swapping lies will work a debt off , won't it 1 Now—I—want—to —know—how—much—longer— you—are —going— -to—keep—this-night—business ? Yes , I want to know ? Out every night ? City Council , Freemasons , Eed Men , Odd Fellowsshowshair oil—and it ' s brush

, , and brush , until you ' ve nearly worn out the brush , and your head , too . " Can anything be more affecting ? But to proceed with these anguish-laden complaints of a lone and sorrowing female . " What is it you say ? ' It helps our business

to keep up your social relations ! ' Ah , indeed . You ' ve got relations here at home , sir . They need keeping up some , I think . What did you say about ' catching it' the other night at a euchre party ? 'Fellers , it ' s 12 o'clock , but let ' s play a while longer ;

we won't catch it any worse when we get home . ' A pretty speech for a decent man ' Catch it ! ' ' Catch it ! ' Well , T intend you shall catch it—a little . What ' s that you say ? 'If I-wouldn't fret you so , you would stay at home more ! ' Well sir , do you stay at . home a few nights and try it .

Perhaps tho fretting would stop . Out every nig ht because I feet so What's that sir ? 'You know ladies who ain't always scolding their husbands ! You do , do you ? How came you to know them ? What business had you to know whether other women fret or not ? That's always the way . You men think all the other women are saints but your wives .

" Oh yes—saints , s-a-i-n-t-s . I'll have you to know , sir , that there isn't a woman in this town that ' s any more of a saint than I am . I know them all , a heap better than you do . You see the honey and sugar side of them , and

they—only—seethe— honey—and— sugar—side ^ of—you . Now , sir , I just want you to know that if you don't stay at home more than you do , I'll leave these children to get burnt up , and I'll go out e-v-e-r-y night . When' a poor , woman gets desperate , why , ' . sir , ' - she is

desperate—that's all . " Comment seems to us needless , remarks superfluous ? Who does' not feel for an affectionate and suffering wife , thus poms ing out the intense sorrows of her bosom ? And in these days of calm self-confession and personal explanation , this unfolding

of the gushing sensations of our ardent psychology is very awakening indeed , and I feel convinced , that , we who are Freemasons will , one and all , at once see that whatever may be woman's rights , here are undoubtedly woman's wrongs . Not being married ourselves we can afford

to give good advice to our married brethren , and to them we most respectfully dedicate to day this touching picture of a silently enduring , sorrowfully suffering wife . If there are any infatuated married men ' of mature or youthful age in the Craft , who will persist nig ht after night hi leaving a sister in her lonely home the wife of their heart and affection , if there are those

who feel still a weakness , for the fraternal chant or the friendly greeting , or the cUp that cheers but don't inebriate , or for the mild Havannah ; let them rouse themselves to their duty as men , as husbands , and as Britons , and . henceforth never leave their

wives alone , night after night , till the early hours proclaim the new-born day . No , but let them return early home , and retail to their fond and expectant charmers , Jones ' s last speech and Bowler ' s last song , and Trotter ' s last joke , and they are certain to hear from the lips of a grateful woman ,