What Is Freemasonry?

WHAT IS FREEMASONRY ?

FROM THE GERMAN OF ZSCHOKKE . DEAR Experienced Mike , —You have frequently relieved my perplexities , and I sincerely believe you to be a very wise person , although sometimes a little odd . There ' s now something on my mind which causes me and many others great uneasiness ; something about the Freemasons . I don't know what to make of them . If you happen to know anything about them , just let us hear it , for our heads are all puzzled ; and it would be well if you could quiet

our . You must know , then , that there are here a number of gentlemen who have become Freemasons , that is to say , they meet together , and nobody can find out what they are about . They eat ancl drink like other men , but no one that has anything to eat and drink needs to do it in secret ; after all , therefore , I suspect there is some other matter behind the scenes . My godfather thinks the Freemasons entertain onlsecrets of Stateand are laying the foundation

y , of another revolution , which we ought not to submit to . But my neighbour ' s wife asserts nothing less than that the Masons , having invented a new reli gion , are preparing a new bible , and are making proselytes ; and when they meet , she says , they cause spirits to appear , and even cite the evil one , before whom all religious people are wont to make their crosses . M y eldest son , who is a very smart sort of a fellowdenies all thisand thinks that the Freemasons are

, , making gold , which he has read of in a book , ancl that they are so very discreet for this reason . I can't say but that would please me very well , for gold is a nice thing enough . There are yet others that charge the Freemasons with all sorts of unhol y and disorderly practice . But this is all slander , I have no doubt , for I am acquainted with many upright and virtuous folks that are Freemasons .

It is now almost a year since a poor but honest man , who had been a long while at service in this place , was taken severel y ill . He was aged , and without food or money , and , being from a foreign place , our benevolent institutions were prevented from relieving him . There he lay with pains , and tears , and prayed to God , for of man he had no hope ! But there was a hope ! One day a gentleman visited him , brought him money , obtained every necessary for him

—lod ging , bedding , medicine—but the sick man knew not from whom it came ; and when at last he had recovered , the gentleman returned no more . It was only by a lucky chance that the old man ascertained at last that the Freemasons had taken compassion on his destitution , and he blessed them with tears in his eyes , and prayed to the Father in Heaven for them , although they were Freemasons . I had this from his own mouth . This tale has caused me

all sorts of misgivings . Are the Freemasons no true Christians ? Then I am really astonished at their Christian doings . What am I to think of it ? But I have another scruple of conscience . The oldest daughter of my brother ' s sister-in-law looks with rather a favourable eye upon a young man , who is decent , industrious , and ingenuous . The girl has a pair of beautiful eyes , that would cause many a one a heart-burning . I know the effect of such

things . She is also possessed of considerable property ; therefore he has , in all honour , demanded her in marriage , and my advice has been asked on the subject . This is a ticklish case , really—not the marriage , for such things will come to pass—but the position of the would-be husband—he is a Freemason ! Here is embarrasment . The young man is honest , upright , quiet , industrious , and intelli gent ; has money , goes to church , is good natured , and wouldn't hurt a