Lights And Shadows Of Scottish Freemasonry.

are wholly precluded from participating in a knoAvledge of our so-called mysteries , but we believe were the matter completely sounded another and far more potent reason could be found , one beside which the other would sink into comparative

insignificance , and which of itself is quite sufficient to exercise a powerful influence upon the minds of the fair sex . It is almost the universal belief in our country ( and it is by no means Avithout good grounds for foundation ) that at the

meetings of our lodges there is ever and always a considerable deal of hard drinking done , and as it is to the male part of the population that our lady friends have to look for support and protection , it is no wonder if this idea should nrevent their

giving any encouragementto one professing sympathy Avith our princi ples , and a desire to become a Freemason . As an instance of how deeply rooted in some minds is the conviction that to be a craftsman is to be on the fair way of becoming loose in one ' s habits , Ave may be allowed

to narrate a little incident , Avhich Ave can do all the more readily as the parties concerned are far beyond the sea , and the main facts of which were knoAvn but to a very limited few . A friend of ours Avho had

often heard us expatiating upon the beauties of freemasonry , expressed a desire to become an initiate . We were only too pleased to be of service to him in the matter , and set about arranging , the preliminaries , but in the midst Ave received an intimation to proceed no furtherand the

, upshot Avas the thing fell through . TJpon being questioned regarding his sudden abandonment of his project , he confessed that he was almost on the eve of being married , and upon making his intentions known to his fiancee ! he Avas politelybut

, , at the same time firmly , informed that he must relinquish the idea or make up his mind to do Avithout the lady , who had formed the opinion that freemasonry was only another name for everything that was bad and dissolute . The result was as Ave

have said . We remember hearing one Avhose grey hairs entitled him to respectful veneration say , regarding his experience of this matter in Ireland , now many years ago , that the women used to look upon freemasons and freemasonry with a jealous and suspicious

eye . It so chanced that he had occasion to call upon a man in a small town on the east coast . He did not find him at home , and upon making inquiries of his Avife a 3 to the cause of his absence , received for answer , " Well , sir , it was one of his

mason nights last week and he hasn ' t been home since , and there ' s more nor him that it has to answer for , bad luck to it . " It was , therefore , to be argued that he had managed to get on a drinking bout and that such a catastrophe Avas seeminglattendant

y on his being a freemason . This , hoAvever , occurred in what is UOAV popularly known as the " the good old times " ( thank God they are gone ) , and Ave believe such practices are now " more honoured in the breach than in the observance . "

It is a much-to-be-regretted fact that so many of our country lodges meet in the rooms of public-houses and hotels . This of itself is dangerous , and likely to engender loose habits . We do not , as an order , profess teetotal principles , but assuredly

neither do Ave countenance the other side of this vexed question , and it is a source of concern to all Avho have the advancement of the Craft thoroughly at heart to find that there is so much of the " Refreshment " element connected with its workings . We

have ourselves Avitnessed scenes which were not far short of being disgraceful , and that , too , solely oAving to the prevalence of this deplorable custom . Far be it from us to say that a craftsman should not be a jolly , good , free-hearted soul , aide to take his tumbler of toddy with any man in the

country , but this should be done entirely independent of his freemasonry ; and to introduce into the workings of our fraternity special nights set apart for what is known as "Harmony and Refreshment , " and that harmony and refreshment carried on inside

its lodges seems to us to fall little short of holding out to a man that inducement to leave his house and his home for which our publican friends are blamed—the seductive influence of the bottle and glass . But , sirs , apart altogether from the moral view

of the question , has it never struck you that it is by no means a consistent thing to practise inside your lodge rooms . Charters have been granted to you to form yourselves into lodges , and premises for your meetings have been got for you , and the Grand Lodge , or its representatives , have