i6o OCCASIONAL HAPPY THOUGHTS. 



secrets, and was forcibly taken out, and made a Mason on 

 the spot. 



The further advantages (beyond those in horsc-deahng) of 

 Masonry Cazell continues to set forth ; — That a Mason must 

 help a Mason in distress ; that a Mason must not reveal any 

 secret told to him by a brother Mason, under the seal of the 

 Masonic oath. 



I suggest a case : — A Mason under the above seal tells me 

 he has forged, swindled, &c. &c., and is now going out of 

 the country ; also, being in distress, he asks me for five 

 pounds. I know that liis flight will ruin a dear friend of 

 mine. I know that when the police come to look for him in 

 my house, I shall have to defeat the ends of justice, and tell 

 a lie. Further, that the Brother Mason is positively 

 dangerous to Society. I don't know him otherwise than as 

 a Mason. As a man I have no duties towards him. I point 

 out to Cazell that in this case to be a true Mason I must be 

 a bad citizen. Cazell says, " You put an extreme case ! " 

 " I admit that," I return ; " but it is a test case : exceptions 

 prove the rule." Cazell says, " My dear fellow, here connnon 

 sense steps in ; besides — " here he breaks off cheerfully, and 

 with an air of assured victory — " you can't talk of what 

 Freemasonry really is until you are a Freemason. And I 

 can't tell you what it is, because I am under the vows of 

 sccresy. You become a Mason and jw^'// seeP 



-' I've heard," I say in order to show I am not bigoted, 

 "that Masonry is very useful in travelling." 



'' It is," answers Cazell, decidedly. 



"How.? ' 



