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Article MASONIC ANECDOTES. ← Page 4 of 4
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Anecdotes.
very well accommodated . In the evening , the landlord asked me what part of England I came from . I said , " Exeter , Devonshire . " lie appeared surprised : and said , " I believe I came from Devon , too ; but never could find who my parents were . " He then made himself known to me as a Mason . The mystic tie was recognized . He then said , " I am now about thirty-six years of age . I have an old man whose name is the same as my owu in my housewho is very deaf . I
, did not know but he was my father ; but he tells me he is not , and that his late wife , who died some time before , was not my mother ; that they received me from a woman , wrapped in flannel , in a basket , one morning about three o ' clock , as per agreement of a lady , to take a child to nurse from the country . " The landlord then begged me that 1 would try to obtain some information from the old man , that on my return home I might get some clue to ascertain who his parents were ; saying
, " Should you be fortunate enough to find them , let me know , as I am very anxious to know who my parents are , and what are their circumstances . Should they be rich 1 want nothing from them ; if they arc poor , I will take care of them . " The next day I prevailed on the old man to tell me that he received his reputed son in a basket from a woman—the child was then about three weeks old . He also told me of several persons at Exeter whom I knew ; but he could not tell whom the
child belonged to when he took it to nurse . From what he told me , and the place where he received the child , I suspected it was brought from the north of Devon . About two hours after my return home , I accidentally met with a
man who now lives about eight miles north of Exeter , in the direction I suspected die child was brought from . I asked him how old he was ? He said , " About fifty years ; that he had lived at ¦ all his lifetime . " I asked if he knew certain persons living in his nei ghbourhood ( of whom I had heard ) about thirty-six years since . He said , " Yes , both . The doctor is dead , but the lady is living . " I asked him if he ever heard of a child being sent to Exeter , about the above time , to
nurse . He said , " Yes ; for 1 lived with the doctor when the child was sent away , wrapped in flannel and put in a basket . If you will call on my mother , who lives at Thoverton , she will tell you all about it . " I called on the old woman the next day . She gave me such information , that I wrote to the landlord in London , who , in a few days after came to Exeter . We went to Thoverton and saw the lady , who , it appearswas a widow when the child was bornand was so on our
, , arrival . We were then introduced to her ; and a very interesting and affectionate interview took place . She acknowledged my friend as her son , although she had not seen him for thirty-six years . Tiie other branches of the family were introduced ; and they now communicate with each other in the most friendly manner . The old lady died about four years since . By this extraordinary discovery my friend has the satisfaction of knowing that his parents were very respectable .
Had he not been a Mason , most likely he never would have known who his parents were . The above is a brief account of the narrative . I have a manuscript of many curious circumstances which occurred during the extraordinary investigation . AN ATHOL MASON . "
* Since deceased .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Anecdotes.
very well accommodated . In the evening , the landlord asked me what part of England I came from . I said , " Exeter , Devonshire . " lie appeared surprised : and said , " I believe I came from Devon , too ; but never could find who my parents were . " He then made himself known to me as a Mason . The mystic tie was recognized . He then said , " I am now about thirty-six years of age . I have an old man whose name is the same as my owu in my housewho is very deaf . I
, did not know but he was my father ; but he tells me he is not , and that his late wife , who died some time before , was not my mother ; that they received me from a woman , wrapped in flannel , in a basket , one morning about three o ' clock , as per agreement of a lady , to take a child to nurse from the country . " The landlord then begged me that 1 would try to obtain some information from the old man , that on my return home I might get some clue to ascertain who his parents were ; saying
, " Should you be fortunate enough to find them , let me know , as I am very anxious to know who my parents are , and what are their circumstances . Should they be rich 1 want nothing from them ; if they arc poor , I will take care of them . " The next day I prevailed on the old man to tell me that he received his reputed son in a basket from a woman—the child was then about three weeks old . He also told me of several persons at Exeter whom I knew ; but he could not tell whom the
child belonged to when he took it to nurse . From what he told me , and the place where he received the child , I suspected it was brought from the north of Devon . About two hours after my return home , I accidentally met with a
man who now lives about eight miles north of Exeter , in the direction I suspected die child was brought from . I asked him how old he was ? He said , " About fifty years ; that he had lived at ¦ all his lifetime . " I asked if he knew certain persons living in his nei ghbourhood ( of whom I had heard ) about thirty-six years since . He said , " Yes , both . The doctor is dead , but the lady is living . " I asked him if he ever heard of a child being sent to Exeter , about the above time , to
nurse . He said , " Yes ; for 1 lived with the doctor when the child was sent away , wrapped in flannel and put in a basket . If you will call on my mother , who lives at Thoverton , she will tell you all about it . " I called on the old woman the next day . She gave me such information , that I wrote to the landlord in London , who , in a few days after came to Exeter . We went to Thoverton and saw the lady , who , it appearswas a widow when the child was bornand was so on our
, , arrival . We were then introduced to her ; and a very interesting and affectionate interview took place . She acknowledged my friend as her son , although she had not seen him for thirty-six years . Tiie other branches of the family were introduced ; and they now communicate with each other in the most friendly manner . The old lady died about four years since . By this extraordinary discovery my friend has the satisfaction of knowing that his parents were very respectable .
Had he not been a Mason , most likely he never would have known who his parents were . The above is a brief account of the narrative . I have a manuscript of many curious circumstances which occurred during the extraordinary investigation . AN ATHOL MASON . "
* Since deceased .