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Article EPISODES IN THE LIFE OF A FREEMASON. ← Page 3 of 9 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Episodes In The Life Of A Freemason.
Some feAV months passed aAi'ay , and early in the spring of tlie folloAving year I received a letter from W—•— , telling me oi his arrival in England , and expressing a strong xiish to meet me in London in the course of a few clays . My pleasure on receiving this xvelcome intelligence may be more easily conceived than described , ancl my reader ' s imagination must picture to
himself the happy meeting of tAvo olcl ancl cordial friends , after so long and mysterious a separation . We had dined together , and discussed various topics of mutual interest ; after AA'hich , W intimated his intention of relating to me his history of the last feAV months : accordingly tlie fire xvas poked , another bottle of claret xvas producedand W ¦
, proceeded to commence his story , XA'hich I shall set before my readers as nearly as possible in his OAATU . words : —¦ " You knoxA ' , " saicl he , " that it Avas my intention to hax * e taken my degree last October term , and afterxvards commenced my studies for the bar : Avell , the more I . thought of this , and the nearer the time approached AA'hen my destiny in life Avas to be
irrevocably fixed , the stronger became my distaste for so confined and sedentary an occupation , and the more desperate xvere my resolves to break the fetters , which bound me to England , and seek elseAA'here a fortune more congenial to my natural taste .
" I hacl always a penchant for the army , but my age , if there were no other reason , would have precluded me from obtaining a commission in the British serxice . To enlist in the ranks here went a little against the grain , ancl so I turned my eyes to a foreign sendee , where I knew that every officer must seiwe for a time as a private soldier ; and xvhere by so doing therefore ,
I should only be acting in accordance with the custom of the country . Next to British troops , I conceived the Austrian army to be the finest in Europe : I am , as you remember , a very fair hand at German , and all things considered , I made up my mind , rashly or not I will leave you to determine , to give up my fellowship , resign the goose-quill , and adopt the sxvord as my
professional emblem . " But how AA'as this military manoeuvre to be accomplished ? I AA'as quite sure such a scheme AVOUIC ! not be tolerated for a moment by my family , ancl if I did not wish to be forbidden at the very outset of my career , I Avell knew secrecy and silence Avere necessary elements of its success . AccordinglI laid lans
y my p , kept my own counsel , and remained quietly at home till the end of the vacation . And here I must confess to you , my good friend , that it Avas not Avithout a blush I constrained myself to adopt a course , xvhich savoured but too strongly of a
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Episodes In The Life Of A Freemason.
Some feAV months passed aAi'ay , and early in the spring of tlie folloAving year I received a letter from W—•— , telling me oi his arrival in England , and expressing a strong xiish to meet me in London in the course of a few clays . My pleasure on receiving this xvelcome intelligence may be more easily conceived than described , ancl my reader ' s imagination must picture to
himself the happy meeting of tAvo olcl ancl cordial friends , after so long and mysterious a separation . We had dined together , and discussed various topics of mutual interest ; after AA'hich , W intimated his intention of relating to me his history of the last feAV months : accordingly tlie fire xvas poked , another bottle of claret xvas producedand W ¦
, proceeded to commence his story , XA'hich I shall set before my readers as nearly as possible in his OAATU . words : —¦ " You knoxA ' , " saicl he , " that it Avas my intention to hax * e taken my degree last October term , and afterxvards commenced my studies for the bar : Avell , the more I . thought of this , and the nearer the time approached AA'hen my destiny in life Avas to be
irrevocably fixed , the stronger became my distaste for so confined and sedentary an occupation , and the more desperate xvere my resolves to break the fetters , which bound me to England , and seek elseAA'here a fortune more congenial to my natural taste .
" I hacl always a penchant for the army , but my age , if there were no other reason , would have precluded me from obtaining a commission in the British serxice . To enlist in the ranks here went a little against the grain , ancl so I turned my eyes to a foreign sendee , where I knew that every officer must seiwe for a time as a private soldier ; and xvhere by so doing therefore ,
I should only be acting in accordance with the custom of the country . Next to British troops , I conceived the Austrian army to be the finest in Europe : I am , as you remember , a very fair hand at German , and all things considered , I made up my mind , rashly or not I will leave you to determine , to give up my fellowship , resign the goose-quill , and adopt the sxvord as my
professional emblem . " But how AA'as this military manoeuvre to be accomplished ? I AA'as quite sure such a scheme AVOUIC ! not be tolerated for a moment by my family , ancl if I did not wish to be forbidden at the very outset of my career , I Avell knew secrecy and silence Avere necessary elements of its success . AccordinglI laid lans
y my p , kept my own counsel , and remained quietly at home till the end of the vacation . And here I must confess to you , my good friend , that it Avas not Avithout a blush I constrained myself to adopt a course , xvhich savoured but too strongly of a