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Article MASONIC ANECDOTE. ← Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Anecdote.
" God bless you ! " Bowed down more by ill health than years , their friend hid his face in his handkerchief , and hurrying his daughter on board the boat , hastened into the cabin , to conceal the emotion he felt at thus parting—parting most likel y for ever from the companions of his youth , the friends of his middle age—to whom he felt endeared by every tie of affection and long acquaintance—about to return to a land , which , though once his homehad become desolate to him from the loss of
, those he loved ; about to change the warm welcomings of friendship and regard for the cold suspicious salutation of strangers ; about to visit the spot where he had left parents and kindred , now numbered with the dead ; to recommence life , as it were , and recognise once familiar and dear objects , now the property of strangers , perhaps enemiesin a word , to rend every tie he had so happily woven ; to burst asunder every link of friendshi pand begin life againat an age when sanguine
, , youth no longer lends its energies to overcome difficulties and bear up against unkindness . Such was the fate of him wdio now left the shore . Though a stranger , I could not help joining in every wish for his future happiness . There was a look of mild resignation , of philanthropic feeling , beaming in his countenance , which at once engaged my best regards . During tiffin , I asked who he was , and found his name was Robinson . He had been a resident in India during twenty yearsbut
, unfortunately , having been more generous than prudent , he had managed to amass but little wealth- —he was worth , perhaps , ten thousand pounds , certainly not more ; with this he was now returning to Europe , the doctors having declared a longer sojourn in Asia would endanger his life . Poor , but respected , he therefore left his friends , liaving taken
home with him his fortune , invested in indigo , the exchange of the rupee being so low as to compel the Anglo-Indian to remit it in any thing rather than in specie . Robinson had not insured his investment , as he was to sail in the same ship with it . I do not remember the name of the vessel , but we will style it " The Dover Castle . " On arriving at the hotel , which was one of the sweetest bungalows I ever enteretl , commanding a splendid view of the river , we found tiffin ready , and
the acquaintances of Mr . Robinson waiting to join us in our meal . I soon learnt these gentlemen were all Freemasons , who had come down thus far to do honour to their friend , who for many years had presided over the Lodge in Calcutta ; that he had been greatly instrumental in its foundation , and ever attended it , and benefited it , during the twenty years he had spent in India . They not only deplored his departure as a friendbut as a bright and shining luminary in the order of Masonry .
, '' They spoke so highly of their Lodge , and were so pressing in their invitation to me , that I consented to dine with them on the following day , and assist in celebrating one of their greatest festivals . Being discovered to be a Mason , a thousand kind offers were made , and many a warm palm proffered to me . The next evening I was just stepping into my hired palanquin , about to start for Chowringhee , where the Lodge was heldwhen a punc ( a ) suddenlarrivedand
, messenger y , announced the dreadful intelligence that " The Dover Castle" had been totall y wrecked on the dangerous sands near Diamond Harbour , and that , though all the crew and passengers were saved , every . thing in the shape of freight was utterly and irretrievably lost . "Alas ! poor Robinson ! " involuntaril y ejaculated I ; " he is then completely ruined !" and , though personally unknown to him , I jogged away to my destination with a heavy heart .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Anecdote.
" God bless you ! " Bowed down more by ill health than years , their friend hid his face in his handkerchief , and hurrying his daughter on board the boat , hastened into the cabin , to conceal the emotion he felt at thus parting—parting most likel y for ever from the companions of his youth , the friends of his middle age—to whom he felt endeared by every tie of affection and long acquaintance—about to return to a land , which , though once his homehad become desolate to him from the loss of
, those he loved ; about to change the warm welcomings of friendship and regard for the cold suspicious salutation of strangers ; about to visit the spot where he had left parents and kindred , now numbered with the dead ; to recommence life , as it were , and recognise once familiar and dear objects , now the property of strangers , perhaps enemiesin a word , to rend every tie he had so happily woven ; to burst asunder every link of friendshi pand begin life againat an age when sanguine
, , youth no longer lends its energies to overcome difficulties and bear up against unkindness . Such was the fate of him wdio now left the shore . Though a stranger , I could not help joining in every wish for his future happiness . There was a look of mild resignation , of philanthropic feeling , beaming in his countenance , which at once engaged my best regards . During tiffin , I asked who he was , and found his name was Robinson . He had been a resident in India during twenty yearsbut
, unfortunately , having been more generous than prudent , he had managed to amass but little wealth- —he was worth , perhaps , ten thousand pounds , certainly not more ; with this he was now returning to Europe , the doctors having declared a longer sojourn in Asia would endanger his life . Poor , but respected , he therefore left his friends , liaving taken
home with him his fortune , invested in indigo , the exchange of the rupee being so low as to compel the Anglo-Indian to remit it in any thing rather than in specie . Robinson had not insured his investment , as he was to sail in the same ship with it . I do not remember the name of the vessel , but we will style it " The Dover Castle . " On arriving at the hotel , which was one of the sweetest bungalows I ever enteretl , commanding a splendid view of the river , we found tiffin ready , and
the acquaintances of Mr . Robinson waiting to join us in our meal . I soon learnt these gentlemen were all Freemasons , who had come down thus far to do honour to their friend , who for many years had presided over the Lodge in Calcutta ; that he had been greatly instrumental in its foundation , and ever attended it , and benefited it , during the twenty years he had spent in India . They not only deplored his departure as a friendbut as a bright and shining luminary in the order of Masonry .
, '' They spoke so highly of their Lodge , and were so pressing in their invitation to me , that I consented to dine with them on the following day , and assist in celebrating one of their greatest festivals . Being discovered to be a Mason , a thousand kind offers were made , and many a warm palm proffered to me . The next evening I was just stepping into my hired palanquin , about to start for Chowringhee , where the Lodge was heldwhen a punc ( a ) suddenlarrivedand
, messenger y , announced the dreadful intelligence that " The Dover Castle" had been totall y wrecked on the dangerous sands near Diamond Harbour , and that , though all the crew and passengers were saved , every . thing in the shape of freight was utterly and irretrievably lost . "Alas ! poor Robinson ! " involuntaril y ejaculated I ; " he is then completely ruined !" and , though personally unknown to him , I jogged away to my destination with a heavy heart .