The Only Female Mason.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 35, 25 August 1883, Page 3

The Only Female Mason.

The Hon Elizabeth St. Leger was tli* 3 . only female who was ever initiated into the mystery of Freemasonry. She had two degr.-es— che firat and secoud — conferred onh*r. Ae ir miy he interesting to the reader, we give ,T-iie story a* to how Miss St. Leger obtained this honor, pn-mi-ing that the information comes from the best ! sources. Lord Doneraile, Miss St. | Leger's father, a very zealous Mason, j held a warrant, and occasionally opened a lodge at Doneroile Hnine.his sons, -and some other intimate friend* assisting; and it is said that never were Masonic duties more rigorously prrfbrined than by the brethren of No 160, the number of their warrant. It appears that previous to the initiation ol a gerrleroan to the first, degree of Masonry Miss St. Lcjrer. who was a young girl, happened to be in au apartment adjoining t'«e room generally used as a but "whether the youn^ lady was there by design, or merely accident, rra cannot confidently mite. The room at the time was undergoing some alteration : among "oth_r things the wall was considerably reduced in one part, for the purpose of making ii saioon. "he young lady, havinu* heard the voices of Freemasons and being incited bv the curiosity natural to all to see this mystery, eo locg and so secretly locked up from the. public view, had the courage to pick a brick I from the wall with her scissors, and i witnessed the firf-t two steps of tbe ceremony. Curiosity gratified,* *fear at. once, took posspssion of her mind, and those who understand this passage will know what the feelings of any person must be who could unlawfully behold that ceremony ; let them judge what were the feelings of a young <_irl under such extraordinary circumstances. '• he-e was no mo-'eof escape except through the room where the cor*c!uding part of the second step was -vtil! bein"* solemnized at the far end, "ami the roo.ii a very li*rge one, Miss St, Leger had resolution enough to attempt her escape that way, aud witb lijiht and trembling steps glided along unobserved, laid her hand ou rhe handle of the d-or, and openec. it. but before her stood, to ber great dismay a grim tyler with his long sword unsheathed, a. shriek that pierced the npar'-ment alarmed the members of the lod_*e who all rushing fo the door, and finding that Miss •St. Leger had been in the room during the ceremony, resolved it is said, in the paroxysm oL their rage, to put the fair spectatress to death : but at the moving and earnest uplication of her youngest brother her life* wa" spared, on conditions of her going through the two remaining steps of the solemn ceremony she had unlawfully witnessed 1 his she consented to, and they conducted the beautiful and terrified young l.idy through those trials which are sometimes more than enough for masculine resolution, lit'le thiuking they were taking into the bosom of their craft;---a member thot would reflect a lustre on the annals of Masonry.