one to the candidate and says,
'I now present you with a white stone, on which is written a new name;
we give the words that form this circle (the letters are so engraved
on the stone as to form a circle), the initials are H T W S S T K
S--Hiram Tyran, Widow's Son, sent to King Solomon. These, placed in
this form were the mark of our Grand Master, Hiram Abiff. At present
they are used as the general MARK of this degree, and in the centre of
them each brother places his own individual MARK.' The stone is
removed, and the candidate still remains on his knees at the altar,
the Master then takes the jewel containing his mark from his neck and
presents it to the candidate--requests of him some favor, such as the
loan of five, ten, or twenty dollars. The candidate having left all
his money and valuables in the preparation room, answers, "I cannot do
it. I have no money about me," and offers to return the MARK to the
Master, but he refuses to take it, and says to the candidate, "Have
you not just sworn that you will receive a brother Mark Master's mark
when offered to you, requesting a favor, and if not in your power to
grant the favor, you would return him his mark with the value of it?
Is this the way you mind your obligations? Here I presented my mark
with a request for a small favor; you say you cannot grant it, and
offer to return my MARK alone? Where is the quarter of a dollar you
have sworn to return with it?" The candidate, much embarrassed,
answers, "I cannot do even that. I have no money about me. It was all
taken from me in the preparation room." The Master asks, "Are you
quite sure you have none?" Candidate answers, "I am, it is all in the
other room." Master--"You have not examined; perhaps some friend has,
in pity to your destitute situation, supplied you with that amount
unknown to yourself; feel in all your pockets, and if you find, after
a thorough search, that you have really none, we shall have less
reason to think that you meant wilfully to violate your obligation."
The candidate examines his pockets and finds a quarter of a dollar,
which some brother had slyly placed there; this adds not a little to
his embarrassment; he protests he had no intention of concealing it;
really supposed he had none about him, and hands it to the Master,
with his mark. The Master receives it and says to the candidate,
"Brother, let this scene be a striking lesson to you: should you ever
hereafter have a mark presented you by a w