{"product_id":"2940014039970","title":"Biography of Mrs. Catherine Babington, the only female Mason in America, and how she became a Blue Lodge Mason","description":"Biography of Mrs. Catherine Babington, the only female Mason in America, and how she became a Blue Lodge Mason, was written by her son, J, P. Babington. Originally published in 1908, this is the Third Edition. Published in Taylorsville N. C. in 1912.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Publisher has copy-edited this book to improve the formatting, style and accuracy of the text to make it readable. This did not involve changing the substance of the text. Some books, due to age and other factors may contain imperfections. Since there are many books such as this one that are important and beneficial to literary interests, we have made it digitally available.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroductory:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e.....A number of the members of the Masonic Fraternity, in North and South Carolina, since the death of my mother, in 1886, have asked me to write and publish a biographical sketch of her life and let the Masonic world know how she became a Third Degree Mason. I have deferred the work, from time to time, thinking that perhaps I might find \"A more convenient season.\"\u003cbr\u003e.....Another reason for my delay was that I wanted to talk the matter over with my oldest brother, B. B. Babington, of Shelby, N. C, and get from him some valuable information to aid me in the work; but I received notice, a few days ago, that he had been called from labor to rest and I am now the only living member of the family who can say, from a Masonic standpoint, that my mother, Mrs. Catherine Babington, was a Mason and knew all of Masonry that can be obtained in the Blue Lodge.\u003cbr\u003e.....The manner in which she obtained her knowledge of Masonry I give to the world as she told it to myself and others and as it was written to my father by one of her uncles, who was a member of the Lodge where she obtained her Masonic knowledge. The fact that she was bright in the First Three Degrees of Masonry, up to the time of her death, I know to be true. She, herself, taught me much of my lessons when I was being made a Mason. With these few lines of introduction I will proceed to give to the world all that I can remember of my mother's Masonic life and experience, together with what I have heard my father and brother, both of whom were Masons, say. Also many remarks that I have heard other Masons make regarding her knowledge of Masonry.\u003cbr\u003e.....Hoping that this little pamphlet may prove interesting to the Masonic Fraternity, and the American people in general, I dedicate it to the sacred memory of my beloved mother.\u003cbr\u003eJ. P. BABINGTON,\u003cbr\u003eNovember 1st, 1908.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreface to Second Edition:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e.....The demand for the first edition of the \"Biography of Mrs. Catherine Babington\" has been such as to cause the author to give the public the second edition, in a revised form, and embrace in it much matter that was omitted from the first.\u003cbr\u003e.....The appendix of the first edition will be embodied in the first pages of the regular matter of this and all subsequent editions.\u003cbr\u003e.....The author has also inserted his certificates of Lodge Membership in order that the reader may know that the book is written by a Master Mason, in good and regular standing, in a regularly constituted Lodge.\u003cbr\u003e.....At the last of the book is added Robert Morris' famous Masonic Poem, \"THE LEVEL AND THE SQUARE,\" which Mrs. Babington loved so well and repeated, from memory, to the author and Dr. J. C. Gidney, her physician, a few days before her death.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreface to Third Edition:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e.....Since I published the first and second editions of my mother's biography I have met with quite a number of 'Doubting Thomases.'\u003cbr\u003e.....Some contend that it is impossible for a woman to get possession of the Secrets of Masonry and others have conceived the idea that the publication of the book would damage the cause of Masonry and that it was contrary to Masonic teachings to publish matters of that character.\u003cbr\u003e.....In regard to the first objection I can say that, while it has always been supposed, by Masons and the world generally, that no woman could become possessed of the Secret Work of Masonry, I know, as a Mason, that my mother knew all of Masonry that can be learned in the Blue Lodge.\u003cbr\u003e.....As to the second objection my answer is as follows:\u003cbr\u003e..First. — In this book there is nothing that is calculated to enlighten the profane regarding the work of the Order.\u003cbr\u003e..Second. — It contains no word or sentence that is not proper to be written.\u003cbr\u003e..Third.— Ever since the early ages our brightest Masons have spent years of their lives complying the history of the order, from its foundation until the present time. For more than fifty years those seekers after Masonic History have known, or supposed that one woman in the world had secured the secrets of the order and they labored in vain to locate her. The Biography of my mother is nothing more nor less than a piece of Masonic History and it fills in the link that has long been missing. As such I have given it to the world....","brand":"Digital Text Publishing Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47175724597488,"sku":"2940014039970","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940014039970_p0.jpg?v=1763599528","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940014039970","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}