Duncan's Ritual of Freemasonry.pdf - FatimaMovement

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 feels in his pocket and finds a
quarter of a dollar, which some brother had slyly
placed there. He protests he had no intention of
concealing it--really supposed he had none about
him, and hands it to the Master, with the mark.
R. W. M.--Brother, let this scene be a striking
lesson to you: should you ever hereafter have a
mark presented you by a worthy brother, asking a
favor, before you deny him make diligent search,
and be quite sure of your inability to serve him;
perhaps you will then find, as in the present
instance, that some unknown person has
befriended you, and you are really in a better
situation than you thought yourself. 1
The above is a true description of the manner in
which the candidate was formerly taught his duty
as a Mark Master Mason. In these latter days,
however, very few Masters countenance this
method of instruction, and it is therefore almost
entirely discarded. The plan now generally
adopted is as follows:--
After the candidate has taken the obligation, and
while he is yet kneeling at the altar, the Right
Worshipful Master presents him with a small
metal mark (usually gold or silver), and requests
the loan of a small sum of money upon it. The
candidate takes the mark, but upon examination
he finds that he has no money, all having been
taken from him in the ante-room. He then
attempts to give it back to the Right Worshipful
Master, but the latter refuses to receive it, saying