146 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



tuiiity to prove your devotion to science. Our little 

 cave-dwellers are wont to defend their household 

 treasures with some acrimony." 



"My dear fellow," said the clergyman, "I pray you 

 have me excused ! I am too old and clumsy to engage 

 in a battle with bumble-bees. If you stir up those 

 mettlesome little beasts I shall certainly run away. 

 Good morning !" 



"Hold, hold, Doctor ! I promise to spare you. But 

 how shall we learn the m3'steries of this cavern-home 

 unless we take some risks in the work of exploration ? 

 Really, I am anxious, on my own behalf, to see the 

 interior of a bee's nest ; for 1 haven't seen one since my 

 boyhood, and in those days there was rather too much' 

 excitement in the assault and defense to permit a care- 

 ful study of the architecture." 



Here Harry spoke. " I kuov/ where they 're two 

 other nests inside the yard, back of the house. Pap 

 was telling Joe and me t' other da}' that avc 'd hav' tuh 

 clean 'em out anyhow, sence the folks 'ad come. So ef 

 you 'd like to see a nest we '11 open one now for you, 

 jest as leav 's not." 



"Ah, that will do tinely," 1 said; "so you see, 

 Doctor, we shall get the spoils of victory without the 

 perils of war." 



''True enough," was the reply. "But isn't that 

 vei'y much like the patriotism of the great showman, 

 Artemas AVard, who exhibited such self-sacrificing 

 willingness to have all his wife's relations go to war V" 



"Perhaps it is," I answered, smiling, "but we may 



