92 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 



Keally, friends, I would like to tell you 

 more what tliey ])lanned ; but I have only 

 room to say, they went into it, and I don't 

 believe any boys ever had a happier Christ- 

 mas week. Tliey hired Mr. M. to work for 

 them with his tools, at a dollar a day, and 

 Mrs. Jones made the candy ; Mary nnd'Fred- 

 die nailed up the vehicles and cradles, and 

 pasted the labels on, and at !) o'clock tlie day 

 before Christmas they counted up their 

 money and found they had taken in for tin- 

 ware and all (you see they sold candy by the 

 pailful as well as wagonful), $19.45, besides 

 having quite a little sugar and other stock 

 on hand, all paid for. Tom sold out his in- 

 terest to John for $10.00, so John was sole 

 proprieter. Next month I will tell you how 

 Tom bronzed labels, and what the temper- 

 ance hotel did in the month of January. 

 Truly tlie sad and dilapidated home of John 

 Jones was beginning to blossom as the rose, 

 even in the winter, and the way in which it 

 got to be the favorite gathering-place of the 

 people of Onionville, luider the kind guid- 

 ance of friend Merrybanks (was it really 

 Merrybanks,or the Lord Jesus Christ whom 

 he loved to serve?) would not inaptly re- 

 mind one of our opening text. 



TOBACCO COIiUMN. 



AND VE SHALL, KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH 

 SHALL MAKE YOU FBEE. 



IP AM a niUive of Gcrmrinj'; landed on the Amcri- 

 ijl can shores in 1830, and never had an hour's les- 

 son in English; but my occupation as colpor- 

 teur brought me in contact with all classes of peo- 

 ple, to learn to read and write. I first heard of you 

 as a scientific bee-keeper and journalist through 

 Farm aiid Firfsi'rte advertising columns. I sent for 

 a specimen copy of Gleanings, as 1 was interested 

 in bee culture, which you sent promptly. Every 

 thing else I lilied; but I thought you had stepped 

 rather out of your place in your Tobacco Column. 

 You know the Germans arc great ■consumers of to- 

 bacco, and 1 have used it in all its forms, chewing 

 not extensivelj'. You must not think hard of my 

 countrymen in this respect, when j ou see them even 

 on the street with a pipe in their mouth as long as 

 themselves, for sll classes, high and low, use it, even 

 the preacher in his study. But since reading your 

 Tobacco Column, I have thought the matter over 

 conscientiously, between me and my God, and am 

 enabled to see the word of God in a now light on 

 this subject; that it is sinful and wicked for any 

 man to defile his body with this filthy weed, which 

 destroys the constitution of the strongest man, 

 madders his brain, and disqualifies kis thinking 

 powers, unfits him for good judgment, and, what is 

 worse than all, defiles the body, which the apostle 

 calls a " temple of the Holy Spirit," and the Spirit of 

 God can surely not dwell in a temple built largely of 

 tobacco. In order to worship God acceptably, and 

 to offer up sacrifices pleasing in his sight, the vessels 

 in use must be clean, pure, and holy; and how a 

 man can pray to God, and sing bis praises with a 

 chew of tobacco in his mouth, I am unable to see 

 now. 



S:me one may think 1 am saying too much when I 

 say that it is sinful and wicked to use tobacco. 



Well, I will then say, it is a naughty, bad habit, and 

 the Bible tells that all naughtit.ess is sin; and the 

 apostle exhorts us to do away with all naughtiness 

 and fiithlness of the flesh. God roriuired ancient 

 Israel even to wa?h their clothes before approach- 

 ing him in wo. ship. Could they have presented 

 their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable 

 unto the Lord, with a chew or cigar or pipe in their 

 mouth? This puts one in mind of the story of a 

 missionary in S^iotland, who asked at a farmer's 

 house for a night's lodging. On being refused, he 

 said to the host that he must not forget to entertain 

 strangers, for thus many hid, unawares, enter- 

 tained anirtls. Tho farmer said, on looking into 

 his face, "That may all be; but you a c surely no 

 angel." " How do you know?" asked tho mission- 

 ary. "Because," s:iid tho furmer, "angels don't 

 chew tobacco," seeing his beard all saturated with 

 the juice of the filthy weed. 



It is said by a man of understanding, that the food 

 we partake of, the nat-iro we partake of; and this 

 being the case, no wonder Dr. Adam Clarke used 

 the expression on one occasion, "If you want to 

 bring a pleasing sacrifice to the Devil, take a pig, 

 stuff it with tobacco, roast it, and your offering will 

 be complete;" and no wonder the cannibals never 

 will kill a man to cat his fiesh if he has used tobacco. 



Now, friend Hoot, having come to see and under- 

 stand these facts, I have solemnly pledged myself 

 never, never, to use the filthy weed; and more than 

 that, the investigation of this has led me into tem- 

 perance in all things; and by the help of God I shall 

 henceforth keep my body under subjection; cat 

 wholesome food, and drink pure and wholesome 

 drink; and don't think, friend Root, I do or say this 

 because I want a bee-smoU r. No; but I tell you 

 before God, I mean what I s:iy. 



Stephen Roese. 



Maiden Rock, Wis., Jan. 7, 188:?. 



I do have charity for your countrymen, my 

 good friend, and I can take them by the 

 hand despite their long pipes; but at the 

 same time I can but earnestly pray they may 

 be delivered ere long from the bondage of 

 the habit. As I read your letter, friend R., 

 I felt the answer to the prayer was coming, 

 and that, too, chiefly through the labors of 

 their own number, even such as you. To be 

 frank, even when most hopeful I have never 

 had the faith to believe that my poor words 

 in the Tobacco Column Avould ever have 

 raised up such a one as you. May the Lord 

 be praised ! 



A young friend of mine promises to quit the use 

 of tobacco. He has been in tho habit of smoking 

 and chewing, about four years. He seems to think 

 it will help him to make a public announcement of 

 his promise. He says he will " smoke his last cigar" 

 on the last day of this year, and if he ever breaks 

 his promise he will send you word. His name is 

 Joseph Wood, age IT, late from England, and at pres- 

 ent is employed on our farm. He says you need not 

 send a smoker. W.m. L. Stiles. 



Austin, Tex., Dec. 30, 1881. 



May the Lord bless both you and our young 

 friend, friend D. Tell him that he will do 

 us the more good, because he has voluntari- 

 ly come out and desired to be numbered 

 with those clean in body and clean in heart, 

 and we know he will hold out, the Lord 

 helping him. 



