252 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 



and dressed, and looking pleasant, tidy, and 

 happy. Mrs. Jones isn't tired, because they 

 have all helped her bear the burdens of the 

 breakfast. You might think Mary is rather 

 young to be up so early ; but as she goes to 

 bed about as soon as it "is fairly dark, she has 

 about as much slee]i as she used to have the 

 old way. The goods they keep for sale are 

 already out on their stands eacli side of the 

 door, and it would be nothing strange if they 

 should have a customer before they get quite 

 through with breakfast. In that case, nei- 

 ther the father nor mother would have to 

 get up, for Mary or John would be on a strife 

 to see which should wait on the customer 

 first. 



They take their seats at the table, and yet 

 no one makes any movement to help himself 

 to the' food, nor even so much as move a 

 dish, for that matter, for God's blessing 

 must be asked over the morning meal first. 

 In this little feature alone there was a won- 

 derful difference over the old way. It is 

 true, that ofttimes some one of them was 

 unavoidably hindered ; but if the hindrance 

 was not to exceed a few minutes, all hands 

 sat and waited. If breakfast was not quite 

 ready, Mr. Jones had a way of reading in the 

 Sunday- School Times about the lesson for the 

 next Sabbath, and who shall say his time 

 was wasted? Very often he struck some 

 bright thought (did it ever occur to you how 

 easily one catches bright thoughts after his 

 face is washed, just before breakfast?) that 

 made the theme of discussion for all at the 

 morning meal. The words he usually used 

 in asking a blessing were often homely ones; 

 and many who have a better command of 

 language than he had, might have smiled at 

 such common-place words ; but they were 

 his own. and the best he had. As nearly as 

 I can tell, it was usually something like this: 



" Our Father who art in heaven, we thank 

 thee for this happy little home thou hast 

 given us, and for this our morning meal. 

 May thy blessing rest upon the food before 

 us, and may thy loving care be with us all, 

 through all the duties and tasks of the day. 

 Amen." 



It was so shortand simple that no one ever 

 wearied of its length, and yet the words, so 

 few and plain, were such that all could men- 

 tally assent, even if they did not outwardly 

 say amen. The Jones family did not always 

 feel pleasant about every thing early in the 

 morning, any more than the folks do who 

 live at our house or your house ; but the 

 thought of this simple little blessing was a 

 check, even before it had been pronounced, 

 and the memory of it was a check after it 

 had been pronounced. 



During the meal, the subject came up as 

 to what should be planted on their little 

 patch of ground this season. Perhaps noth- 

 ing had brought them so much money as the 

 crop of white beans, for the 5-cent dishes of 

 baked beans had got to be an established ar- 

 ticle of trade with the men working on the 

 new mill. It was decided that every foot of 

 ground must be made to produce something; 

 and then Mr. Jones remarked, that they 

 must make the ground rich, and to that end 

 a compost heap was to be started, and every 

 scrap of every thing that Could be converted 



into manure was to be put on it, even to the 

 soapsuds and dish-water. 



" O mother! "said Mary, " Mr. Merrybanks 

 has got a peach-tree right near the house, 

 and they always pour soapsuds around it, 

 and it bears a bushel of peaches every year, 

 and it's only a little tree too." 



" Oh, yes! " said John, " and he carries all 

 the ashes and puts around the rest of his 

 peach-trees, for he says it keeps the worms 

 away. Right closa to "the ground, he showed 

 me where they ate into the bark, and made 

 the gum run out ; and he said if we kept 

 ashes around the roots, there would never be 

 any gum there ; and,0 father! don't you be- 

 lieve? he has some nice peach-tree honey." 



" Yes," said the father, " and we must 

 have some peach-trees around our place, and 

 some raspberries and strawberries ; and, if 

 mother is willing, Ave will go right about it 

 this morning." 



Inasmuch as they all declared they liked 

 to raise berries, pick berries, and eat berries, 

 it was decided their little plantation was to 

 be devoted to fruits, bees, vegetables, — 



"And tinware! " suggested Mary. 



By this time, as all had tinished their meal 

 the father took the little worn Bible and 

 read a chapter, concluding with the little 

 text at the head of our talk to-day ; and as 

 they all knelt, he asked God to bless their 

 work, and help them to be diligent, not only 

 with their bees, fruits, and vegetables, but 

 also in following his law as laid down in the 

 book they had just rend. After this, all 

 were ready for work, auJ it wasn't quite 7 

 o'clock either. Who shall say it was time 

 wasted? They had simplv been starting the 

 day '' decently and in order," as directed in 

 our little text of last month. 



TOBACCO COIiUMN. 



f HAVEN'T forgotten my promise; my smoker is 

 all right. I am going to holJ my promise as 

 — ' long as I live. I hope you will not forget me. 

 W. H. T. Collins. 

 Aycrsville, Habersham Co.. Ga., April 1, 1883. 



I do not forget you, my friend, and I pray 

 that God may remember and strengthen all 

 those who have given us the promise in the 

 Tobacco Column. 



Charley, our Swedehand,is trying for your smoker 

 by leaving off chewing and smoking, but says he 

 must "snuff a little while yet," which I think is 

 even worse than chewing. He is a very excellent 

 and humble Christian, I believe. Has a wife and 

 three children in Sweden, and wc will help him to 

 send for them next month. He has been earning 

 monej' to get them here. S. Axtell. 



Roseville, Warren Co , III. 



Why, bless your heart, my good friend 

 Charley, tobacco is tobacco, whether it goes 

 into the mouth, lungs, or nose. The only 

 advantage I can see with the snuff would be 

 that you might take less of it ; but if I am 

 correct, it is a more disagreeable habit to 

 those about you than smoking or chewing. 

 Ask the Savior to help you, my friend, and 

 then make a clean sweep of tobacco in every 

 form, and save the money for the good wife 

 and children. 



