lyiu 



(iLEANIXGS IN BEE CULTURE 



him I had heard them throwing stones at the 

 mail-box after I was in bed nights. Once I 

 got up and went out, but saw nothing but 

 some innocent, harmless-looking cows chew- 

 ing their cuds by tlie roadside. Finally, 

 when I was getting into a bad frame of mind 

 about it, I went out one day and saw a cow 

 SGratching her back under my mail-box. 

 Right back of her were a dozen other cows 

 waiting for an opportunity to scratch their 

 baclvs. Tlie faithful bovines evidently imag- 

 ined that I had rigged up this structure espe- 

 cially for their benefit. I know they felt 

 thankful to me for the pains I had taken, 

 even if /did not sympathize with them. 1 

 felt so guilty I told the story in Sunday- 

 school in order that 1 might publicly beg 

 pardon of the boys for my uncliaritable 

 thought toward them. I think I have be- 

 fore mentioned that, on the street that runs 

 past our house, with dwellings on both sides 

 for about a mile, there is not a mian or boy 

 w^ho uses tobacco in any w^ay. 



Now, if friend Graves will excuse me 

 again for writing up Florida with ' ' too much 

 of a rosy tint," I shall have to close this 

 Home paper with sometliing that is not 

 quite so complimentary to the boys. After 

 I had begged their pardon I felt so kindly 

 toward them that I frequently invited them 

 to get in and ride when I carried my eggs 

 to market every evening. Pretty soon I had 

 boys piling on behind until my little auto- 

 mobile could liardly move the load. When 

 I began remonstrating they got a fashion of 

 hopping off till my back was turned, and 

 then piling on again; and the more I remon- 

 strated the worse it became; and the more I 

 scolded, the more fun it was for them. Then 

 I had to appeal to the marshal; but, not- 

 withstanding this appeal, one night when 

 we had a temperance meeting in the Meth- 

 odist church my automobile was taken by a 

 crowd of boys and pushed over into the 

 park, where I had some trouble in finding 

 it, esjiecially as they opened the lamps and 

 put out the lights. This act was a little 

 more fiagrant, for, fearing something of the 

 kind, I had placed my machine right close 

 to the door of the church in the full blaze of 

 the light that shone through it from the 

 doorway. Now, friends, who is to blame 

 for taking such liberties? I myself was to 

 blame for being more familiar with the boys 

 than was wise under the circumstances.* 



\\ hen I was in my teens I once taught 

 school. The pupils were diligent in their 

 studies, and I enjoyed their work; but 1 

 made a mistake in not preserving my prop- 

 er dignity; and before tlie school was out I 

 realized in a way that I shall remember, 

 perhaps, all my life, the importance of main- 

 taining a proper degree of dignity and in- 

 sisting on the amount of respect due every 

 teacher. Toward ihe close of the term some 

 of the oldest and most presuming of the 

 pupils thought it would be a nice trick to 

 put me outdoors as they had some of my 



*The boys who did this were not of the class that 

 live on our particular street, and who are always 

 on hand at Sunday-school and Endeavor meetings. 



predecessors; but they did not do it, and I 

 was engaged to teach the school a month 

 longer than the usual term, because 1 finally 

 succeeded in making the hoodlum element 

 in that school toe the mark. 



Now, I hope, dear friends, this Home pa- 

 per may be a reminder of the importance of 

 following the sense of both of the texts at 

 the head of this talk; and especially of the 

 importance of starting children right, early 

 in life. God knows there are accidents and 

 deaths enough already from the improper 

 use of automobiles, one of God's most pre- 

 cious gifts. Before we start in with the fly- 

 ing-machines I feel that it is of the utmost 

 importance that all who are to handle them 

 should have careful training; and I wish 

 that the word " careful " might also include 

 prayerful training. 



THE RICH GROWING RICHER, AND — 



Mr. A. I. Root: — Excuse me for saying your criti- 

 cism of the Columbus trouble seems to me rather 

 severe. I hope you do not condemn the strikers as 

 a whole. Conductors and motormen are not much 

 given to intoxicating drink; still, their condition is 

 most unfortunate. They make an attempt to im- 

 prove their conditions by asking for a better reward 

 for their labor. The attempt was an entire failure, 

 and now the condition of themselves and their fam- 

 ilies is worse than ever. How such matters can be 

 peaceably arranged is a questicn, so far as I know, 

 that is yet unanswered. 



Years ago an employee giving good and faithful 

 service was voluntarily rewarded, but not so in 

 these days. In my twenty years experience in fac- 

 tories and shops of Cincinnati I have raised my 

 wages from five to twenty dollars a week. Every 

 cent was got, not by asking, but by demanding; and 

 I am making the effort of my life by getting out in 

 the country, closer to old Mother Nature, and cut- 

 ting loose from the whole wage system entirely. 

 Those not in the struggles of the wage earner and 

 striker have reasons to thank the I.ord, for the 

 question is unsettled and uncertain One thing we 

 are fully aware of is that the rich are getting richer 

 and more powerful. Every thing .seems to be In 

 their favor, and— why continue? 



Cincinnati, O., Oct. 2. A. W. Martin. 



My good friend, we are glad to hear some- 

 thing on tlie side of the wage-earners on this 

 question, and I am rather glad you did not 

 finish your last sentence. Perhaps it is 

 true that the rich are growing richer; but 

 let us call a halt right here before assuming 

 that the poor are growing poorer. And rec- 

 ollect that here in our United States of 

 America most of our rich men started as 

 wage-earners, and many of them from very 

 humble positions; and if you look about 

 you I think you will admit that there are 

 hundreds and thousands of wage-earners 

 who are climbing up all the while into being 

 men of capital; and not only that, they are 

 becoming men of influence. The solution 

 of all our troubles is, without question, a 

 more thorough sj^reading of the doctrines of 

 our Lord and Master; " for there is no other 

 name given among men whereby we must 

 be saved." 



Just a word about not getting a raise un- 

 less we demand it. As you may know, I 

 have had years of experience in this matter. 

 Pleasant relations between employer and 

 employees will make it easy to arrange for 

 a raise in wages without the use of that 

 hard word "demand." I am not now so 



