1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



867 



true, and it is right. .Suppose a teacher finds it 

 necessary to make a rule, as I have before illus- 

 trated. Some defiant boy breaks the rule as soon 

 as it is made. He looks the teacher square in the 

 face, perhaps with a deriant smile. Such a boy 

 is called up, and severely punished. Somebody 

 reports that "Johnnie" also did exactly the 

 same thing. The teacher knows both boys, 

 and their habits and dispositions. Johnnie 

 comes forward, with his poor little face pucker- 

 ed up in agony at the thought of the punish- 

 ment. He finally bursts out crying, and con- 

 fesses his fault, at the same time that he also 

 confesses another fault. He was not lifitening, 

 and did not hear what the teacher had said. 

 The teacher replies, perhaps, something like 

 this: 



"Johnnie, from what I have known of you I 

 could not for a moment believe it possible that 

 you willfully and (/c/7a7itJy disobeyed me. We 

 can all see by your looks and manner that you 

 are sufficiently punished already. You may go 

 to your seat; but for my sake, as well as your 

 own, be careful to listen in the future, when 

 your teacher is talking." 



In the family circle the father often repre- 

 sents law, while the mother represents grace 

 and mercy. Very likely God intended it should 

 be thus. Both are right and proper. Some 

 boys once accosted another boy, who had had a 

 good bringing-up. Perhaps the conversation 

 was something like this: 



" Jimmie, we a'-e going to have some fun to- 

 night. Come and go with us." 



"But," says Jimmie, "I have to be at home 

 at 9 o'clock every night, you know." 



"Oh! fudge. Jimmie. Who is going to stand 

 about nine o'clock after a boy gets to be as old 

 as you are? You just come along with us this 

 once. Why, we are going to ' paint the town 

 red ' to-night. Sooner or later you are going to 

 be a man and judge about these things your- 

 self. Just tell the ' governor.' as I told mine, 

 ' scolding don't hurt none: whipping don't last 

 long! kill me if you dare. I am ready; come 

 ahead.' " 



Jimmie should not have stood and listened to 

 such talk. but. like many another boy, I fear he 

 did. I need not tell you all that was said. 

 Most of you know something about it already. 

 The conseouence was, he went with the rest of 

 the boys, tie did not get back at ten o'clock 

 nor eleven; and then when he did go, the 

 question was. how to meet laiv. He climbed 

 up on top of the woodshed, and then pulled off 

 his boots. You know how it is yourself, most of 

 you. After a long time he got the window up, 

 almost without noise, and felt a little relieved 

 to hear T^aw snoring loudly. His father was 

 sound asleep. He got into bed without making 

 a bit of noise, or pretty nearly that. But just 

 as he was closing his eyes to go to sleep he "was 

 startled by hearing footsteps on the stairway. 



" Why, that can not be father," said he to 

 himself: " no, for I still hear him snoring. Oh! 

 It must be mother." And then he decided to 

 pretend he was asleep. She came up to his 

 bedside so carefully that he hardly realized her 

 presence until he felt her gentle kiss on his 

 face: and then, in spite of her, two or three hot 

 teardrops trickled down across his forehead. 

 Not a word was spoken. She went back as she 

 came up. A few nights after, the boys invited 

 him again; but Jimmie shook his head. 



"Oh! you catched it from tbe governor, did 

 you?" 



And then they commenced their taunts and 

 jeers. Jimmie evidently did not see fit to tell 

 them his reasons for refusing. Not long after, 

 however, his father died. Then they came after 

 him again. 



" Well, Jimmie. the governor is dead and 

 gone now. and you are a man to act for your- 

 self and do as you please. Come out with us, 

 and let's have some more fun." 



Jimmie straightened himself up a little. He 

 too had been growing within a few days. 



"Boys, do you think I have been at home 

 every night at nine o'clock, during all these 

 months that are past because I. fcm'cc? my /a- 

 ther? You are mistaken. I stayed at home and 

 behaved myself out of respect to my good 

 mother: and now that father is dead and gone, 

 and she is left alone in the world, if it needs the 

 last bit of breath there is in my body, and the 

 last bit of strength I possess to defend her, 

 and avoid hurting her feelings, either directly 

 or indirectly, that breath and that strength 

 shall be freely given, even if it is only a feeble 

 payment of the great debt of gratitude I owe to 

 her for what she has done for me." 



That kiss and those teardrops on that mem- 

 orable night were more potent with Jimmie 

 than any punishment the father had power to 

 inflict. Alas! boys are not all Jimmies. 



I have mentioned to you how often in my 

 travels I am called upon to ask a blessing at 

 the table. A ereat many times the friends say, 

 " Mr. Root, will you say grace ? " I believe the 

 word " grace " is more used in the South than 

 it is here at the North. But what a beautiful 

 thought! grace before meals! Let us take an 

 example if you please. A laboring-man comes 

 home to dinner. The poor overworked wife is 

 springing about here and there: in fact, she is 

 sometimes a good deal spryer than a girl of 16, 

 even though she is past 40. The husband says, 

 " Dear me! have we got to wait for dinner now, 

 when I havfi not a minute to spare?" Then 

 he adds. " Why can't you do something to'keep 

 that baby from yelling like that?" Just at 

 this time .Johnnie comes home from school, and 

 happens to get in his father's way, and he 

 gives him a cuff. Then Mary does something 

 that a child ought not to do. and she is sent off 

 crying, in a similar way. By this time the 

 wife has hastily got the meat on the table. 

 The father sits down, cuts off a huge chunk, 

 and crams it into his mouth. Dear friends, you 

 can fill out the picture yourselves. If you have 

 not witne«sed just such scenes, may be some 

 portions of the story may come home to you. 



But we will suppose this man and his wife 

 have been attending the revival meetings. The 

 husband has been converted. He comes home 

 to dinner as bpfore, his work crowding, but he 

 can not sit down as he used to do. for now 

 they say " grace " before meals; yes. and grace 

 all through the meal and after the meal. He 

 is tired and hungry, and feels petulant; but he 

 does not give way to it. The baby is crying. 

 In a minute the strong arms of the father 

 have lifted it up. Then the father's strong 

 earnest " grace " and good will have driven 

 away the tears, and the baby is laughing with 

 delight. The wife comes in with the meat as 

 before, and what a change has come over her 

 poor tired self! 



" Dear wife, did you ever see a brighter or 

 handsomer baby? " 



There are still marks of the teardrops down 

 the baby's cheeks, but he is crowing with de- 

 light. Johnnie come in and says he is next to 

 the head at school. "Well done, Johnnie." 

 says the father, and he gives him an approving 

 pat on the head. Then Mary has something 

 pleasant to tell. The children help to bring 

 the chairs to the table, then the father carries 

 the baby with one arm while he helps bring in 

 the things from the kitchen with the other; 

 and finally all are ready to sit around the hap- 

 py board. Now, I do not know exactly what 



