1893 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



717 



to his lips, is deiiciously cooling. Now, this 

 fragment of crockery that we found in that 

 cave, even though it held only about half a 

 teacupful. seemed to me to furnish about the 

 most delicious beverage that it has ever been 

 my pleasure to taste; and I rather think the 

 boys thought so too by the way they kept 

 passing the dish from one to the other. Pretty 

 soon there was a hurrah as the lantern was 

 passed in. 



" Now pass along your matches," said I. But 

 the reply came.— 



" Why, I have got some matches, as I said; 

 but they are in my coat pocket." 



In the scramble through the woods the boys 

 had taken oft' their coats. 



" All right; but where is the coat, Johnny '?" 

 said I. 



"The coat? Oh! that is hanging up on the 

 tree over there where *ve took dinner. Don't 

 you know, Mr. Root, you urged us— every one 

 of us — to take oft' our coats and hang them up 

 before we started out?" 



There was a big laugh all around at this. 

 Wasn't that an excellent specimen of boy logic ? 

 And here was a predicament. Here we were, a 

 pretty fair-sized Sunday-school, crowded into 

 the dark cave with a lantern, it is true, but 

 " nary a match." Another boy was sent off to 

 get some matches; but by this time I was a 

 little impatient about the delay as well as the 

 rest; so I told the boys that those who were 

 barefooted might push out in the dark, provid- 

 ing they were very careful not to slip or fall, or 

 get out of hearing distance. In fact, I kept 

 talking to them as they crowded back and ex- 

 plored the various crevices and openings 

 through the white sandstone. Sometimes the 

 passage went down quite steep, and again we 

 had to climb up; but before the lantern reached 

 us we had explored every passage except one. 

 Pretty soon somebody sang out, '" Light is com- 

 ing 1" and then we made the cavern ring and 

 echo again with our hurrahs for a real lantern 

 with a burning light inside. After the whole 

 crowd had pushed off up into one of the pas- 

 sages where it was dry, the music-teacher 

 struck up 



" Rock of Ages, cleft for me !" 



and, wasn't it grand I Then we took another 

 drink from the broken crock; but I stayed after 

 all the rest, dishing up the water; but even 

 then I did not get enough. I am going some 

 day to that cave again, and you may be sure I 

 shall have a tin cup large enough so that I can 

 drink to my heart's content from the cooling 

 and life-giving waters. 



After we emerged from the cave, in order to 

 make a short cut to thedining-place we ascend- 

 ed an immense hill. It is, perhaps, one of the 

 longest hills in Medina Co.; and when we 

 reached the top we were rewarded by a most 

 magnificent view. On the north and west was 

 the valley of the Rocky River, with its green 

 hills and beautiful farms dotting the hillsides. 

 On ihe south was the valley of the River Styx, 

 and so on clear around on all points of the 

 compass. I told the boys that "down east" the 

 Boston folks call themselves the " Hub of the 

 Universe;" but it seemed as if this hill was 

 ahead of Boston. At a farmhouse, right on the 

 summit, our pilot informed us there was a well 

 over 100 feet deep, cut full size clear down 

 through the solid sandstone. It was made 

 years ago, before bored wells were much known. 

 Two buckets were arranged on a chaiti. to bring 

 the cool and sparkling li(|uid from the lower 

 depths; and it took a pi'etiy good boy to pull 

 the bucket with its weight of chain when it 

 first started up. Our small tin cup had been 

 brought to light: but as there seemed but little 



prospect, by the way things were going, that 

 they would get around much before night, I 

 went over to the well to interview proceedings. 

 One boy had the small cup; and while his 

 thirsty companions looked on with envy he 

 took sufficient time to drink three cupfuls. 

 Near by were some stone milk-crocks. They 

 were of the. kind that are white on the out- 

 side and black inside. This black glazing has 

 a shiny, sparkling appearance; and whenever 

 I see a piece of crock of this kind it always 

 makes me thirsty, because it is the kind they 

 used to make in Mogadore— the very kind we 

 used to have around those springs. I took out 

 one of the smallest milk-crocks and poured it 

 full, and then passed it from one boyish face to 

 another, telling them meanwhile that this water 

 was not only the purest and coolest and most 

 delicious in the world, but very likely it came 

 fron) one of the deepest wells in Medina Co. 

 Well, pretty soon I found that even the tin cup 

 with the help of the gallon crock was not going 

 to furnish water as fast as they could drink; so 

 I borrowed another crock and put a stout boy 

 at the windlass; and then when a party of ladies 

 came up I borrowed still another crock; and, 

 oh! but didn't we have fun drinking that cool 

 spring— no. no!— not si>ring, but well water, 

 pulled to the surface with two veritable "old 

 oaken buckets "I 



Now, friends. I am making quite a long story 

 in order to make my point. I am sure those 

 children, as well as myself, enjoyed that pure 

 soft water more than they would have enjoyed 

 any kind of beer, soda-water, or even lemonade, 

 and a thousand times more than they could 

 have enjoyed any intoxicating drink. And if 

 my story has made you thirsty for just such 

 pure spring water, then I have accomplished 

 my end. In climbing hills and taking such 

 rambles as this, I believe almost every one can 

 drink' freely of such pure soft water, provided 

 he keeps on climbing. Were one to drink to ex- 

 cess, perhaps, after such a tramp, and then sit 

 down or lie down, the consequences might be 

 unpleasant; but I am sure not at all so if he 

 keeps on with hisi'amble. Another thing, I am 

 quite certain that there are few people who can 

 drink hard water, or water impregnated with 

 any mineral substances, as they can soft water 

 from these sandstone rocks. Again, I have told 

 you many times before that such rambles and 

 such great quantities of pure water are. to my 

 mind, one of the best medicines for old and 

 young that this wor'd att'ords. Perhaps lh(>re 

 are those in strong and robust health who take 

 water from hard-water wells and springs just 

 as well as the pure soft water; but I am sure it 

 is not so with those whose health is ])Oor. In 

 my various wheel-rides through the northern 

 part of the State of Ohio I have learned to my 

 sonow that it will not do for me to drink freely 

 of hard water; and so many others agree with 

 me. that I do think better provision should be 

 made for furnishing soft water to people who 

 can not drink the other. In old tinu^s the man 

 who dug a well for the convenience of the 

 people was considered a public benefactor. 

 You remember what the Bibh; says about the 

 well that .Jacob dug; and in one of our texts we 

 are told that Isaac's servants found, by digging, 

 a well of springing water. The margin calls it 

 a well of ■■ living" water. Now, we want ever 

 so many more of these. Our tempei-ance people 

 have; done a. little, but they want to do a big 

 lot more. At the present writing I do not know 

 of a real nice soft-water spring within h^ss than 

 six mi!es of where I now sit; bnt when I have 

 plenty of time I just enjoy going that distance 

 on my wheel in order to enjoy the fun of drink- 

 ing cupful after cupful of this delicious life- 

 giving beverage. The spring is In ashady nook 



