1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



641 



operation his plan of rescue; and, unbeknown 

 to him, that opportunity was then and there 

 shaping itself. The neighbors were arranging 

 for the burial; and as there was no minister of 

 the gospel within twenty miles, some were in 

 favor of dispensing with burial services alto- 

 gether; but the majority, with true American 

 spirit, wished to see things done decently and 

 in accordance with civilized usages. Therefore 

 Mr. Buell was asked to come on the morrow 

 and conduct the services. This he consented 

 to do, and, after spending an hour about the 

 cabin, Mr. and Mrs. Buell returned to the boat. 

 Mrs. Dawson followed to the wharf, and, upon 

 seeing Fred, she exclaimed, in evident surprise, 

 " Wall, I declar' agin! ef hyar aint that goslin 

 young feller, tu! never spected tu see you agin 

 — spected you'd be in the bottom of the river 

 with McBurger. Yer a favorite of Providence, 

 sartin! Mebby that's yer pooty gardeen angel 

 Ihar. Stick tu her, young feller, fur gar- 

 deen angels don't cum a floutin' around 

 everywhere." 



Fred blushed, and was about to make a 

 reply when Alfaretta arose, and, pointing 

 her walking-stick wand toward the house, 

 said in that weird tone she alone could use 

 —"Dead." 



c;"Of course, he's dead," said Mrs. Daw- 

 son. 



"Repent!" said Alfaretta. ' 



" Wall, now, gardeen angel, ye'r struck 

 another tune, an' — " 



"Repent!" again said the voice. 



"Wall, now, see hyar — " 



" Repent!" came again from Alfaretta. 



"Now, by the—" 



"Repent!" echoed again, as if from 

 above. 



Mrs. Dawson, as though in anger, turn- 

 ed abruptly from the wharf; and as she 

 hastened toward her cabin she heard the 

 words, " Doom, doom," from the still erect 

 Alfaretta. 



Mrs. Dawson, though a rude woman, 

 knew the meaning and the need of repent- 

 ance; but Mr. Buell, or a minister of the 

 gospel, never would have impressed the 

 fact upon her in conversation as strongly 

 as the repeating by Alfaretta, in that 

 place, at that moment, and in that way, 

 the simple word "repent;" and, though 

 she stormed about crazy folks being allow- 

 ed to mingle with "decent" people, "repent" 

 and "doom " were to haunt her soul for days. 



Our friends were now free to depart without 

 the formalities of a good-by. For some time 

 Mr. Buell and Fred rowed up the river in 

 silence. Though the current was not strong, 

 the labor with four in the boat was consider- 

 able; and when about half their journey had 

 been covered they pulled into a little cove 

 under some cottonwood-trees, for a rest. 



" How strongly impressed upon my mind," 

 said Mr. Buell, as he wiped the perspiration 

 from his forehead, " is the fact that every man 

 is to a great degree the architect of his own 

 destiny! Here this man Dawson came to ma- 

 turity with a knowledge of good and evil; and 

 I claim that it makes no difference how degrad- 

 ed a person may be, in this civilized age he has 

 every-day promptings, and even cordial invita- 

 tions, which, if listened to and followed, would 

 make him as one of the children of light. 

 Faith, hope, and charity, inscribed in any per- 

 son's heart, lead to a growth that 'height nor 

 depth nor any other creature ' can stay. Why !" 

 said Mr. Buell, with enthusiasm, "it seems to 

 me that a truly benevolent soul Is a world in 

 magnitude. But, behold the Dawsons — lust, 

 greed, brutality, nothing but groveling swine, 

 where there might have been angels." 



"My chief impression," said Mrs. Buell, "is 



7/es,-../os.5:^ 'tut id 10 bb fur us 

 Us iibcrty!. 



that it would take an immense amount of 

 preaching and example to change the current 

 for the better in the life of Mrs. Dawson. She 

 has evidently led a wretched life, and all of the 

 sweetness of character, if she ever had any, 

 has been driven out. The question is. Can such 

 a woman be reformed?" 



"While it would be hard to reach the better 

 life of Mrs. Dawson directly," said Fred, "it 

 might possibly be reached through her chil- 



