1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



783 



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N deciding upon the 

 matter of working 

 his bees for extract- 

 ed or comb honey, 

 Fred reasoned, but 

 perhaps not without 

 prejudice and incli- 

 nation, that any 

 clod-pate could run 

 an extractor and be 

 satisfied with half- 

 way work and half- 

 way success, while comb honey production 

 called for a higher order of skill. Ke also held 

 the opinion that, if a person commenced to 

 work his bees for extracted honey, however 

 successful or skillful he might be, he should be 

 so progressive as to aspire, student-like, to 

 graduate from the various departmeats of hon- 

 ey production, and should regard every nice 

 section of comb honey as a diploma to that 

 degree. Fred further reasoned that, if the 

 honey produced on the river- bottom was amber 

 or light amber, it would show all of those 

 grades to full advantage in the liquid state; 

 but if put into comb the white cappings would 

 raise the honey at least one grade, and could be 

 sold to better advantage. In the promotion of 

 these plans Fred had sent to San Francisco for 

 several thousand sections; and while he was 

 away employed in good works the little steamfer 

 Valetta, which never tied up over a Sunday, 

 left his bundles of supplies on the Ghering 

 wharf. 



It was in this work of putting together sec- 

 tions that he wished to employ the services of 

 Gimp Dawson; and early Tuesday morning he 

 sculled his boat down the river for him. 



In years past the Buells had been through 

 the deep waters of affliction in the loss of a 

 bright and promising boy of nine years. His 

 clothing had been laid away with care, and 

 twice a year or oftener it would be removed 

 from its receptacle, and aired. On such occa- 

 sions, as memory went back to the whistling, 

 rollicking boy, Mrs. IJuell would as often sit 

 down. and. bowing her head upon her hands, 

 give way to sobs and tears. 



In view of the condition of the Dawson boys, 

 Mr. Buell had mildly suggested that they could 

 make no better use of the garments than to 

 clothe the naked with them. After a few 

 moments of sober reflection, Mrs. Buell said it 

 was just as well, perhaps. Therefore, soon 



after the Buells landed, Gimp was taken into 

 the bathroom; but half an hour later the 

 Gimp that came out with Mr. Buell was not 

 the Gimp who went in. Like a chrysalis he 

 had shed his ragged shell, and emerged, not a 

 gaudy butterfly, but a clean, wholesome-looking 

 boy. He evidently appreciated the change; 

 and as he surveyed himself he said, "Golly! 

 non 'er the kids'd know me frum an eel— slick, 

 am I?" 



The supper-table, with clean white spread 

 and dainty dishes, was another revelation; and, 

 forgetting his mother's injunction, he let his 

 tongue loose, and said, " Are this heaven, Mr. 

 Buell?" 



It was in this transformed and wondering con- 

 dition that Fred found him. " Why, Gimp," 

 said he, "you look every inch a man. The 

 next thing for you to do is to earn some money. 

 I want you to help me a few days at the Gher- 

 ing ranch, and will pay you well for your work." 



"Kinl ever come back here agin?" asked 

 Gimp, with some apprehension. 



"Yes, yes," said Mr. Buell, with emphasis. 

 "Mr. Anderson wants your services for only a 

 few days; then you can return, and next Sun- 

 day you shall go home to see your people." 



" It seems to me," said Fred, " that he never 

 ought to go back again; for if there is any im- 

 provement in him here, it will be lost in the 

 influences of his home." 



" You are wrong there, Fred, for we must 

 make the influence work the other way, and 

 elevate the whole family. You know the Scrip- 

 ture injunction, 'A little leaven leaveneth the 

 whole lump.' This is the leaven, and it is in 

 our hands to apply it properly." 



"I fear it will be a desperately hard job," 

 said Fred. " I shall study this specimen for the 

 next few days; and if we can make any im- 

 pression here, there may be hopes for the rest." 



Fred's colonies of bees had strengthened up 

 rapidly after the transfer, and were now crowd- 

 ing him for supers. In preparing them he 

 found Gimp a very handy and tractable boy. 

 When shown the sections he said, " I reckon I 

 knows how tu put them tergether. We kids 

 had a hull lot of them fur playthings arter 

 McBurger was drowndid. Yer see, dad ust ter 

 come around sometimes about sundown and 

 say, " Wall, boys, I'm gettin' pow'ful honey 

 hungry. We'll go over an' rob a skep of bees.' 

 Bob an' I had to do the work an' get the stings. 

 Ef we cried 'r made a fuss 'r tried to git away. 



