1S96 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



859 



something useful, and, later, of the loss of all 

 by the flood." 



•' Yes, Matt was my best helper, and I under- 

 stand from him that you are also interested in 

 bees." 



'•I am a little interested," said Dr. Hayden. 

 Call at our camp this evening, where we can 

 have a little bee-keepers' convention all to 

 ourselves. Mr. Hogan will show you our camp. 

 I will therefore bid you adieu until evening." 



" That is what I call a fine-appearing man," 

 said Fred; "verily, like all bee-keepers; but he 

 seems to wish privacy in respect to his business. 

 Bee-keepers, as a general thing, wish to give 

 their little knowledge to all the world, and to 

 make as many more bee-keepers as possible." 



" Yes." said Matt, " there's Fred Anderson 

 setting up one Hogan and one Buell in the 

 business." 



*' That is even so, Matt; but this man seems 

 to be an exception. I shall enjoy a talk with 

 him." 



Fred and Matt were prompt in their appear- 

 ance at the camp, and Frfd found a curious 

 assortment of Indians and Indian ponies. 



Dr. Hayden's greeting was cordial, explain- 

 ing that it was unusual for him to be accom- 

 panied by his dusky friends; "but this being 

 fair week I brought the boys along to give them 

 a glimpse of civilization. But if what I see 

 here in Sacramento is a specimen of the civil- 

 ization of my race, the earlier we get back to 

 our quiet homes the better. The tribe is not 

 addicted to gambling, drunkenness, or debauch- 

 ery." 



" That is just my opinion," said Fred, " and I 

 am disgusted with the moral aspects of this 

 fair." 



" Me friends," said Matt, " yees have not been 

 here long enough. The bad characters are 

 from other pairts. There's many good people 

 here; and fur a quiet place and Christian peo- 

 ple yees will find It in the ould maids' hospital." 



" Matt is greatly taken with the Sisters of 

 Charity," said the doctor, " since they nursed 

 him back into health; but I am thinking they 

 will not thank you for calling them old maids. 

 But now about bees. You must have had quite 

 an extended experience with them, Mr. An- 

 derson." 



For an hour the conversation about bees 

 never flagged. Fred hardly observed that the 

 doctor was getting to the amount of his bee 

 knowledge; but he did observe that he adroitly 

 evaded giving the definite location of his 

 apiary. " In the mountains," he would say, 

 when too closely pressed; but "mountains" 

 was an indefinite term, for mountains were 

 north, east, and west; and anywhere from 

 fifty to one hundred miles away. Finally 

 the doctor exclaimed, " Well, Mr. Anderson, I 

 suppose you were greatly disappointed over the 

 loss of your fine apiary and your houey— all the 

 labor of the season ? " 



"I certainly was and am," replied Fred; 

 "and since I have bi-en here in Sacramento I 

 have seriously thought of turning my attention 

 to some other busine-is." 



" I don't know about that," said the doctor. 

 " I know it appears to be a cruel blow; but are 

 not these crushing adversities given to us that 

 we may make our success the more brilliant ? " 



" I had not thought of it in that light," re- 

 plied Fred. " My whole business is swept away 

 past recovery; and if there is a brilliant suc- 

 cess for me, the way seems to be blocked by the 

 lack of means to work with." 



" Well, now. let us figure a little," said the 

 doctor. " You are sober and industrious, well 

 posted in bee culture, and need a place where 

 you can put your talents to good use. Listen to 

 this proposition: Come to my mountain home 

 and lake charge of my apiiify: and," said he, 

 laying his hand upon l-'ied's knee, "• you will 

 never regn-t it." 



MATT TELLS THE STORY. ^ 



" But, Dr. Hayden, you have not told me 

 where the apiary is located; and should I ac- 

 cept your offer I should want to know where I 

 am going. That is a reasonable request, I am 

 sure." 



" It certainly is," replied the doctor; " but 

 for peculiar reasons, which I can explain here- 

 after to your satisfaction, I can not tell you 

 about the location while in Sacramento. I can, 

 however, conduct you to the place; and after 

 examination, if the outlook is not to your lik- 

 ing, you can return at my expense." 



Though Fred was not really satisfied with 

 this arrangement, his curiosity and love of ad- 

 venture were excited. Dr. Hayden's kindly 

 manner also prompted him to accept the offer. 



While considering the matter, Fred's thoughts 

 centered upon Alfaretta. Their lives had of 

 late been bound together by so many episodes 

 that he was fain to stay near her all the rest of 

 his life. But he further reasoned that a few 



