1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



537 



unwisely chosen dangerous places. There 

 are streets in our great cities where it is 

 said to be unwise for a woman or even a 

 man, for that matter, to walk, unless it be 

 on business. Once when staying over night 

 in the city of New York I felt a great curi- 

 osity to just take a look at the dangerous 

 localities. I hadn't any business there, as a 

 matter of course ; but I wanted to see, at 

 least from the street, the things we have all 

 heard so much about. Yes, I had a curiosi- 

 ty to see what was going on in such places 

 in the night time. I decided that I would 

 walk briskly, and pretend to be on urgent 

 business, so that nobody would take any 

 notice of me. But either I was not sharp 

 enough, or else even a busy man is not se- 

 cure from interruption. In a little time I 

 was followed. I caught only a glimpse of 

 the poor lost wretch who attempted to enter 

 into conversation with me, but her voice 

 still rings in my ear, and the hollow, mock- 

 ing laugh that I heard behind me as I hur- 

 ried away follows me still. Another verse 

 reads : " "They eat the bread of wickedness, 

 and drink the wine of violence." But after 

 the above verse comes one of such won- 

 drous beauty, and so bright with hope, that 

 I want to put it in right here, even if it is 

 not in a line with my subject. It is this: 

 '' But the path of the just is as the shining 

 light, which shineth more and more unto 

 the perfect day." 



I presume we all have this longing for 

 something new and something different. 

 During these July days we hunger for some 

 sort of change. We want to lie off for 

 a day or a week, or perhaps a month. 

 We want to go somewhere. We want 

 rest, and we want recreation. It is 

 right that we should, too, dear friends, 

 and I hope many of you who read these 

 lines are having rest and recreation. Here 

 in the factory we have been so busy for 

 mouths past that no one has even spoken of 

 a picnic or excursion or a holiday. Just 

 now, however, we are glad to recompense 

 these friends by telling them that any of 

 them can take a vacation if they wish, pro- 

 viding, of course, too many do not go at 

 once, and that they also make some arrange- 

 ment for filling their post while absent. 

 Our orders are all filled ; however, we have 

 quite a good many still coming and going 

 daily. What shall we do for recreation? 

 The children and even mamma almost al- 

 ways find a little fault with me because I 

 always recommend some kind of work. For 

 instance, I should say, '' Have rest and rec- 

 reation and fun in raising strawberries." 

 Now, with a great many of you this would 

 mean severe hard work. I am glad to note, 

 however, that a great many of my readers 

 look at it as I do — that is, where it is a 

 change from their every-day toil. Why do 

 I recommend these things? Well, because 

 so many who start out to have a good time 

 do not seem to have it, after all. It turns 

 out like the words in Isaiah : " Wherefore 

 do ye spend money for that which is not 

 bread, and your labor for that which satisfi- 

 eth not?" Perhaps some of us have had 

 experience in that way. I wonder if I shall 

 judge harshly of humanity when I suggest 



that recreation and having a good time sug- 

 gest to many something sinful. I hope it 

 does not to you, dear reader, but 1 am 

 afraid 1 shall have to confess that, a great 

 many times when I feel out of sorts, and a 

 general lack of interest in my every-day 

 work, my thoughts are very apt to" turn 

 toward something sinful. A man who has 

 been intemperate, when he thinks of a pic- 

 nic or a hunt in the woods, or boating and 

 fishing, instinctively turns his thoughts 

 longingly toward some sort of stimulant 

 to take along with the lunch. One whose 

 besetting sin is gambling would take along 

 a pack of cards. I'erhaps neither would 

 propose to do any thing bad. One would 

 say, '' Oh ! a little fun won't do any harm 

 just at this time of year, when we are hav- 

 ing a holiday." The other would suggest, 

 •' We will just play a little among ourselves, 

 just for the fun of the thing, without any 

 stakes." My friends, let me bid you read 

 the 4th chapter of Proverbs. " Enter not 

 into the path of the wicked, and go not into 

 the way of evil men." I do not know where 

 your besetting sin lies. I do not know just 

 where you are weak, but it is pretty much 

 the same. The only safe course is, " Avoid 

 it, pass not by it ; turn from it, and pass 

 away." I have told you about our horse 

 Meg that used to run away. Although it 

 was years ago, everybody who handles her 

 needs to be cautioned to keep a firm hold 

 on the reins. Sometimes, after I have driv- 

 en her for fifteen or twenty miles I think to 

 myself. "Oh, well ! she is too tired to run 

 now. If the lines were thrown right down 

 on the dnshboard there would be no dan- 

 ger." Before long, however, I have been 

 ready to change my mind. Even after she 

 has been driven twice fifteen miles I have 

 seen her start with as much strength and 

 suddenness as if she were right fresh from 

 the stable, or as if she had not been used for 

 a week. And it is so with Satan and sin. 

 Do not console yourself with the idea that 

 you are too weak with hard work during 

 these hot days to be in danger of evil sug- 

 gestions. Do not delude yourself. Satan is 

 on the alert, and is watching for just such 

 opportunities. Physical weakness and ex- 

 haustion count as nothing when Satan has 

 once got hold of the reins again. Before 

 you know it, almost before you have time to 

 say, '' Lord, help, " you are swept off your 

 feet out into the stream. Keep clear of dan- 

 gerous paths. Choose wisdom and not folly. 

 Never mind if you are tired and weary. 

 Better wear out your shoes— yes, better a 

 thousand times wear out yourself, than to 

 get back into the hands of the evil one. 



Now, notwithstanding I do not take up 

 many of the ordinary amusements and rec- 

 reations, I am still one of the greatest fel- 

 lows for something new and something ex- 

 citing that you ever knew. If I can not 

 have some variety in the routine of every 

 day's duties, I am not satisfied. Nay, 

 further : I am hardly satisfied unless I can 

 explore some unexplored region, more or 

 less, every day. As a matter of course, 

 every little while my explorations run into 

 Satan's domain. How can I tell? There is 

 no difficulty, dear friends, in deciding. The 



