1SS0 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



41 



the money which otherwise would have gone to pan- 

 tile rent is sullicient to keep us comfortable in the 

 winter days of life. 



This is the point exactly: and when one 

 once gets ] ight down to it, it is astonishing 

 how little will give ns all the comforts of life. 

 and I have many times been surprised to 

 learn of the new and unexpected happiness 

 which comes to one who sets seriously at 

 work to "go without things,*" when it is done 

 for Christ's sake: and if paying our just 

 debts is not Christ's work, then I do not 

 know what is. 



Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least 

 of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.— 

 Matt. xxv. 40 



In the first of the Home Papers. I gave you 

 experiments to show how cheaply one can 

 provide himself with plenty of food, and im- 

 prove his health and spirits at the same time. 

 Some years have passed since then, but I 

 have no reason to change the views then ex- 

 pressed. While I think of it, I am glad to 

 say there is a prospect, that the Home Pa- 

 pers will soon be published in book form, 

 with such changes as may be deemed best. 



You are busy all day." Very well ; but 

 what do you do with your long evenings ? 

 A great inany will say they are tired, and 

 need rest. How do you take your rest ? If 

 you are near a town, perhaps you go down 

 to the stores and groceries. Stores and gro- 

 ceries are good things,— in fact, they are 

 very good things, but I cannot think they 

 are good places to "rest" in. Too many of 

 the people whom I rind resting there are 

 smoking the same cigars I was speaking of 

 a little back. Others who do not smoke tell 

 stories that are idle, if they are not positively j 

 bad. I cannot help fearing for the boy who j 

 spends his evenings in stores and groceries, j 

 Some of you stay at home and read. Very j 

 well, but i do not believe it is best to read a ! 

 great deal at one time; no not even though 

 you are reading the Bible. When I read the 

 Bible a whole hour, it does not do me half 

 the good which it does to catch a glimpse of 

 some text when I am so hurried I cannot I 

 take time to read more than one verse. | 

 What shall you do V If you cannot do some- i 

 thing to lay up treasures here on earth (it is 

 right to lay up enough to pay your debts), 

 lay them up in Heaven. Help somebody. 

 That is a glorious way of resting. If no one 

 else is near, help your wife. I believe wives 

 are always busy, and they are almost always 

 busy in something that is useful. It may be 

 a good thing to sit down and talk occasional- 

 ly; but if you are asking God to help you 

 every morning and night, I do not believe it 

 is best to sit and talk very long. When I 

 write on the Home Papers until I am re idy 

 to go home and go to bed, I feel the approv-. 

 ing voice of conscience much more strongly 

 than when I read all the evening, or talk 

 with somebody, lazily or idly. A young 

 friend told me last evening, that he had all 

 his married life stayed at home with his wife 

 evenings, but he began to think it was not 

 best for him to continue to do so. During 

 the long winter evenings, he and his wife 

 would get to arguing, and finally disagree to 

 such an extent, that it was unpleasant to 

 both of them. After he mentioned it. it oc- 

 curred to me that I knew of another husband 



and wife that came very near arguing "once 

 upon a time." They came so near it that 

 they neither of them felt "really happv," at 

 the time, at any rate. What was the trouble ? 

 I think the trouble was. that at least one of 

 them had nothing to do for a little while. 

 ••Satan always tinds"— etc. 



What shall we do V work! rest yourself 

 by working. Why. bless your heart, my 

 friend, the happiest life that is in store for a 

 mortal is one where you are always busy. 

 What at ? Why. there are a thousand things. 

 I will tell you a few of them, (let a pen, and 

 improve your hand-writing, llight under my 

 hand, are hundreds of letters from you. my 

 friends, and — will it pay for you to improve 

 your hand-writing V Whew! the real good, 

 plain writers are so scarce that, when I find 

 one, I can hardly help saying, "I wonder if 

 I could hire that fellow,"' although I have 

 hundreds of applications all the time. The 

 hand-writing of the girl who will correct this 

 just as soon as it leaves my type- writer is 

 worth, at least, 2oc. a day to 'her. If she 

 should apply to me for a situation, I would 

 estimate it at that. If you cannot all write 

 as well as she, you can at least all improve 

 greatly. Our friend Hutchinson, who rills 

 the first page every month, though by no 

 means a pretty writer, writes so plain that I 

 can read it about as well as print; and it is 

 so carefully punctuated that I do not have to 

 pay a skilled and educated hand for prepar- 

 ing it for the journal. Since business, of 

 late, is getting to be so much done by writ- 

 ing, will it not pay you to use these winter 

 evenings to improve your hand-writing V 

 Pad writing costs both' you and myself,— I 

 guess I won't say how much, every year. If 

 >ou have something to sell, rig up the appa- 

 ratus I have described on another page, and 

 then your writing will be as good as money 

 in the bank. One more thought ; if the apol- 

 ogy you write to those you are owing is well 

 and carefully written, it may have the effect 

 of softening them toward you. 



Aside from the writing, learn to save mon*L 

 ey by manufacturing the things you must*' 

 have, instead of buying them. I used to 

 laugh at my mother for twisting up papers 

 to light the lamp with, to save buying match- 

 es. When I laughed, I was not worth near- 

 ly as much as 1 am now, but. if she had the 



j time to do it, I now think it was just right. 



j Sit down with a pencil and paper, and figure 

 on every article you are obliged to buy in 



! your household.' Ask God to help you and 



I give you patience, and you will be astonished 

 at what you can save. Of the things you 



i have to buy. find out what amount you are 

 going to need for a year, and then with your 



( copying pad. get figures from several deal- 

 ers, and examine their goods, and see 

 where you can buy best. You will be aston- 

 ished at the difference there is in prices, for 

 the same article. I do not mean to have you 

 penurious and nigardly, but I want you to 

 be carefuf and faithful. Buy of those you 

 are owing, in preference to anybody else, 

 prices being equal, but pay cash down", and 

 then you can ask for close figures with a 

 clear conscience. 



I am a yankee, and like to buy and sell, 

 but may God help me, and you too, to buy 



