498 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



Oct. 



his drink, lie pricked up his ears, and start- 

 ed off on a brisk trot without any whip, and 

 he stopped sweating too. 



I used to drink beer once, and I have a 

 great many times noticed that, if a cup of 

 good water were handy, after drinking the 

 water, I concluded that I did' not care so 

 very much for beer after all. The same is 

 the case with cider. A convenient place, 

 and the sight of a temptingly bright, tin 

 cup, may be the means of keeping your son 

 or mine from getting a habit of indulging in 

 intoxicating drinks. When the cup gets 

 rusty, hang out a new one. Tin cups can be 

 bought for only a few cents a dozen. Dig a 

 well, fix a pump and watering trough, and 

 you will have preached a sermon that all 

 classes of community will listen to; aye, 

 dumb brutes too ; and they will applaud your 

 sermon in a way that God will hear, even if 

 men do not. 



My friends, if I were to tell you a neigh- 

 bor's house was on fire, you would rush out 

 pell-mell, and work like heroes, every man, 

 woman, and child of you: and yet you 

 would get no pay for it. I believe I am 

 pretty nearly right in saying that there is not 

 a neighborhood where this journal goes, 

 where fires are not raging, which consume 

 not only the body, but immortal souls as 

 well. Large sums are spent, and much time 

 is occupied by the best men and women we 

 have in our land, in working against the tide 

 of intemperance. You know how much I 

 like practical work, — something I can get 

 right hold of and do, instead of wasting too 

 much time in talking about it. Now, sup- 

 pose you who feel as I do about it take right 

 hold here, and declare we will make wells 

 and springs so plenty in this land of ours, 

 that no man or boy shall ever say again he 

 went into a saloon to get a drink because it 

 was the handiest place he could find. 1 f you 

 know of a spring any where on a side hill 

 near you, from which it is possible to bring 

 the water down into a watering trough by 

 the roadside, for the sake of the poor/dumb 

 brutes, for our boys' sake, nay, for Christ's 

 sake, set right about it at once, and fix it up. 

 If there is not shade naturally, make a nice 

 shade near the trough. Put up a bench too, 

 and it will be counted as treasures laid up 

 in Heaven, if it never brings any treasure 

 into your pocket here. If you have no such 

 spring, then dig a well as I did. Do not say 

 you cannot, but say, with God's help I will ; 

 and if you have not the time otherwise, build 

 a shed over the spot, and work at it rainy 

 days. Work at it as if you really believed 

 the promise in our text, and it will surely 

 come to pass. Let the women and children 

 help to buy the pump. These blessings that 

 come from giving are to be shared. Let 

 each one give of his own earnings, or his 

 own savings. When we go without some- 

 thing that we want so much as to make it a 

 real trial to give it up. we are then learning 

 the real lesson of self sacrifice, and shall 

 reap good accordingly. Dedicate the pump 

 and watering trough to the cause of Christ, 

 and, if you choose, have some pretty, little 

 motto, made to stand the weather, fixed up 

 conspicuously. Here are some : 



Ho, every one that thirsteth. 



Come ye to the waters. 



Let him that is athirst come. 



Whosoever shall drink of the water that 1 shall 

 give him, shall never thirst. 



Come on, boys, and let us see who will be 

 the first to have a standing and practical 

 temperance lecture, — one that works, not by 

 might, nor by power, but by the spirit that 

 Jesus teaches to all who will consent to fol- 

 low him. Help us, () Lord ; help thy chil- 

 dren in this work, that we may, with pure 

 water, wipe out the grevious stains which 

 have so long cursed our fair land. 



Excuse me for interrupting you, please. I see (in 

 my imagination) you are very busy, but, neverthe- 

 less, T want to tell you that I appreciate Gleanings, 

 especially "Our Homes" very much. I'm an old 

 sinner, I know, a member of no church, but I read 

 "Our Homes" with interpst. Are you a minister of 

 the Gospel (I judge so at any rate)? and of what de- 

 nomination are you? Your "preaching" suits me 

 better than any I have heard from the pulpit. I 

 think I am somewhat of a "queer genius,"— proba- 

 bly a "hard case," but I can't help it; there is so 

 much rascality, and so very, very few people to be 

 trusted. It seems that everybody (some exceptions 

 of course) is just watching a chance to "beat" you. 

 Even in the churches, those who ought to set the 

 world a good example are often the worst. I have 

 very little faith in people generally, and as for genu- 

 ine Christians,— well, I don't know any; at least, 

 none that come up to what I think they should; 

 probably I expect too much of them. I say I know 

 none; I mean personally. I believe you are one, if 

 there are any. I wouldn't be afraid to trust you. I 

 try to do right, pay my honest debts, and don't try 

 to "beat" anyone out of a cent. If there is a mis- 

 take made in any of my business transactions, 

 whether in my favor or not, I am always ready to 

 rectify it as soon as discovered, but 1 know I don't 

 do my duty, as taught in the Bible. 



Well, I guess I would best not detain you longer. 

 Keep up "Our Homes." I believe it does good. 

 When I read it, 1 feel something like this: "Here's 

 one man at least that is honest in what he says." 



Wish you would tell me on enclosed card, or in 

 next Gleanings whether you are a Methodist, Bap- 

 tist, or what? J. J. D. 



No, friend D., I am not a minister, but a 

 very ordinary sort of an individual indeed. 

 I am trying to help each one of the five or 

 six churches in our town exactly as I fixed 

 up the pump and trough I have been telling 

 you about, and I should be happy in going 

 iight into any one of these churches, abiding 

 by its regulations, and helping with all the 

 energy I "have, if that church happened to 

 be the nearest or most convenient place of 

 meeting Christian people, and studying 

 God's word. To be sure, there is one among 

 them that I make my special home, but, as 

 I fear we are prone to make too much of 

 these small dividing lines, I would a little 

 rather not mention the name of that one. 

 Will you not excuse me for thinking it the 

 better way V I am very glad to hear that you 

 have so much confidence in my poor self, 

 but is it not, partly at least, because we have 

 not happened to run against each other in 

 any way? If you were here, I am sure you 

 would find some very disagreeable things 



