516 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 



AT THE CONVENTION. 



SINCE I told you last month, just as the 

 journal went to press, that I was going 

 to the convention, many have written, 

 asking me to tell you all about it. As a full 

 report of the proceedings will be given in 

 other journals, I do not think it will be well 

 to repeat them here. Friend Jones, neigh- 

 bor II., and I were on hand at the rooms be- 

 fore any one else was visible. As we were 

 in the vicinity of the Zoological Gardens, I 

 proposed we should give them a brief visit ; 

 and I wish it were in my power to tell you 

 how much I enjoyed it. You know how 

 much I have said to you. of late, about see- 

 ing God through all his works. Well, it 

 seems to me that a view of the different 

 forms of animal life which inhabit our globe 

 gives us a wonderful lesson in this field. One 

 of the first objects that met my view on en- 

 tering, was some beautiful white birds that 

 stood with their wonderful, expressive, and 

 human-like eyes, so nearly on a level with 

 our own that I almost involuntarily looked 

 for some one to give me an introduction. 

 As neither friend J. nor II. seemed inclined 

 to perform that office, I raised my hat and 

 said "•Good-morning ! " with as good a grace 

 as I knew how. The bird did not seem at 

 all offended, for he blinked his wonderful 

 eyes at me in a way that seemed to say that 

 he, at least, had no unkind feelings toward 

 me of any sort, and so I put out my hand 

 with a view of scraping acquaintance. At 

 this, he moved his long legs enough to step 

 back a little, and opened his beautiful pink 

 bill and — hissed like a goose. Well, well. I 

 walked off, it must be confessed a little sad- 

 ly, thinking my romance should all be so 

 suddenly dispelled, and that, instead of 

 learning from his fellow-traveler something 

 of the God who made us both, it was, after 

 all, only a meeting between two geese. I 

 looked back over my shoulder, and said to 

 myself, — 



" Any how, I should like to know what 

 God gave you those great long legs for, and 

 what good it does you to be able to hold your 

 head up so high." 



While I was thinking that it might have 

 come by an effort through continued ages, 

 to reach for things up high— fruit and ber- 

 ries, you know— I noticed II. and Mr. Jones 

 looking over the fence at something. 



" Why, what in the world ! Is that truly a 

 crocodile? Why, he is dead ! " 



" Not a bit of it, dead," said friend Jones. 



I looked over the fence at a pole. II. saw 

 where I was looking, and he climbed over 

 the sharp pickets in a twinkling. I confess 

 I was inclined to be a little offended when 

 that big bird hissed at me ; but when the 

 crocodile opened his jaws like a barndoor, 

 and gave such an unearthly wheeze, I was 

 ready to run and leave II. to his fate, even 

 though it might have been filling those hid- 

 eous jaws. But, a look at friend Jones reas- 

 sured me; for, big as the alligator was, I 

 felt sure if he gobbled Jones he would cer- 

 tainly have no appetite for me that day at 

 least. I was listening very intently with 

 open mouth while friend J. declared that 

 that beast would bite a man right in two at 



one bite, when I jumped again at hearing, 

 behind my back, — 



"Git out of that yard, and let that 'ere 

 crocodile alone ; what business you got in- 

 side there any way?" 



While I was wondering whether every- 

 body was going to be cross to us, crocodiles 

 and all, IT. leisurely stopped punching the 

 great "animile,"' laid down the long pole, the 

 sight of which might have been equally sug- 

 gestive to any schoolboy, and climbed back 

 over the sharp iron pickets. He got back 

 very leisurely, compared with the spry way 

 in which he got in. I do not know whether 

 it was because he was afraid of tearing his 

 Sunday trowsers, or whether he was a little 

 mad. You can coax H. to do almost any 

 thing, but he don't drive worth a cent. As 

 we passed the man who scolded us, I didn't 

 say anything, but thought, — 



"Why can't you be civil to a body that has 

 come down here to see the things you have 

 fixed up? Didn't we give half a dollar 

 apiece? As you didn't send anybody with us, 

 how should we know whether the crocodile 

 was made out of wood (like that painted 

 city over in the pond), or alive, unless we 

 stirred him with a pole? Don't you s'pose a 

 pleasant reminder would have done just as 

 well? You can keep your old crocodile, and 

 stay in the pen with him, if you choose ; and 

 if he should eat you up, very likely your suc- 

 cessor would try to make the place pleasant- 

 er to your guests." 



The convention had got started, sure 

 enough, and I soon got very much interest- 

 ed in the proceedings. When it became 

 known that I really had got out to a con- 

 vention, I was very courteously asked to 

 take a seat on the stand ; and at the an- 

 nouncement that I was present, I was given 

 a welcome that warmed my heart toward 

 conventions, in a way that I had hardly 

 looked for.. The exercises of the day were 

 very interesting, and, almost before I knew 

 it, I was enlisted in the work with all my 

 heart, and several times I just caught my- 

 self on the verge of shouting "Amen ! " as I 

 would do at the young people's prayer-meet- 

 ing ; but still, at the same time I several 

 times felt a longing to sit down amid the au- 

 dience. I suggested as much, but the presi- 

 dent insisted ; and when friend Riegel, of 

 the Instructor, came and sat with us, I be- 

 came more reconciled. 



It has been many times suggested to me, 

 that I am in danger of getting narrow and 

 contracted views unless I mingle more with 

 the people ; and I have no doubt but that it 

 is everybody's duty to avoid getting into 

 ruts, and to let their acquaintance with men, 

 as well as books, be, to a certain extent, of a 

 general character. During that afternoon, I 

 many times resolved to go out more into the 

 world, and to become better acquainted with 

 people who hold opinions even directly op- 

 posite from my own. It is worth a great 

 deal to be able to see, face to face, those you 

 have known for years through correspond- 

 ence. I was very glad indeed to meet Mrs. 

 L. Harrison and Mrs. Francis Dunham, be- 

 sides a great host of friends of our own sex. 

 The warm grasp of the hand, and the cheer- 

 ing words spoken, especially in regard to the 



