18S.3 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



208 



you suppose the supper is done?" Then Mr. P. 

 opened the door and looked into the oven; and as I 

 sat just back of him, I looked in too. 1 saw a pie — 

 at least I thoujiht I did. Mr. P. moved it out, and 

 broke off a piece of corn and water cake, and hand- 

 ed it to Mrs. P. to " try," to see if it were done. You 

 know I told you that Harry sat upon his mother's 

 lap. Well, just as she moved the piece toward her 

 mouth, Harry grabbed it and ate it down before it 

 could get time to cool or be tested. This was not 

 polite or mannerly, was it? Do you blame Harry 

 for this conduct, when he was so hungry? I didn't, 

 and his mother did not seem to. Boys and girls, do 

 you know that politeness is the product of comfort 

 and plenty? Do you know that, during great priva- 

 tion, reflned people become rude, cruel, and de- 

 graded? Did you ever think that, as long as we 

 have poverty and suffering in our bright land, we 

 shall have crime aud wrong-doing? 



This one little flat corn cake was the entire supper 

 for the whole family of five. Well, I had seen (|Uite 

 enough. After asking many questions regarding 

 their condition, I hurried home. As I entered the 

 house my mother said, '• Rev. Mr. Hall was going to 

 preach his famous sermon at the Universalistcliurch 

 to-night; but 1 guess there will not be enough there 

 to cause hiiu to preach." 



"Well," said I, "/am going over there tf) pieacli a 

 sermou, and I guess there will lie enough there for 

 me." 



J went there and lound about twenty jx-rsons 

 hovering over the register, and talking of adjourn- 

 ing. Nearly all of them were my acriiuiintances. 1 

 said, "Before you adjourn, would >()u not hear a 

 short sermon from me? " 



" Ves," "yes," "yes," said one and another. Then 

 1 got up on to a seat, and told tiieni the story of my 

 last two hours' observation. You never saw a more 

 interested or distressed audience. 



After the close of my story a conniiittee was 

 formed, and resolutions passed. The ne,\t morning 

 1 met Kev. Mr. Hall, with his arms full of loaves of 

 bread. Meat, crackers, clothing, bedding, yarn, 

 money, and other things, were begged; and before 

 noon two cutter - loads of goods were taken to the 

 house of that poor family, and it was hard to decide 

 which were happier — those that gave or those that 

 received. All were very happy; and, in fact, is 

 there any other way that a rich man can get so 

 much (Mijoyment from his wealth as to use it in re- 

 lieving the distress of the very poor? I think not. 



Some time we shall all discover that there is no 

 true happiness for any, as long as one being is mis- ' 

 erable. As long as a part are miserable, a part of 

 each one's life will be unhappy. There is that re- 

 lationship existing between us all. Never thinic that 

 you can get hapj)iness fron\ an act that nuikes some 

 one else unhappy. That has been tried millions of ' 

 times, and always failed. I hoi)e you will think of 

 my story and these children when you are heavy- 

 hearted because > ou are not better off. 1 hope that 

 when you do think of them you will look about and 

 see if you can not lind any little sufferers in your 

 own neighborhood. If you do, go right about assist- 

 ing them. All good people will help you, and you , 

 will enjoy the labor better than any other in the ; 

 world. Some one to start the good work is all that 

 is needed. .Tames Heddon. [ 



Dowagiac, Mich. I 



Friend IL, tliere is one point where you ; 

 make me a little uneasy in your story. ■ 



When you told how you found that family, I 

 wanted to hear you say that you carried 

 them some food right off that night, without 

 waiting for next day. It seems to me I 

 should have felt just like running all the 

 way home and back again. And now I will 

 tell you what more 1 should want to do. 

 After their immediate necessities were sup- 

 plied, I should want to find out what the 

 father could work at. aud give him some 

 Avork ; and possibly the mother, too. might 

 find some sort of work that could be done at 

 home ; and I think all parties will feel a 

 great deal better in such cases, if assistance 

 IS given in some way that will enable them 

 to help themselves. Carrying a family 

 through the winter by repeated donations of 

 money oi- food is always apt to educate them 

 into the habit of being depiudint instead of 

 ftf'Jf-ftustaiuiiiy. as every human being ought 

 to be encouraged to'lje. if it is a possible 

 thing. 



AUNT VIC'S TOBACCO-STORY. 



\ TIirE STOKY KHOM KE-Vr. 1,1 h^E. 



TIK " tobacco (juestion " has been pretty thor- 

 oughly discussed in Gle.inings; but as I 

 have never added my mite in that direction ! 

 will do so now, and will write to the little 

 folks this lime, and it shall be a " true tobac- 

 co story " that I tell you. 



Mrs. Lee aud her two children were visiting at 

 Mrs. Benedicts, Mrs. Lee's sister, who lived ou a 

 farm a few miles out from Itochester, .\. Y.; and as 

 the little Lees had never lived on a farm, nor known 

 much of farm life, of course the surroundings were 

 all a novelty; and one thing that they enjoyed best 

 of all was to climb to the top of the stone wall that 

 ran along the oichard, aud watch the canal-boats as 

 they passed by on the Erie canal, that ran along the 

 east side of the orchard. The children were never 

 weary of watching the horses as they trod step by 

 stej) the well-worn path. 



One morning when the children woke up it was 

 raiinng heartily. 



"Oh dear mel" said Kitt.\ ; • I just think it too 

 bad to have it rain todaj-. Annie and I wanted to 

 go and gather chestnuts." And Kitty hopped to the 

 window, with one stocking on. 



Mrs. Lee turned from the glass where she stood 

 I)inning on her collar, and said, " Kilty, my daugh- 

 ter, never forget who sends to us the rain as well as 

 the sunshine." 



Kitty winced; .-he felt quite ashamed of her moth- 

 er's reproof 



After breakfast, Kitty and her cousin Aunic went 

 up into the wood-shed chamber where Annie had 

 fitted up a playroom. This left Willie alone down in 

 the dining-room; and as he stood at the window 

 Hattening his nose against the glass he could..see 

 the two hired men, August and Charley, who were 

 thrashing beans out on the big barn floor. I'resent- 

 ly Uncle Jake came in, and, lifting Willie up and 

 setting him on his broad shoulders, carried him out 

 to the barn that he might seeTthem use the flail. 

 This was fun for Willie. He.watched them use the 

 flail, then scoop up the beans and run them through 

 the fanning-mill. It was warm work for the boys. 

 They had taken off their coats and jackets, and hung 

 them up. Once when they stopped to i-est awhile, 

 August went to his jacket and took from one of the 



