G3H 



GLEANJKGS IN JiKE CULTUJtK. 



itKVT. 



see cells starlefl, introduce another queen, 

 or IrL tlieui raise one. Sometimes it takes 

 so long to get a certain (iiieen introduced 

 into a cerluiu colony, that one is sorely 

 tempted to let them perish; but that wiil 

 never pay, you know. 



FESSLEK'S BEES. 



HV .JAMES \VHIT(<)MB 1111. KY 



• Talkin' 'bout jer bees," says Ike, 

 Speakin' slow and serous-like, 



' D'ever tell you 'boiU old 'liee' — . 



Old 'lU-e' Fesslery" Ike siiys he: — 



• Mi^liI call liiiii a bee expert, 

 AVheii it eniiic tu haMdliir bees,— 

 Kcill the ^lei'ves up iif liis sliirt 



Ami wadt 

 Where a > 

 Ulauiedcs 

 Kake 'em with his 



•ist tlie trees 

 ilsiettle, aiid- 

 topo' dirt!- 

 iiaked hand 



Kight back in the hive agin— 

 Jes' as easy as you please! 

 Nary bee 'at split the breeze 

 Kver jabbed a stinger in 

 Old 'IJee' Fessler— jes' in Inn, 

 Er in airnest— nary one!— 

 Couldn't agg one on to nuther, 

 Ary one way er the other! 



Old 'IJee' Fessler," Ike says he, 



■ Made a spesbyality 

 .],■<• <>• liees, and built ashed; 

 l.iMi'tli iilKiiit a half u iniki: 

 Had abiiut a tlKUisaii' head 

 ()• hives, I reekon— tame and wdd! 

 ituiudest bu/./.in' e\'er wuz!— 

 Wuss'n ielegrai>h jjoles does 

 W hen they're soekin' home the news 

 Tight as liiey kin let 'er loose!— 

 Visitors i-ag out and eonie 

 t'lean from town tu hear em hum. 

 And stop at the kivere-d bridge; 

 tiut wuz some 'ud cross the ridge 

 Alius, and go clos'ter— so's 

 They could sec 'em hum, I s'pose! 



'Peared like strangers down that track 

 Alius met folks comin' back 

 Ldokin' e.vtra fat and hearty 

 Fer a city picnic party! 



"Fore he went to Floridy, 



(Ud 'Hee' Fessler," ike says he,— 



' Old 'lU-e' Fessler couldn't 'bide 

 Children on his iilaee," .says Ike. 



' V'il tor all they'd climb inside 

 And tromp round there, keerless like. 

 In Iheir bare feet. 'Bee' could tell 

 Kv'ry town bo.\' by his yell— 

 So's 'at when they bounced the fence 

 Didn't make no ditfi'rcnce! — 

 He'd jes' git down on one knee 

 In the vrass and pat the bc«-; 

 And, ct '1 adn'l staid stuck in, 

 Fess 'lid set the sting agin — 



'.N p., tier oil. and wait around 

 Fcrthccid familar s.-und. 

 Alius boys there, more or less, 

 Skootin' i-ound the iiremises! 

 When the buckwheat was in bloom, 

 l,aw/.\ : how them bees 'ud boom 

 Knund the bovs 'at crossed that way 

 i'er the crick on Satunbiy ! 

 Never seemed lo me su'prisiu' 

 'At^thc sting ot bees 'us pi/in'. 

 I'urc he went to Floridy," 

 Ike says, " nothin' 'bout a bee 



'At old' Fessler .li.lu't know,— 

 W"y, it jfs' 'peared like 'at he 

 K Mowed their language, high and low! 

 Claimed he told jes' by their buzz 

 What thcii-Jwants and wishes wuz! 

 I'cck in Ihcm-air little holes 

 Knund the porclKS ot the hive— 

 Drat IheiripcsUv little souls! — 

 Coiihl a skinned the man alive! 

 litire right in there with his thumb, 

 ,\nd squat down and scrai)e the gum 

 Outen ('v'r^- hole, and blow 

 'N bresh the crund)S otf, don't you know! 

 Take the roof otf, and slide back 

 Them-air glass concerns they pack 



Full o' honey, and jes' lean 

 'N grabble 'mongst 'em for the queen! 



Fetch her out and show you to her — 



•Jes', you might say, interview her! 

 •• Year er two," savs Jke sa^s he, 

 •• 'Fore he went tn Floridy, 



l''esslei-sInicK the theory 



H(iTie\ was the same as love,— 



Vou could make it day and nitiht.— 



Said them bees o' his'could be 



Cot jes' twic't the work out ol 



Eta teller manaiicd riyht. 



He contended ef bees lound 



Hlossomsall the year around. 



He ecnild git 'em down at once 



To work all the winter months 



Same as suniiiier. So one fall 



When their summer's work was done, 

 'lice' t\iriis in and robs 'em all- 

 Loads the hi\ cs then, (nie by one. 



On ihecyars, ami 'Iow.mI he'd see 



VA bees loafed in Floridy! 



Said he bet he'd know the reason 



Et his didn't work that season! 

 " And," says Ike, " it's jes," says he, 

 " Like old Fessler says to me,— 

 'Any num kin fool a bee, 



Git hiin down in Floridy!' 



'Peared at fust, as old 'Bee' said, 



Fer to kind o' turn their head 



For a .'-,pell— but bless you! they 



iJidn'L lose a half a day 



Altogether!- ,les' lit in 



Them-air tropics, and them-air 



Caeklusses a rii)en-nin, 

 'N maglioliers, and swi'ct peas, 

 'N 'sinunon and ]iinea|jple trees, 

 'X lipe l)ananners, here and there, 

 'N dates a-danglin' in the breeze, 

 'N figs and reezins e\ ryw heie— 



All waitin' jes' ter Fessler's bees! 

 'N Fessler's bees, with gaum.\ winjis, 



A-gittin down and whoopin' things! 



Fessler kind o' overseein' 



Em, and sort o' ' hee o heeiu' ! " 

 " Fess. <d' couise, he took his ease. 



But iwu/. bilious on the bees!— 



Sweat, you kno\v, "ud just stand out 



On their forreds— pant and groan 



And grunt round and limp about! - 



And old 'Bee,' o' course, aknowin, 

 "rwuzn't no fair shak to pla> 



On them pore dumb insecUs, ner 



'I'o abuse 'em thal-av. av. - 



Bees has lights, I'm lieie to say. 



And that's all they ast him fer! 



('Ieai(il bi>i- moiie\ : Well, 1 j^uess 

 'Itee' shipped lion(:y. more or less, 



iMloev r.\ State, jierhaps, 



t!ver put down on the maps! 

 " But by the time he fetclu'd 'em Iiack 



In the spring agin," says Ike, 



They was actin' s'picious like.— 



Thoiiyh they 'peared to ' lost the track 



O' e\er.\ thing tl\e\ saw or heard. 



Tlu'v'd lav round the porch and gap' 



At theii- shadders in the sun, 



Do less like untell some bird 



Sii.id.'Utly 'u.l may be .Irap 



ill a liloomin' <-hurry-l ree, 



Twitteiin' a tune at run 



in their minds familiously: 



They'd re\ i\c up, kind o', then. 



Like tlM'V argie.l, 'Well, it's licn 



'I'lie most longest summer xve 



K\<'r saw or want lo see! — 



Must be rigid, Ihoiigh. er old 'Bee' 



'1(1 notify us!' theysays-ee. 



And tlie.\'d sort o' sipiare their chin 



And git down to work ajjin — 



.Moanin' round their honey makin' 



Kind o' like their head was aihin'. 



Tetchin' fer to see how they 



Trusteil l<"essler thai away — 



Him a-lazin' round, and smerkin' 



'I'o hisself to see 'em workin'! 

 " But old 'Bee.' " says Ike, says he,— 

 •■ Now where is he'/ Where's he gone'?— 



Where's the head he licit so free!— 



Where's his pride and vanity!— 



What's his hopes a restin' on'/— 



—Indianapolis Jounnil. 



