142 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



Feb. 



Pa has ~0 swartns of bees, packed in the Wolver- 

 ine chaff hive, which he makes to sell. He wintered 

 17 colonies without loss last year. Mamma's name 

 was Root, and she has an uncle whose name is Hez- 

 ekiah Root. He lives about five miles from G. M. 

 Doolittle. His business is bee-keeping. Grandma 

 Root lives with us. I have a brother by the name 

 of Huber. He is three years old. I am eleven years 

 old. Ruel H. Rawson. 



Quincy, Mich. 



Your drawing, friend Ruel, is very good, 

 and represents the idea very nicely ; but as 

 it is very similar to the engraving in our 

 price list, with the exception of one or two 

 details, it will hardly pay to have it engrav- 

 ed here, for everybody knows how that is 

 made. We do not wish to carry the idea 

 that you copied your picture from the en- 

 graving, for we are sure you did not, be- 

 cause of some little details. If the little 

 folks will read lluel's letter and compare it 

 with the cut of our solar wax-extractor, 

 they will get an excellent idea of the same. 

 We suppose you know that the wax render- 

 ed by the heat of sun is yellower and nicer 

 than that rendered by any other means. 



A PAIR OF OLD SHOES. 



BY EUGENE SECOR. 



The daintiest white leather that ever grew 



On the back of an innocent mountain kid, 

 With laces once red, and tassels once blue, 



Make the shoes in which baby's pink toes were 

 hid. 

 'Tis true, that these " booties " are out at the toe, 



And slightly the worse for wear at the heel; 

 But new ones never can interest me so. 



Nor bring to my heart such innocent weal. 



Each wrinkle is prized by the mother-heart, 

 And reminds her of smiles on her darling's face; 



Each stain is more precious than work of art, 

 For baby's sweet mouth these lines did trace. 



For the few happy months while these have been 

 worn, 



My life has been one perpetual hymn; 

 Since she came to earth by kind angels borne, 



My cup of joy has been full to the brim. 



While these were worn, the first pearly teeth 

 Brought as pleasant relief as did Noah's white 

 dove; 

 When the first steps were taken, these shoes were 

 beneath 

 The precious load of sweetness and love. 



With fond recollection I often recall 



Her innocent prattle when perched on my knee, 

 With language so simple, yet puzzling withal, 



She charmingly tried to entertain me. 



As these little old shoes are tucked away, 

 And tenderly kept with scrupulous care, 



We think of the toddling wearer, and pray 

 That those feet may be guided from every snare. 



We pray that the Shepherd may guard this lamb, 

 And shelter her always in his safe fold; 



May her life, like these shoes, prove not a sham, 

 And her worth like these, need not to be told. 



T0B7ICC0 C@MMN. 



CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WE GIVE SMOKERS TO PERSONS WHO 

 STOP USING TOBACCO. 



First, the candidate must be one of those who have given up 

 tobaceo in consequence of what he has seen and read in this 

 department. Second, he promises to pay for the smoker 

 should he ever resume the use of tobacco in any form, after 

 receiving the smoker. Third, he must be a subscriber to 

 Gleanings. Any subscriber may, however, have smokers sent 

 to neighbors or personal acquaintances whom he has labored 

 with on the matter of tobacco-using, providing he give us his 

 pledge that, if the one who receives the smoker ever uses to- 

 bacco again, he (the subscriber) will pay for the smoker. The 

 one who receives the smoker in this case need not be a sub- 

 scriber to Gleanings, though we greatly prefer that he be one, 

 because we think he would be strengthened by reading the 

 testimonials from time to time in regard to this matter. The 

 full name and address of every one who makes the promise 

 must be furnished for publication. 



STEPPING HEAVENWARD. 



T COME to you with two new candidates for the 

 j^F Tobacco Column. I do not keep bees at present, 

 ^II but I go to Carlstadt every week to manage a 

 **■ farmer neighbor's bees for him. He has no smo- 

 ker, so I told him about your offer. He thought 

 it over awhile, and then said, " Friend H., I will 

 try it right off, as I have smoked and chewed to- 

 bacco for the past eight years or so. I will also 

 give up drinking beer, to which I have been ad- 

 dicted for quite a few years. If I start again, I 

 promise to pay you all it costs." 



Friend Root, I have a show to see that he keeps 

 his promise, because I am out there every week. 

 He is a farmer, and well to do. If he breaks his 

 promise I will see that you get your pay. 



I am the other candidate. I have given up 

 smoking the pipe and cigar, to which 1 have clung 

 about seven years. I do not need a smoker, as I 

 don't keep bees at present; and I also have a Bing- 

 ham; but I only want it to Show to friends, and tell 

 them about your offer, and see how long our prom- 

 ise lasts. Fred Holtke. 



Hoboken, N. J. 



Friend H., may God bless you both in 

 your undertaking. Most gladly da we send 

 you the smoker to show your neighbors, 

 and to exhibit as an object-lesson in gather 

 ing new recruits. Our readers will please 

 notice that your friend accepted your sug- 

 gestion as something in the right way, for 

 he voluntarily, of his own free will, put his 

 beer-drinking with the tobacco, and throws 

 them both overboard. You may think that 

 the heading which I put to your kind letter 

 is a little extravagant ; but, in my opinion, 

 leaving off habits which you know to be 

 bad is one of the surest steps toward right- 

 eousness that a man can take. 



TOBACCO MONEY TURNED INTO A LIBRARY OF 300 

 VOLUMES. 



Let me give your readers who are leaving off the 

 tobacco habit an idea that occurred to me when I 

 laid aside the weed nearly eighteen years ago. At 

 that time I resolved to invest in good books the 

 same amount of money, yearly, that I would have 

 spent for tobacco had I continued its use. The re- 

 sult is truly surprising. I have now a library of 

 nearly 300 volumes, to which I am still making fre- 

 quent additions. I have often wondered if our 

 worthy editor ever was a slave to the weed; and if 

 a personal knowledge of the fllthiness of the habit, 

 combined with his good will to all, prompted his 

 liberality to those who promise " to do so no more." 



Mingo, O. I. M. Martin. 



