1889 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



955 



Why, that those parents cared more for their car- 

 pets and furniture, and wood and oil and money, 

 than for that only son— at least their actions seem- 

 ed to make it appear so to an outsider. Now, in 

 contrast, go up to the " Center " with me and see 

 the brilliantly lighted saloons and billiard-rooms 

 where all is warm and comfortable. Were they as 

 stingy with their lights and fires and other comforts 

 as some parents are, how much of a crowd would 

 they draw? Our saloons and other bad places where 

 boys congregate at night do not seem to love dark- 

 ness better than light, even if their deeds are evil. 

 Or, if they do love it better, they know what will 

 draw in a crowd, and they work from policy. Why 

 should not all of us who have boys or hired men 

 work as persistently to save them as the enemy 

 does to entice them away? Now, these parents 

 spoken of above were plain, simple people, who 

 started with nothing, and thus got in the habit of 

 being very economical, and they failed to see that 

 their son and hired man and daughters were not be- 

 ing cared for any better than so many head of cat- 

 tle. Why, I just ached to go and buy a big hanging 

 lamp for their best room, and a larger heating 

 stove, and $35.00 worth of good papers, magazines, 

 books, and games, and tell these young people: 

 " Now have a good time; invite in your mates, and 

 enjoy daily the best we have got." T couldn't pos- 

 sibly sit still and see my children go to the bad, and 

 talk about what a " trial and affliction " they were 

 tome. 



In our own family we never attempt to econo- 

 mize in either lights or fuel. We have three large 

 rooms opening together with double doors, and a 

 large hanging lamp in each one, and one large 

 base-burner heats tbem all. We usually use all 

 these rooms— the best in the house. The lamp in 

 one room, particularly for reading, gives a light, it 

 is said, equal to 80 candles. I know it is brighter 

 than ordinary daylight. We burn about two gal- 

 lons of oil per week, at this season of the year. 

 Bought by the barrel, this costs about 20 cents. 

 Rather than try to save by burning less lamps, I 

 would wear my old overcoat another winter; but 

 there are very few people who can not afford this 

 much oil. What is $5.00 by the side of a brilliantly 

 lighted house all winter? You might call us ex- 

 travagant in the amount of fuel used. We bought 

 seven tons of anthracite coal for our big heating 

 stove this winter, at a cost of $5 40 a ton. Well, 

 think a moment. Aside from a pleasanter home, 

 think of how much less danger there is that the 

 health of my wife and daughters will be injured, 

 where the whole house is warmed up. Plenty of 

 pure air is essential to the best health. When I see 

 a whole family sitting in one ordinary-siztd room, 

 I can not help but think that the doctor may take 

 more than they save on fuel. 



The season is now at hand when our homes need 

 the most lighting and healing. May your readers 

 think over these things; and if there be any truth 

 in what has been said, act accordingly. Now is the 

 time, also, for getting a supply of books and papers 

 for the year. Wife and 1 visited our friend John 

 Gould the other day. I want to tell you one thing 

 that "John " has done that calls for our highest 

 praise. When he was married, some ten years ago, 

 he was in the habit of using tobacco. I suspect his 

 wife didn't like it; but be that as it may, John fig- 

 ured up what his cigars, etc., had cost him per year, 

 and found it was about $35. Then he said: "No 



more tobacco for me hereafter; but I will each 

 year spend this $35.00 for new books." He has 

 done so, and now has a $350 library. He is proud of 

 it, as he should be. How much better than to have 

 used up the money in worse.tban useless smoking 

 and chewing! How many young men who read 

 Gleanings will go and do likewise? 



To the older ones: When you are getting your 

 papers and books for the year, get some paper like 

 The Youth's Companion for the young folks, and al- 

 so some good story-books such as the children like. 

 Remember what you liked to read when you were 

 young. I think I may safely say, that not one 

 farmer's family in ten takes any paper or maga- 

 zine, or buys any books especially for the young 

 people. T. B. Terry. 



Hudson, O. 



Friend T., while I do not like to throw 

 cold water on any project for reaching our 

 boys, J must say that I have had just about 

 the same feeling, for a good many years, 

 that you have. The matter of a reading- 

 room for young men has come up a good 

 many times here in Medina. In fact, it 

 usually comes up after each of our revivals ; 

 but I confess that it has seemed to me, es- 

 pecially in a town of our size, as if it were 

 hardly just what we need. To make a suc- 

 cess, a room should be procured in the busy 

 part of the town. It ought also to be of 

 convenient access to the street ; then it 

 must not only be warmed and lighted, but 

 somebody must be on hand to look after it ; 

 if not, it will soon go to ruin. All of these 

 things are expensive ; but even after the 

 expense has been incurred they are apt to 

 be deserted. I vieited many reading-rooms 

 in California ; and as a rule the papers and 

 magazines were old and out of date because 

 somebody had carried off the late ones, and 

 there was a good deal of disorder besides. 

 At one time in our town they had the mon- 

 ey raised, and were almost ready to start, 

 when so much disagreement arose in re- 

 gard to the character of the amusements to 

 be brought in that it fell through. In fact, 

 a considerable class of people insisted that 

 the boys should be allowed to smoke cigars 

 in the readiug-room. Others thought that 

 a smoking-room adjoining would be the 

 thing. Now, where in the world is a better 

 place to settle all such perplexing matters 

 than in the boy's own home V If the father 

 and mother, and brothers and sisters, can 

 not settle it amicably, who else shall do so ? 

 In regard to making a home pleasant, my 

 late hobbies have been, as you know, plenty 

 of pure air and pure water ; and as my eyes 

 begin to fail, I am just ready to second with 

 a loud amen your remarks in regard to plen- 

 ty of light during these long evenings. And 

 when we begin to ,get old enough to feel 

 twinges of rheumatism, we surely ought to 

 be ready to second your suggestions about 

 good-sized rooms well warmed. In towns 

 and cities large enough to make it worth 

 while to support a reading-room, I would by 

 no means object; but in the majority of 

 cases I think our homes are the placed to 

 have our reading-rooms. Let the boj s and 

 girls read together ; let them invite in their 

 friends ; for what shall it profit a man if he 

 gain the whole world and lose his own soul ? 



