818 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 



but she was a wonderfully good and kind 

 sister. If, during my absence, there was 

 any fruit brought into tlie family — any 

 sweetmeats, or any thing that she knew I 

 liked, she would always save some of it foi- 

 me. Perhaps grandmother would l)ring us 

 some maple sugar ; and if no one else would 

 remember the al)sent brother, this sister 

 did ; and it did not make any difference 

 whether I was unkind or not, she was just 

 as ready to do me kind services. A great 

 many times she made me feel ashamed of 

 myself by her mild, gentle ways when I was 

 overbearing and rough, (iod bless the sis- 

 ters of our land! I wonder if they know 

 how much it is in their power to win way- 

 ward brothers to better tilings. And this 

 matter of food and drink comes right in 

 here : it is their province — their privilege. 

 Now, I do not mean to lie altogether one- 

 sided, dear friends. I know the troop of 

 brothers in our broad land have it in their 

 power also to do the same thing for these 

 sisters in the way of food and drink. They 

 can help the sisters to hud tlie wherewith 

 for this same food and driidc we all must 

 have. We can win each other— do you seeV 

 And wiien we get reall> about it in the 

 home circle, we shall very soon feel like ex- 

 tending these kind otiices to the neighbors 

 over the garden fence or across the \\ay. 

 In our bee-conventions we have heard over 

 and over again how some irritated neighbor 

 had ])een softened by a simple section of 

 honey— something for 'the evening meal, and 

 to please the little ones. Now, my friends, 

 it is not about bees alone that neighbors 

 (luarrel. Hard feelings come up about the 

 cl»ickens,and sometimes about the cows and 

 |)igs as well ; again about tlie line fences; 

 then about borrowing. .and in all kinds of 

 business deal. Have you a mean neighbor? 

 (iooil people as well as bad people are even- 

 ly distributed all over the land, and most of 

 lis have had experience with both kinds. 

 Now, then, if you have a mean neighbor, of 

 course you want to cure him, and you want 

 to make him decent and pleasant to deal 

 with ; you want to make him fair and hon- 

 est, neighborly, and progressive. How shall 

 we go about it to secure this end? Why, 

 there is no better recipe in the world than 

 the one Paul gave. Wait until he is Imn- 

 gry, then send over something appetizing. 

 If you can not manage it in a neighborly 

 sort of way, ask your wife to help you. 

 Women have a wonderful tact in this kind 

 of thing. Get acquainted, any way. I do 

 not believe it is right to have neighbors, 

 and not get acquainted with them. Some peo- 

 ple will say of certain ones, •' The less you 

 liave to do" with them the better." I do not 

 believe it. I am sure it is not triie. If you 

 are a Christian you ought to bear in mind 

 that the Lord and Master honored you by 

 saying, " Ye are the salt of the earth." 

 Now, my friend, how in the world are you 

 going to make the world better if you don't 

 know the world ? (ret acquainted. Let the 

 children play with the neighbors' children. 

 There is danger of their learning bad things 

 and bad talk, I know; but, my friend, if 

 you are watching and praying — if you are 

 I)raying for your neighbors as well as for 



the little ones of your own household, I 

 think you can manage so there will not be 

 any danger. Do not let the children go to 

 such an extent that you don't know where 

 they are nor how long they have been gone ; 

 but bear in mind that the little ones can 

 hel]) to save mankind as well as those gtown 

 up. 



Now, if you say you have not any ene- 

 mies, 1 shall think one reason is you are not 

 very much acquainted, and that you are not 

 very progressive. Get acquainted. See 

 what is going on ; find out why it is that our 

 penitentiaries are constantly becoming lai-g- 

 er; see where the seeds of " crime start. If 

 there are none at enmity with yourself, 

 there are enemies of Christ that need look- 

 ing after. They need looking after and 

 feeding. Do you remember how Jesus told 

 Peter, over and over again, "Feed my 

 sheep;'' and, ''Feed my lambs"? My 

 friends, there are those among your ac- 

 quaintances who need feeding now. If you 

 are hungering and thirsting after righteous- 

 ness, there is abundant need that you should 

 be up and doing. If you are longing for the 

 time when Christ's kingdom shall come, and 

 his will be done on eai th as it is in heaven, 

 set about hastening the glad day by enlist- 

 ing in his service ; and when you feel inclin- 

 ed to say there is notliing you can do, read 

 over again this 20th verse ot' the llith chap- 

 ter of Komans : 



If thine enemy hunger, t'eecl him; if he thirst, 

 g-ive him drink; for in so doing- thou shalt lieap 

 eoals of fire on his head. 



A LETTER FROM THOMAS HORN TO 

 iilS CREDITORS. 



AN KXHJ>ANATIO.N' AND AN APOLOGY. 



ip CARD:— jfo my CnMinnern, and Bee-Keepiny 

 h FriciKln. As you know, friend Root has 

 V kindly gatliei-ed all claims and complaints 

 ^ against me, and sent me the same; and to 

 say that they surprised me would but faint- 

 ly express my feelings. 1 thought friend R. hard 

 on me; but I certainly, under the circumstances, 

 must ask his pardon for such thoughts. 



Now, friends, let me explain, as nearly as I can, 

 just how the case stands. Business pressed so 

 much that it was utterly impossible to attend to 

 the mail myself, and my order to my book-keeper 

 was to answer ail complaints; and if the goods 

 could not be sent, to return the money; and I tind 

 very many of the complaints leceived are marked 

 in his hand sent. Whether the errors were his or 

 the yard help, I can not say, as I was so pressed 

 for help that I had to use inexperienced help, and, 

 I am sorry to say. as matters turn out, it was care- 

 less help, and many goods must have gone astray, 

 or have been sent to other parties than they were 

 intended for. When the season closed it found me 

 with some complaints tliat had not been looked to, 

 and, 1 am sorry to say, some orders that had not 

 been tilled or cash returned, i would tlien have 

 retvniied to every one his mone.\-, but was unable 

 to do so. Owing to the use of inexi)erienced help, 

 expenses far exceeded my income; and, owing- to 

 other losses, it left rae with no capital and plenty 

 of experience; but throug-h the kindness of friend 

 Root, and encouragement of many of my old cus- 



