890 



G1.EAN1NGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



ten years ago she fell down stairs and injured her 

 spine, and has been a couflrmed invalid over since. 

 She lies in bed all the time, never getting- out with- 

 out being lifted, and her days and nights are full of 

 pain. She has throat troubles that injure her vocal 

 organs so that she can speak only in whispers for 

 months at a time. But in all these trials she is 

 bright, cheerful, and happy. She says it is because 

 She is a Christian. Well, peoi)le who lie in bed all 

 day, one day after another, for years, get tired of 

 being idle; they even get tired of reading: so, a 

 g-ood many years ago Anna began to look about for 

 Something to do; Crochet-work seemed to suit her 

 best, as it was light to hold, and she could lay it 

 down at any time without dropping stitches. She 

 knits beautiful laces, collars, babies' sacques, tidies, 

 and all the other fancy things that women and 

 childreii like so well. Then about two years ago 

 she took it into her head to make a collection of 

 bugs and butterflies. Of course, she could run 

 after nothing: but she bad the command of liS pairs 

 of legs, ready and willing to run at her bidding. 

 She has now as fine a collection as there is to be 

 seen anywhere outside of a museum. They are 

 beautifully arranged in those little drawers that 

 " Coates' thread " used to come in, and she knows all 

 about her specimens, and can talk knowingly 

 about them for days at a time. In addition to her 

 bugs and butterflies she has a great many shells, 

 stones, and Indian relics gathered from all parts of 

 the country. 



The way she gets most of these curiosities is this: 

 Some paper that she takes, 1 forget its name, has 

 an exchange department, and she writes to the ad- 

 vertisei-s and offers her crochet-work for all the 

 different things that she wants. When I was there 

 last year she had a horned toad, fresh from Texas, 

 that some little boy had sent her; Indian moccasins 

 from Dakota, and numerous sea-shells from the 

 ocean. I wrote to Mr. Hart about her, and he sent 

 her a fine collection of sea-shells, sea-beans, sharks' 

 eggs, sea-moss, and others too numerous to men- 

 tion. These she keeps in a separate box, and it 

 constitutes her "Florida collection." For years 

 she has been promising me that she would write 

 something for Gleanings, but she still puts it off, 

 so I have written this, thinking it would perhaps 

 lead her to say something for herself. 



Vermont, 111. Mahala B. Chaddock. 



Why. my good friend Mrs. C, you have 

 hunted up one of those consecrated lives 

 that we sometimes read about, but tliat we 

 seldom see around our own liomes. Why do 

 you say that she says it is because she" is a 

 Christian V Tliat is, why do you not say in- 

 stead, it is because she is a Christian V How 

 can anybody help coiuing to the conclusion 

 that, if this patient spirit under great trials 

 and afflictions is the frait of Christianity, 

 we need to have the more of it ? I am very 

 glad you have given us this little pen-picture 

 of such a consecrated life ; but such ac- 

 counts almost frighten me sometimes. Do 

 you Ivnow why ? It is because I am afraid 

 I shall not have grace to be as patient and 

 Christ-like when I am called on to bear 

 like afflictions. Tell ouv good friend Anna 

 Quillin that, whether she ever gets time to 

 write for Gleanings or not, 1 shall remem- 

 ber her and pray for her; and I also pray 

 that her example mav be the means of lead- 

 ing others to follow Christ. 



OUK p. BENSON LETTEK. 



LINES OF a BATCIULLER REQUESTING A WIFE. 

 BY P. BENSON, A. B. S. 



lady fare 



With obburn hare, 

 To thee I rite 

 This verry nite. 



1 want a wife 



Oil free frum strife 

 To share my home 

 No more to rome. 



For thee I si 

 With tear dood i, 

 O cum with me 

 When this you see. 



To you I neel 

 With gratest zeel. 

 And sitch affexion feel 

 As time can oanly heel. 



Behold my pallace home, 

 Whare you shall be the queen. 



If over all the wurld you rorae, 

 A finer wun can not be seen. 



"behold my pallace HOME." 



I need a helpful trend 

 My bees and things to tend. 

 Our life shall camly glide away 

 Like ice upon a summer's day. 



I'll wood & watter neatly carry 

 Whenever you agree to marry. 

 And you can sweetly cook my mutton. 

 And sometimes fondly so a button. 



With jooels rare 

 He deck yure hare, 

 AUso a pare 

 Of earrings fare 

 With you lie share. 

 (I wood here explane that the intension is to let 

 you ware boath earrings, but the wurd "share" 

 had to cum in to make it rime rite.) 

 Yure hare's so slick 



Yure cheeks so red, 

 Ime almost sick 

 For you to wed. 



So lady fai-e 

 With obburn hare. 

 Just cum ahed 

 If you will wed, 

 Our bark shall sale 

 Thru life's ruff gale 

 On cammest seas 

 With perfect eas. 



P. Benson, A. B. S. 



