252 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



from the Bradentown Evening Journal. 

 Perhaps I might add that both Edison and 

 his good wife came from Ohio near our 

 Medina home. He is eight years younger 

 than I, so 1 have been able to keep pretty 

 close track of him from childhood up. 



Speaking of (lie incidents of the fire, Mrs. Edison 

 said: 



" Mr. Edison came back from the fire shortly 

 after midnight. Then he went to his room and 

 busied himself all night with plans for new build- 

 ings. At 5 o'clock he decided to go to bed, but in 

 a few minutes was up again. 



" He wanted to rush down to the factory and get 

 busy with his men. I begged him not to go down. 

 Then I telephoned to' the office and told them to 

 replace to their natural positions all the books and 

 other ofSce belongings which had been removed. I 

 wanted every thing in such condition that it would 

 appear natural when Mr. Edison went to his office. 

 All the time he was insistent upon going down, but 

 I calmed him down and kept him here. 



" At 10 o'clock they telephoned from the office that 

 every thing was about straightened out, and for him 

 to come down. But at that time he was all tied up 

 with reports and plans, so I did not tell him. At 1 

 o'clock he went to sleep. He is up in his room now, 

 and he will not be disturbed for any thing in the 

 world." 



It is true that Edison's losses are small in view of 

 his wealth and prestige and power — a mere trifle in 

 comparison with the losses which come to the humble 

 ditch-digger and his family when their humble home 

 goes up in flames and smoke. 



But Thomas A. Edison once was a poor working 

 boy. There is inspiration in his life, and attainment 

 for every boy and young man who has a place to 

 achieve in the world. 



There should be an inspiration in his life for those 

 who willingly fall into the " has been " class at forty. 



Thomas A. Edison is an old man, according to the 

 calendar as the world counts time. 



He is not a quitter. 



Every little while I say to Mrs. Root, 



" Sue, here Ls the kindest and most encou- 

 raging word for the Home papers yet ;" but 

 the letter below, I verily believe, " caps the 

 climax." 



Dear Uncle Amos: — Of course you didn't open 

 this yourself; but I hope the busy helper who did 

 will stop reading this right here and send it to you 

 in Florida. I have loved you since I used (away 

 back in 1884) to sit on my father's lap and read 

 Gleaxings with him. He has long since gone to 

 his reward. The old home is occupied by strangers, 

 and has no orderly beeyard. I was the youngest 

 child of Stephen Luther, whose magazine at that 

 time was directed to Fairview, Erie Co., Pa. Later 

 it was Girard, same county. He always felt sure 

 of goods from " Root's," and enjoyed the whole of 

 Gleanings, but especially Our Homes. This morn- 

 ing I was looking through an old book of his and 

 found a copy of the description of his device for 

 lowering swarms from treetops by means of a basket 

 and pulley, etc., which you at one time published. 

 Can you imagine the tug at my heart, and how bless- 

 ed memories came flooding back when I found in 

 the February copy of Ladies' Home Journal the ad- 

 vertisement of A. I. Root, etc.? 



Your children were near my own age. And just 

 as they were growing up, helping you and getting 

 educated, I was growing up, learning the bee busi- 

 ness with father, getting some education, and learn- 

 ing to love to try to serve the heavenly Father. I 

 may be imposing on your good nature by writing all 

 this, but I am choking back the tears which just the 

 line, " The Home of the Honeybee " in that adver- 



tisement brought. I really feel that you are an old 

 and very dear friend. Father and mother are gone, 

 but I hope you are well and as happy as a true 

 child of God has a right to be. How many years 

 you have been " standing on the promises," and 

 seeing them fulfilled! I am very glad I ever knew 

 you through the " blessed bees." Dr. Miller and 

 Emma, Hutchinson, Doolittle, and many oihers who 

 wrote in Gleanings were familiar to us, but I never 

 got so close to any of them as to you. How often 

 mother's voice broke as she prayed our Father to 

 prosper you for the sake of this work which you were 

 able and eager to do. Father used to wish that you 

 would " wheel " to our place, but you were always 

 .so busy that he never dared write an invitation to 

 do so. It is so long since I donned a bee-veil or saw 

 a copy of Gleanings that I do not know what the 

 world of beekeepers are doing now. 



If you are the same in disposition as when J 

 learned to call you Uncle Amos you may be interest- 

 ed in hearing that one of your early readers is here 

 in the oil region, and the mother of five sturdy 

 youngsters. 



I know you would have enjoyed last New Year's 

 day if you could have been in the midst of fourteen 

 girls from my Sunday-school class who spent the 

 day with me. 



I wonder if you are as enthusiastic a driver of 

 automobiles now as you were a rider of bicycles years 

 ago. Perhaps you might be tempted to visit Brad- 

 ford next summer, and drink some of the cold 

 water which comes up 200 feet when oil-wells are 

 driven in this locality. I should be as glad to wel- 

 come you to Mapleside (as we call our home) as 

 though you were really and truly my Uncle Amos, 

 as I learned to think of you years ago. 



The last copy of your magazine father ever sent 

 me told of the Buttercups you were experimenting 

 with. Mrs. Saba Gertrude Greenwood. 



Bradford, Pa. 



a kind word and something mork from away off 

 in montana. 



Mr. A. I. Root: — Just a word of kindly apprecia- 

 tion for you for the Home papers. I have never 

 missed reading them for a number of years, and 

 often they are all that I find time to read. They 

 have been a great help to me; and that article, " The 

 Defeat of Injustice," the first one, went into my 

 scrapbook and into my life. I have 50 copies of the 

 booklet, and will use them for free distribution soon 

 in the Sunday-school. 



Two years ago while on the Pacific coast I came 

 across the enclosed Lord's prayer, and made a few 

 purchases at the time at 50 cts. (on satin) in the 

 new Times building, and now I have them for free 

 distribution on a limited scale. The Times editions 

 were repeatedly exhausted, and even at 50 cts. I had 

 to place orders ahead for even a few copies. I never 

 tire of reading this composition, and trust that it 

 will be of much pleasure to you. 



Corvallis, Mont., Nov. 10. " E. H. Sheldon. 



the lord's prayer, with a " reading between 

 the lines." 

 The following beautiful composition was captured 

 during the war at Charleston, S. C. It was printed 

 on heavy satin, July 4, 1823. It was picked up by 

 A. P. Green, of Auburn, Ind., at Corinth, Miss., the 

 morning the rebels evacuated it, May 30, 1862. 

 Thou to the mercy-seat our souls dost gaOier 



To do our duty unto thee Our Father. 



To whom all praise, all honor should be given ; 

 For thou art the great God. . . .Who art in Heaven. 

 Thou by thy wisdom rul'st the world's whole frame; 



Forever, therefore Halloxved he thy Name; 



hex nevermore delay divide us from 



Thy glorious grace, but let I'hy Kingdom come, 



Ijet thy commands opposed be by none, 



But thy good pleasure and thy Will be done; ■ 



.Vnd let our promptness to obey be even 



The very same In Earth as 'tis in Hearcn. 



Then for our souls, O Lord, we also pray. 



Thou wouldst be pleased to Give its this dan 



The food of life, wherewith our souls are fed. 



Sufficient raiment and Our daily Bread. 



With every needful thing do thou relieve us, 



.•Vnd, of thy mercy, pity \nd forgive us 



All our misdeeds for Him wlmiii tliou didst please 

 To make an offering for Our Trespasses, 



