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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15 



eral. " And then I hope I may have strength of 

 body, mind, and spirit to say, as did the Savior, 

 "Into thy hands I commend my spirit." 



After different ones who were near and dear to 

 us have been called away Mrs. Root has frequent- 

 ly asked the question that has been so much in 

 my own mind — "Are these dear friends permit- 

 ted to know and see what is going on here in this 

 world after they have left us.?" The Bible does 

 not tell us much about it. At the transfiguration 

 on the mount, Moses and Elias came back to 

 earth, and we are told they gave the dear Savior 

 encouragement for his coming trial and suffering. 

 They, at least, evidently knew what was transpir- 

 ing here. God has, evidently, for some good 

 purpose, kept us in the dark in regard to this 

 matter.* Jesus once said, " In heaven they nei- 

 ther marry nor are given in marriage;" but, if I 

 am correct, this is almost as much informaticn 

 as he gave us at any time in regard to the future. 



Now, I have several times in the past alluded 

 to this wonderful God-given instinct, both in man 

 and in the animal kingdom. The chickens have 

 a language that they understand, and which the 

 mother understands, when they are only a few 

 hours old. Instinct prompts them what to do in 

 case of emergency, and /roau to do what is best 

 for them — at least to a certain extent. Instinct 

 also prompts mankind, perhaps not exactly as it 

 does the chickens, but in many ways it is a avon- 

 derful controlling and directing power. As I 

 grow older this same instinct seems to be still 

 with me, prompting me as it did when a child, 

 telling me how to take care of my God-given 

 body, and, to a certain extent, telling me of the 

 future, what God expects of us, and what we have 

 a right to expect of him. Great writers have fre- 

 quently rebuked skepticism and infidelity by 

 calling attention to the fact that it would be un- 

 reasonable, and not to be thought of for a mo- 

 ment, that God would give this education and 

 drill that we get here in this world, or might get, 

 and then snuff us out with annihilation. I think 

 every intelligent human being, if he will but 

 think a moment, will agree to this. In speaking 

 of suicide, some say that that ends the matter, 

 and some religious denominations, if I am cor- 

 rect, declare that annihilation is the punishment 

 of the wicked. Let me suggest right here that no 

 doctrine in the world would so much encourage 

 the suicide mania, which is getting to be so prev- 

 alent, as a doctrine like this, unless it is Univer- 

 salism. God forbid that any human being may 

 rush to the conclusion that he can cancel all his 

 debts, and obtain forgiveness for all his old sin. 



*In the 16th chapter of Luke, in the parable, we are told the 

 rich man begged to have Lazams bring him just a drop of water 

 to coo! his feverish tongue. Abraham refused to grant the re- 

 quest, giving two reasons for this refusal. First, "between us 

 and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would pass 

 from hence to you can not; neither can they pass to us that would 

 come from thence." Then this rich man begged to send a mes- 

 sage of warning to his live brethren; but father Abraham says no 

 again, and gives another reason — " If they hear not Moses and 

 the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from 

 the dead." 



Now, these two passages may not be intended to teach us that 

 there shall be no communication between the departed friends 

 and this world; but does it not look somewhat that way! There 

 certainly // a " great gulf," as told us in the parable; and I am 

 inclined to think, too, that, even could those come back who have 

 died in their sins, their warning would be but little heeded. God 

 knows we have lessons enough right before us in regard to the 

 consequences and penalties to be paid here in this life to those 

 who deliberately choose sin and crime. 



by destroying the life that God gave, and which 

 only God can give. Of course, the Bible plain- 

 ly teaches us of a future life; but does not instinct 

 also in the way I have pointed, and other ways, 

 offer this same future to all of us.'^ 



Three near and dear friends have recently and. 

 suddenly been called from this world, and the 

 call came so suddenly that not one of these had 

 time, or it would almost seem so, to bid us good 

 by. It seemed hard, when I came to think of it, 

 and Mrs. Root again expressed my feelings when 

 she said something like this: 



" Did they really know they were so near death.'' 

 and if so, why was there not some sort of good 

 by, or something to make us feel easier and bet- 

 ter about it.''" And then she added, "Oh, if it 

 were only possible for them to give us just the 

 least bit of message, saying they are at peace, and 

 still remember us all in the loving way they did 

 when they were here on earth!" 



Her words astonished me somewhat, because I 

 had been having the same thoughts and feelings. 

 In fact, I had prayed that God might give us 

 light in the matter if it were consistent with his 

 holy will. 



I now wish to relate an experience that has 

 given me comfort, and I should like to know if 

 it has been shared by others who have lost dear 

 friends. I spoke in one of these Home papers of 

 a good woman who had been many years in our 

 employ — a devoted Christian woman. She and 

 I had many talks about death. I had promised 

 to call on her the day before she died; but I stu- 

 pidly forgot it, not knowing, of course, she was 

 anywhere near death. I deeply regretted it, and 

 for many days after that she was much on my 

 mind. Finally I noticed at times, when I was 

 busy at something else, a strange feeling came 

 over me causing me to feel that she was near; in 

 fact, at such times I almost seemed to feel her 

 presence and see her face. A heavenly smile light- 

 ed it up, and that glimpse told me as well as any 

 thing but words could tell, that she remembered 

 lovingly all of her old friends and comrades 

 through life. After Mrs. Root's sister passed 

 away I had a similar experience. Something that 

 I can not describe seemed to tell me that she was 

 at peace, and happy, and had in no way forgotten 

 the dear friends whom she had left so abruptly, 

 even though she had gone away so suddenly that 

 she did not have an opportunity to bid them 

 good by for ever — no, not for ever; that is not the 

 word. It should be "good by until we join the 

 happy throng on the other shore." 



I told you how hard it was for me to realize 

 that my youngest sister had really gone. Well, 

 some days afterward came that same longing for 

 some sort of recognition showing that she remem- 

 bered us, and when busy at work out in the field 

 or with my poultry, when I had not been think- 

 ing of her at all, memory or something else would 

 startle me by a vision of her old cordial smile and 

 hand-pressure — a sort of assurance, as it were, 

 that she knew how we missed her, and perhaps 

 knew our very thoughts. 



Now, these thrills that come to me may be 

 only a memory of the dead; but I can not help 

 taking it as an answer to my little prayer, and 

 that God in his great mercy and loving kindness 

 has permitted me to have just a little glimpse of 

 the unseen world to strengthen mv faith. 



