1909 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



41 



Our Homes 



By a. I. Root 



Blessed are the meek, for tbey shall inherit the earth. — Matt. 



5:5. 



Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath 

 commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it 

 may eo well with thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth 

 thee. — Uf.ut. 5 : 16. 



He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to 

 him will I give power over the nations. — Rkv. 2 : 26. 



We are just breaking away from the rum pow- 

 er. The whole wide world is going through the 

 process of emancipation. Not only are the sa- 

 loons being put out of commission, but men who 

 drink, and hold important public offices, are be- 

 ing relegated back to the ranks of the common 

 people. Now comes the question, " \\'/io is go- 

 ing to rule.'" Our first text says the meek shall 

 inherit ihe earth; and the last one says those who 

 overcome self and selfish appetites and other evils 

 shall have power over the nations; and our middle 

 text says that those who obey their father and 

 mother shall live longer than those who do not. 

 I think a little observation will enable those who 

 have lived long enough to decide that the clean, 

 honest. God-fearing, and law-abiding citizen does 

 live longer, and that he has a better chance to be 

 a ruler over nations; but because of a bondage 

 that has been a sort of environment around good 

 men in times past, we have not yet emerged clear 

 out of the darkness and into the light. As an 

 illustration, we have not yet secured parcels post 

 here in the United States, nor postal savings 

 banks, and several other good things, just because 

 of some men like Uncle Joe Cannon and other 

 public officers who are under the dominion of 

 the great express companies or insurance com- 

 panies. The good people who have lived long, 

 and whom God intended to rule over the nations 

 and bless the earth, have remained at home and 

 kept in the background. But a new order of 

 things is being instituted. As I write, the papers 

 tell us that the notorious grafter of San Francisco 

 has just been pronounced guilty; and if he gets 

 the penalty that fits his crime it will be fifteen 

 years in the penitentiary. 



There is a great amount of work to be done in 

 this revolution that is now going on in the Unit- 

 ed States. We have had a sample of it during 

 the last two weeks in our crusade to make Medi- 

 na Co. dry. Ernest has been so busily occupied, 

 and so much called for in every part of our coun- 

 ty, that he declared his department of our busi- 

 ness would have to stand over until election day. 

 There are times and things that come to pass in 

 these lives of ours that are far more important 

 than business — things that can not be managed 

 by proxy will have to stand still and ou^ht to 

 stand still. It makes me glad to thinkand know 

 that the meek shall inherit the earth instead of 

 the grafters and such like. And, by the way, it 

 just begins to be made manifest, perhaps to a 

 good many people, that those who lead simple 

 lives and practice simple habits such as Mr. Ter- 

 ry has been teaching, and such as I have been 

 trying to teach, will live and do live to see a gen- 

 eration born, and pass away, while we are per- 

 mitted to live and be happy. Every few days 

 my attention is called to people who are all gone 



— whole families. I can remember when certain 

 ones were born; and I have watched them more 

 or less while they lived through the average span 

 of human life. Some of them seem worn out by 

 hard toil; others die prematurely from the effects 

 of drink, and some seem to rust out because they 

 sitstill and do nothing. When I mention to my 

 friends, one after another, that Terry and I have 

 started out for a hundred years, most of them 

 reply, "Well, I do not want to live a hundred 

 years." And I often think one reason why they 

 look up and give honest expression to such a 

 speech is because they have not had a taste of 

 what God has in store tor those who overcome all 

 temptations to selfishness and excess. "To him 

 that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in 

 my throne." He who sits beside the great Fa- 

 ther, and watches the unfolding of the great won- 

 ders that are going on in the universe, and be- 

 gins to comprehend and catch on to God's great 

 plan, can not help being happy. While wireless 

 telegraphy, flying-machines, and things of that 

 sort are being exploited, who would not like to 

 live a little longer and get a little part of a glimpse 

 of the great future that is unfolding.? We should 

 not desire to live, just out of idle curiosity. God 

 wants us to help bring along the great work. 

 He wants us to spread the glad tidings, to help 

 lift humanity out of folly into light. I know 

 you will not think I am boasting or bragging 

 about what / have done, when I give place to a 

 letter as follows: 



It is now some 25 years since I noticed in a copy of Glean- 

 ings that Mr. Root oflered the gift of a smoker free to any one 

 who would quit smoking tobacco. I availed myself of that ofJer, 

 and in due course of mail I got the smoker. At that time I had 

 been a tobacco-smoker for 25 years, and no ordinary smoker at 

 that. 1 used frequently to smoke in bed. I then and there gave 

 up smoking, and never since have practiced the habit. I am now 

 75 years old, and have never regretted the pipe. People say they 

 can not give up tobacco or whisky, which is all nonsense. It is not 

 can't but won't. I did not break my pipe and throw away my to- 

 bacco to save myself the temptation, but placed them upon the 

 chimney-piece, nice and handy. It was not long after 1 quit the 

 habit that 1 realized the intense selfishness of the habit. 



I mention the above as it may be pleasant for Mr. Root. His 

 good work in the anti-tobacco warfare was not all a failure after 

 all these years. A. W. Thornton. Md. 



Ferndale, Wash., March 19. 



You will notice from the above that it was a 

 physician who was encouraged to give up his to- 

 bacco — an example for others. Would it be a 

 stretch of the imagination to think he has not 

 only lived more years in consequence, but per- 

 haps helped others to live and be happy.? Besides 

 urging the friends who read Gleanings to give 

 up tobacco it has been my pleasant task to help 

 fight thegreat white plague. See what this friend 

 says: 



Please send me two copies of the A B C of Getting Well and 

 Keeping Well. We should be pleased to hear that Mrs. Gard- 

 ner is still improving. Mrs. Zimmerman is a great deal stronger, 

 and feels better than she has for a year or more. She has slept 

 on an east porch with only a canvas for protection in stormy 

 weather. Josiah Zimmerman. 



Greenspring, Ohio, Nov. 7. 



From the above you see that a dear wife has 

 probably been given a longer lease of life, and, 

 more than that, she rather enjoys " taking her 

 medicine." Since the question has been asked, 

 I take pleasure in submittin,qr the last postal card 

 from the dear sister whom the doctors considered 

 almost hopeless more than a year ago. 



Brother A. I.: — Pyrrha and I are doing our own work this 

 week to allow our maid to have a much-needed rest, so you see I 

 am doing very well toward getting strong. 



Manistee, Mich., Nov, 25, Sarah Gardner. 



