1909 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



481 



(Ireained of until ho canie into the world. 

 I do not mean to say here that friend Keck 

 teaches anniliilation for such men; but if I 

 understand him he seems to intimate that 

 we shall be cut off, or remain quiescent, for 

 at least a period, from our activities when 

 we are called away. 



Now, dear friends, in what I have said, 

 (lod knows I have not been trying- to push 

 my ideas in the place of some others. I 

 have just been telling you or suggesting to 

 you how it seems to me. Just recently the 

 editor of the American Issue, Dr. J. C. Jack- 

 son, has been cut off suddenly in the midst 

 of the great work of pushing the Anti-saloon 

 League and local option. When his health 

 was failing, and I believe not many days be- 

 fore he died, he gave utterance to the fol- 

 lowing, and I do not know of anv thing else 

 to commend to you in closing l)etter than 

 this: 



On several occasions, when speaking to the writer 

 ooncernintf his belief in immortality, in discussing 

 two different ideas of the future life, one of which he 

 felt sure would prove to be correct, he repeatedly said 

 in substance: "Whatever form life after death may 

 assume, I am content. Back of it all I believe there is 

 a trreat infinite benevolence, and that is sufficient to 

 my mind to truarantee that whatever comes after death 

 is best and right." He had no fear of death or the 

 great beyond. There were many yuestions and prob- 

 lems connected with the mystery of life beyond the 

 grave which his great mind could not solve to his sat- 

 isfaction; but he was too honest to profess any convic- 

 tion which he did not fully have, and time and again 

 he declared that such questions were, after all, of least 

 importance, while the problems of life and the pres- 

 ent are of vital and supreme concern. 



Just a word about the suicides that are 

 getting to be more and more frequent. God 

 forbid that we, especially the Christian 

 world, should say any thing or do any thing 

 to encourage this tei-rible epidemic. So far 

 as I have been able to discover (and I have 

 talked most earnestly with some who were 

 contemplating suicide* it has been resorted 

 to by tnose who believe that death ends 

 all. They take their own lives with the idea 

 in mind that they can thus in a moment dis- 

 charge every form of debt and obligation 

 both to God and man. Any teaching that 

 would encourage a man to kill his wire and 

 children, and then commit suicide, comes 

 from Satan and not from God. 



We can not for a moment believe that 

 there is any thing in the Bible, in instinct, 

 reason, or common sense that would en- 

 courage self-destruction. It certainly can 

 not take a criminal ifor a crime it is, and a 

 most terrible one tooi into the presence of 

 Jesus or to paradise or to heaven. I should 

 say it takes him -direct to the arms of the 

 evil one who has, since the beginning, been 

 working for the destruction of mankind. 

 The suicide goes with him to his abode; and 

 that abode I need not name. 



"B.^CKWARD, TURN BACKWARD "—A SINGU- 

 LAR COINCIDENCE. 

 About the time of the birth of Huber's girl 

 baby I came across the poem called "Back- 

 ward, Turn Backward, OTime, in thy Flight." 

 I began to inquire among my friends in re- 



o-ard to the author. Meanwhile somebody 

 had made the baby's mother a present of a 

 book entitled "A Mother's Year." In this 

 book are selections of poetry for every day 

 in the year. On turning to page 102 we find 

 the birthday poem for June 20 (the very day 

 "Miss Katharine" was born) is the follow- 

 ing: 



Backward, turn backward, O time In thy flight; 

 Make me a child again just for to-night. 

 Mother, come back from the echoless shore- 

 Take me again to your heart as of yore. 

 Kiss from my forehead the furrows of care; 

 Smootii the few silver threads out of my hair; 

 Over my slumbers your loving watch keep- 

 Rock me to sleep, mother, rock me to sleep. 



The advocates of telepathy mi^ht claim 

 this for an illustration; but it strains one's 

 imagination somewhat to suggest that the 

 verse was impressed on my mind, even be- 

 fore the little lady's birth or before she had, 

 in fact, selected tlie paiiicular day on which 

 to come to "Rootville." The proverb, 

 "Coming events cast their shadows before," 

 might help us out a little. 



DR. MILLER'S LETTER TO MISS KATHERINE EVA ROOT. 



My dear Miss Katherine.—l have just heard of your 

 arrival at Medina, and hasten to write you. I didn't 

 write you at your former address, as I didn't feel sure 

 that the postoffice regulations in heaven would admit 

 letters from a place so far away as Marengo. I'm glad 

 you've come to so nice a place. I must say you have 

 shown excellent taste in your selection of parents; for, 

 let me tell you, there are parents and parents. 



Now I want to advise you confidentially to use every 

 gpeck of influence you have to get your father to 

 change his morose manner. I know that your smiles 

 are very compelling, and it would be a great thing if 

 you could get the old man to smiie once in awhile. 

 He's not really bad at heart. He's only got into a 

 glum sort of way. 



Say, have you met A. I. Root? He's a caution. Prob- 

 tbly about the first thing he does will be to try to get 

 you to sign a pledge never to smoke cigarettes. Don't 

 you do it unless he gives you a smoker. May be if you 

 hold off a little he may do still better. 



Have they put you on the lean-meat diet? or does A. 

 I. want you to eat apples? Don't swallow the seeds 

 whole. 



What do you think of the new style of feminine 

 headgear? Isn't it the limit? I've a v/hole lot more of 

 news to tell you, but I must stop and write Straws. 



Bring the old folks with you and come and see us. 

 Yours as ever, 



Marengo, 111., July !"• C. C. MILLER. 



Poultry 



DEPARTMExNT 



By A. I. Root. 



POULTRY SECRETS, ETC.— -$500 FROM 12 HENS 

 IN ONE YEAR. 



One of our subscribers has mailed us a 

 poultry-book having on the front cover the 

 follovvi«g legend: 



PLANS, GUIDES, ETC., TO REALIZE $500 YEARLY. 



WITH 12 HENS 



BY UTILIZING HORSE OR MULE'S STABLE MANURE; 



ALSO MAKING HENS SIT SIX DAYS INSTEAD 



OF TWENTY-ONE. 



A. Corbett, Inventor. 



I'rofesnor of (Jalllno Culture iSi'lence. of Chlcaijo. lU. 

 kohtV-kivk mkdals, i;tc., awakded. 

 I'KICE «;!.0O. 

 CUPPLES <t LEON ." .' .' PUBLISHERS .' .' .' NEW 



