1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



273 



"There, John, don't you know better than to 

 put stockings on the line that way? You 

 crauiicli the toes of your stockings through 

 quick enough with your big toe-nails without 

 squeezing a clothes-pin down on it. Hang it 

 t'other end up. so's the wind will blow through 

 it. There! don't you see what an improve- 

 ment?" 



John began to look a little sour, but said not 

 a word. The stockings, both long and short, 

 were soon exhausted, and a big sheet was next 

 hauled over the line. Johti proceeded to fasten 

 this just as he did the towels; but Celeste, lean- 

 ing furtheroutof the window, shouted, '"Why, 

 John, hang that over by the middle. Don't you 

 know better than to hang the sheet that way ? 

 The edge will brush the ground, and get dirty." 



"Say, now." says John, beginning to warm 

 up for an argument, "it's a poor rule that won't 



dow. Don't tear those ruffles with your big 

 hands; that's my — he-he-he — John, that's my 

 — hehe-he— hang it up on the gore, .John." 



" Gore and be darned I" shouted John. " You 

 can't think of any thing else, so you holler gore 

 — he-he-he (spitefully). There, takeyer tarnal 

 old washing — he-he-he— and yer pin-bask(!t — 

 he-he-hc," giving the latter a kick that sent it 

 with the contents flying over the clothes-line; 

 and John strode off into the fields, where it is 

 supposed he cooled off. 



Not wishing to disturb the pleasant reflec- 

 tions of either party I rambled away through 

 the sage brush to my cabin, where I reflected 

 happily upon the free and easy life of a bache- 

 lor bee-keeper. There was no cause for dis- 

 agreement in my cabin. I do not smoke, but I 

 laid oif my coat, put my thumbs in the arm- 

 holes of my vest, leaned back in my chair with 



*i^-^^ blessed Kour^ 

 Come ' dear (gam- 

 bler'" -** 



1*^^ 



t 



XH 



"/\ Kort! anii i 6hrieyT^- 



work both ways. Sheets must be hung just as 

 towels are, so's the wind will blow through 

 them and dry them quick. Don't you see?" 



After a considerable debate touched with 

 acidity, the sheets were hung to suit the woman 

 in the window. John's shirt came next, and 

 was put with the shoulders over the line. 



"That won't do, John. Oh myl (with a pout) 

 I'll have to hang up the clothes after all. A 

 man does things so bungling. John (peremp- 

 tory), hang that shirt up by one flap so's the 

 wind will blow through it. There! that's the 

 way." 



John tished up another long white garment 

 and looked at itdoubtingly. His face was flush- 

 ed. He was apparently mad. It needed but 

 one more spark to cause an explosion. 



" There. John, don't hang that up that way." 



Celeste was leaning further out of the win- 



my feet on the table, and imagined the rings of 

 smoke were rising over my head like so many 

 crowns, just as you read they do in the story- 

 books. I felt so contented with all the world, 

 so independent and happy, that I just made the 

 welkin ring as I sang: 



If a body meet a body, 

 Need a body sii-i-i? 

 If a body kiss a body, 

 Need a body cri-i-i-i? 



I can't imagine, though, what made me sing 

 those words— a sort of premonition, I suppose. 

 I really felt as though I was too happy to hav(> 

 the feeling "continner," as Dr. Jake Smith 

 would say. 



Once before during the easy season I felt 

 quite elevated in spirits, and went out to have 

 a gallop over the plain with Vix; but Vix had 

 elevated spirits also. She elevated her back 



