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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 1. 



My friends, yon have "no doubt attended 

 funerals. For 24 hours or more you have felt 

 it incumbent upon you to be sober, and to look 

 solemn; but. unless I am mistaken, some of you 

 forsot yourselves after two or three hours of 

 long faces, and somebody perpetrated a little 

 innocent joke, and everyone laughed; in fact, 

 the laugh was bound to come out, and I have 

 sometimes seen it. even in the funeral proces- 

 sion. It did not make me feel cross, either. I 

 feel glad to notice, especially among young 

 people, a surplus stock of cheerfulness, and 

 what you might call innocent fun, that could 

 not be held in check, nor corked up many 

 hours without bubbling out. Around my old 

 home there used to be innumerable soft-water 

 springs bursting out at the base of the gravelly 

 hills; and" in some of my early experiments I 

 tried stopping a spring when it came out wliere 

 I did not vvant it. For a while I thought I had 

 succeeded; but. sooner or later, out it came, 

 washing every thing before it. It would not be 

 stO|)ped. Our United States of America needs 

 more people bubbling over with good nature in 

 just this way; and the real foundation for this 

 cheerful good nature that can not be put out or 

 upset is a faith In God. In him is no darkness 

 at all. 



My friend, have you ever had any experience 

 in the way of loss or sickness, when it was hard 

 work to be pleasant and good-natured? Mav 

 be you think I do not know any thing aboiit it. 

 May be you think I am always full of cheerful 

 enthusiasm— always glad and happv about 

 something or other. If it were true, I should 

 have no chan^p to sympathize with some of the 

 rest of vou. You may remember I have writ- 

 ten on this matter before — yes. several times. 



Some time ago I had something 1:0 say in re- 

 gard to getting over spells of despondpiicy and 

 lack of interest in any thing the world had to 

 offer. The editor of some agricultural paper in 

 the West wrote me a postal card, asking w^ if, 

 among my writings, I could recall anv thing 

 else on the same subject. He said that, if I 

 had ever before written any thing of the sort, 

 he wished I would get it for him. He said 

 he would pav me almost any thing for the 

 trouble of looking it up. The card was placed 

 on mv table, waiting till I got time to look over 

 the Home Papers I havp written. Other re- 

 quests were laid down with the card. Some- 

 times I would get at it and answer these kind 

 letters. Then I would read the card over 

 asain. Well, it has been getting before me in a 

 kind of reproachful way for months back. 

 When I get a glimpse of it, it seems to say, 

 "Please. Mr. Root, haven't you time to sav 

 just a word for those who get tired of living? 

 Don't scold ns; don't tell us we ought to be 

 ashamed of ourselves. We know all that. We 

 want you to tell us the secret of being good- 

 natured and joyous all the time, even in this 

 terriblv hot weather, when one mu^^t work, 

 even if he does not feel like it. What shall we 

 do. if we have not at all times that bright, 

 assuring faith in the Father above that you 

 seem to have? What shall we do whon some- 

 thing (you may call it Satan) seem^ to say to 

 us that nobody is obliged to live and toil any 

 longer than he chooses?" Such thoughts 

 often come up to me. Of course, I reply that 

 there is nothing in this world that can sustain 

 a man through all sorts of trial'; except a hum- 

 ble faith and reliance upon Christ Jesus the 

 Savior of mankind. 



A fevv weeks ago I had an experience that 

 seemed strange to me. I did not understand at 

 the time what it meant; but it occurred tome 

 afterward, that there might have been a provi- 

 dence in it. For one thing it gave me glimpses 

 of what others may, perhaps, be called upon to 



endure in the way of temptation and trial. 

 Perhaps I should call it mental suffering. As. 

 we grow older I think we are correct in saying 

 that, as a rule, our digestion becomes impaired. 

 Elderly people have to be more careful of their 

 eating and drinking; and a deranged digestion, 

 no doubt, has much to do with fits of despon- 

 dency. I remember one hot day of going down 

 through thf creek bottom garden. Some way, 

 that morning I did not feel very much enthusi- 

 asm for gardening. The crops were pretty fair, 

 and prices were reasonably good ; but things 

 seemed to begetting rather monotonous. Even 

 the large luscious strawberries did not revive 

 my spirits. Several things had gone wrong. 

 One man neglected something, and it threaten- 

 ed to cause a dead loss; another did the wrong 

 thing; somebody else was very stupid. Very 

 likely the small boys were throwing the peas 

 at each other instead of putting them into the 

 baskets. I made up my mind that I would 

 just stop giving them employment, for they did 

 not seem to appreciate the pains I was taking 

 to furnish them something to do. As my 

 thoughts ran on, one thing suggested another, 

 and I got out of sorts. I was not happy, and 

 even the thought of a wheel -ride in the after- 

 noon did not make me feel happy. Before I 

 knew it I was exceedingly miserable. I did not 

 dare to say to myself that this world was not a 

 pleasant one. because I knew I should be re- 

 flecting on the great God above. I prayed for 

 grace from on high. It did not seem to come, 

 however, just then. In fact. I had been strug- 

 gling with similar feelings for several days, 

 and this seemed to be the climax. I remember 

 of thinking T was getting old, and perhaps I 

 had better be getting rid of some of my cares 

 and responsihilites. But what then? Very 

 likelv I should live a good many years: and I 

 am sure I shall never enjoy life very much un- 

 less T can he busy. For instance, t remember 

 of thinking— no. I did not think — the fact came 

 up before me, but I did not accept it. It was to 

 the effect that perhaps God did not propose to 

 let me live very much longer, any way. I did 

 not add. "The sooner the better." for I did not 

 dare to do it. I have heard sick people give 

 voice to such expressions, and in a sort of in- 

 different way at the same time. God forbid 

 that I should ever be in a ?iM?Ty to drop life's 

 duties. I knew I was getting on dangerous 

 ground. I knew, too. in general terms, where 

 the trouble was. Within a few feet of me was 

 a rank, vigorous growth of Country Gentleman 

 sweet corn. The t»oys and men were far 

 enough away so they could not overhear me 

 while I knelt down in that rank-growing corn 

 and told the Savior my troubles, and asked him 

 to "create in me a clean heart, and renew 

 a right spirit within me." I started for the 

 corn; but somebody just then came in sight 

 and called for me. I responded to the call, 

 praving on the way. I proposed at th'> time to 

 get bv myself a*: speedily as I could, and ask to 

 be lifted from that Slough of Despond by the 

 only one in the whole universe who could do it. 

 The dear Savior seems to have accepted the 

 will for the deed : for a busy day followed the 

 event I have recorded; and it was only at night 

 that I recollected the dismal experience of the 

 morning; and then I recalled the fact that God 

 had taken the will for the deed, and that it/i- 

 uUercd prayer had been answ(>red — yes. several 

 times. It was not answered, however, until I 

 had determined to let diitj/. and not feeling and 

 inclination, rule. An<l here i< one grand secret 

 of getting over such experiences, or. if you 

 choose, such dismal spells of despondency — go 

 right to work and do iimtr duty. Do what you 

 know vou ouglit to (7o,- be what you ought to 

 be. If you can not do it with a smiling face, 



