(i64 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 15. 



instinctively that there is no need of fighting 

 unless there is a queen to keep their numbers 

 constantly replenished. The welfare of the 

 colony — in fact, the life of it — depends upon 

 vigorous young bees coming on the stage con- 

 tinually to back up the veterans. Sometimes, 

 when there is a robbing mania in the apiary, 

 and we have not got a laying queen to put in 

 each hive, we are obliged to substitute, instead 

 of a fertile queen, combs containing eggs and 

 very young brood. Tliese will give a weak 

 colony new courage; and I have seen them 

 within fifteen minutes change from restless in- 

 diiTerence to vigorous and effective warfare 

 against invaders, just because every bee in the 

 colony had been informed of the glad news that 

 there were eggs and young brood to replenish 

 and back up the corps of defenders of the hive. 

 Well, I have seen boys and girls fight against 

 the enemy a good deal in the same way; yes, 

 and I am sorry to say I have seen them give up 

 and let the enemy march right in, and ruin and 

 devastate every thing most holy and sacred in 

 that house. Just think of it, friends — every 

 human being — every boy and girl — must sooner 

 or later begin to protect themselves and drive 

 out invaders. Robbers are all about us. It is 

 just like the bee-hive. If they discover a hu- 

 man being who seems stupid, who does not 

 know better, or who does not care, they march 

 right in upon him at once. I read in a paper of 

 some little boys who could not sleep because it 

 would be Fourth of July next morning. They 

 urged so hard to get up real early, and go out 

 to see the firing, that their good mother finally 

 consented to let them try going out in the 

 world. Almost as soon as they came in sight, 

 some bad boys discovered that they were un- 

 used to the streets, and one of these bad boys 

 grabbed a painted tin horn, just because he was 

 bigger than the little fellow who carried it. In 

 a little time they were robbed of all their trea- 

 sures, and went home with a tearful confession 

 to mamma, saying that she was right and they 

 were wrong. In this case the little friends were 

 too small to stand up for their rights. They 

 were not yet ready to go out into the world 

 without mamma, some older brother, or a 

 proper guardian. A good deal of the ruin of 

 human character comes about in this way. 

 Boys and girls are permitted to visit question- 

 able places, before the strong man within has 

 been sufficiently established to protect them 

 from harm. 



Let us now look at the matter with grown-up 

 people. Evil men frequently plan to get a per- 

 son intoxicated if they wish to rob him. Only 

 last week the papers told of a boy from the 

 country, who sold a load of garden-stuflf in the 

 great city of Cleveland. Somebody spied him, 

 and guessed that he was not sharp enough to 

 take care of himself. In a little time he was 

 robbed of all his money and every thing else he 

 had about him that was worth any thing. He 

 told the police, with tears in his eyes, 'that he 

 drank only two glasses of beer that somebody 

 gave him. In that case the strong man did 

 not do his duty. One need not go to the cities, 

 however, to meet the enemy. He is lurking 

 everywhere. A visit to our jails and peniten- 

 tiaries will reveal pitiful stories and experiences 

 of how the strong man was bound, first by some 

 pretext or another. Sometimes, like Samson of 

 old. the strong man is led away from his post 

 of duty, and securely bound, by a designing 

 woman. Sadder still, sometimes even womun, 

 herself forgets to keep guard, or voluntarily 

 suffers the strong man to be bound. The ene- 

 my marches in ruthlessly; and, oh what ruin 

 follows then! The very qualities that would 

 make woman and motherhood the protector of 

 innocence, are dragged in the dust. 



In my wheel rides I occasionally pass a great 

 tall chimney in a little country plac<^. For 

 years this great tall chimney poured forth 

 volumes of smoke; and busy workmen have 

 had work day after day for years past. During 

 the last year, however, that whole factory has 

 stood grim and silent. I watch in vain for the 

 smoke over that chimney-top. The whole com- 

 munity suffers. The busy workmen have gone 

 away to find work elsewhere if they can. Do- 

 you suggest that they had nothing to do?' 

 Why, they had plenty to do. Orders were on 

 hand when the factory shut down, and the 

 business was in a prosperous condition. It was 

 shut down almost without a moment's notice. 

 One of the principal owners was a woman. 

 She had managed well and wisely, and her 

 character was above reproach. Reports, how- 

 ever, had got abroad that this woman was more 

 intimate with the husband of another woman 

 than was necessary. She had been held in such 

 high esteem, however, that nobody believed it 

 until all at once the neighborhood and commu- 

 nity were startled by a terrible scandal. There 

 was no evading it this time. The ollicers of 

 the law had entrapped the guilty parties. One 

 piece of iniquity and crime after another was 

 unfolded; things speedily became complicated; 

 and although the factory had been well man- 

 aged, and every thing was in trim to go on with 

 a profitable business, it had to be shut down. 

 Its customers went elsewhere, and the expen- 

 sive machinery is left to rust and decay for 

 want of care. All this comes just because one 

 woman had suffered herself to be bound by th? 

 snares of Satan. 



Years ago there was a shameful bank failure, 

 and a string of criminal defalcations was 

 brought to light. The bank was all sound, and 

 wa« doins a good business until the principal 

 officer fell into dissolute ways. I was but a boy 

 then, hut I happened to be an eavesdropper one 

 day when I could not well avoid it or get away^ 

 from the voices near me. Somebody was up- 

 braiding this officer of the bank. I often think 

 of his words. He said something like this, iii 

 reply to what was said to him : " I fully realize 

 that my reputation is gone. Yes, I fully com- 

 prehend that I have proved traitor to my best 

 friends. I am no more worthy of the respect 

 which my wife and her relatives still extend to 

 me. My name is but a by word and a disgrace 

 to the community round about; and I lost it; 

 yes. I bartered it all for a sillv thing 1 ought to 

 he ashamed of, and that 1 am ashamed of. If 

 no one suffered but myself, I shouldn't care so 

 much; but it pains me to the bottom of ray 

 heart to see the innocent ones suffer — to see 

 those who have been kind to me, and who have 

 befriended me. suffer. I did not; mean to bring 

 all this upon me: I never dreamed such disaster 

 could come just because of this folly." His. 

 companion spoke lower, and I could not catch 

 what he said; but the guiltyjone replied: "Yes, 

 I have one of the best women in the world for 

 a wife. I have a pleasant home, and have, or 

 have had. the best people in the world for my 

 friends. There was no reason iu the world why 

 I should not have behaved myself and been a 

 man. The best thing you can do is to kick me- 

 out of sight, and forget me as soon as possi- 

 ble." 



I have reason to think that this man soon 

 committed another crime — a worse one than all 

 that had gone before — a crime that he intended 

 should be murder. He nearly lost his life in 

 the attempt, and died not very long after, suf- 

 fering terrible agonies, both of body and mind. 

 And those who suffered by his downfall are 

 scattered throughout our community even yet. 

 All this came alwut by giving way to tempta- 

 tion — by permitting the strong man of the 



