Jan, 3. 1907 



Amarican Hee Journal 



turkey (.were they fortunate enough to 

 be where that bird did not "roost" too 

 high) g;ive thanks because of the en- 

 actment of this law ; but now it is in 

 order to return thanks that its enforce- 

 ment has begun. And that the enforce- 

 ment may not become painfully real, 

 each honey-producer or shipper should 

 thoroughly acquaint himself with the 

 portion which affects the sale of our 

 products. All bee-papers should make 

 it a point to place it before their read- 

 ers in a lucid, easy-to-be-remembered 

 manner, as several have already done. 

 And most certainly all bee-keepers 

 should have the very best bee-litera- 

 ture. 



As I gaze out on this wide, white 

 world and its snow-hooded houses, the 

 many shut-ins on account of the in- 

 clemency of the weather, pass in pro- 

 cession before my mind's eye, and I 

 can but sympathetically wonder if all 

 are supplied with entertainment in the 

 way of good and helpful reading mat- 

 ter? The body will not more surely 

 die from the want of bread— "the staff 

 of life," — than the mind will perish from 

 want of proper nourishment. 



Many who take pride in their abil- 

 ity to maintain a dining-table of ample 

 proportions— daily loaded to the point 

 of groaning, with not only the more 

 common articles of food, but the luxu- 

 ries as well— never dream that the keep- 

 mg up of the reading table is of much 

 greater importance. Custom should rule 

 that a household without a reading ta- 

 ble would be as much of an oddity as 

 a household without a dining table; 

 and that to be found upon the reading 

 table from which the family are to be 

 served should be, as to "quality the 

 choicest, and as to quantity, most lib- 

 eral. Were such the ease, we might 

 expect the great army of wayfarers to 

 die a natural death from want of fresh 

 recruits. The memory of the family 

 circle around the evening reading ta- 

 ble has proved the beacon light that 

 saved many a wanderer, not alone from 

 home, but a wanderer from morality, 

 and all that goes to make life worth liv- 

 ing. 



Stuffing the children with food for 

 either the physical or mental being is 

 poor policy— they most certainly should 

 not wear glasses before teething; but a 

 preoccupation of the mind, by interest- 

 ing and useful knowledge, to the crowd- 

 mg out of the objectionable and posi- 

 tively hurtful, is to be recommended. 

 Time was when the training of chil- 

 dren began, and gained considerable 

 headwaj', at home; now, very generally, 

 it seems not to begin until entering the 

 school-room. After the parent finds he 

 has lost control, or that he never had 

 any, he rushes to the teacher and urges 

 that the latter shall accomplish that 

 which he himself has found impossible. 

 Alas! how many times it is too late, 

 and the youth is lost in the sea of his 

 own selfishness and obstinacy. But how 

 few of us, of mature years, cast adrift 

 without any directory whatever, would 

 be fortunate enough to keep within the 

 line of safety or reach anv haven of se- 

 curity? 



The younger people are not the only 

 ones to be considered in the maintenance 

 of a reading table. How many self-sac- 



rificing women rise by the break of day, 

 or before, and cheerfully assume their 

 daily duties which constitute a monoto- 

 nous round, the Aariations being so slight 

 as not to be perceptible, and keep ever- 

 lastingly at it, the reading hour being 

 the first, and only one, to offer rest in 

 any degree? Statistics show that 75 to 

 80 per cent of insane women are farm- 

 ers' wives? Their loss of reason is 

 credited to monotony of life and isola- 

 tion acting with crushing effect on their 

 minds. Sociologists point to isolation 

 as the active agent which drains our 

 farms of young blood, and causes the 

 constant gravitation of our boys and 

 girls to the cities. 



None will deny but that country life 

 is far sweeter, attractive and independ- 

 ent than that of the cog-wheel worker* 

 of the crowded city. But its loss of ad- 

 vantage, more especially in winter, lies 

 in its sameness and lack of that which 

 brings new influences, fresh interests, 

 and warm inspirations into the lives of 

 the occupants of our farm homes. For 

 want of the latter they prefer the cities' 

 ceaseless grind, basement or tenement; 

 accepting starvation wages ; and being 

 constantly lashed by the whip of com- 

 parison between their lot of pitiable self- 

 denial and dependence, and that of the 

 independently wealthy. 



Older persons, especially women, suf- 

 fer alike this sense of loneliness, but cir- 

 cumstances preventing any change of 

 home, they quietly accept the situation 

 as it exists, cultivating their powers of 

 endurance until they lose their mental 

 poise, or until physical death steps in to 

 relieve them of their heavy burden. The 

 lives of such teach us there is a possi- 

 bility of being patient and contented to a 

 fault. 



This condition of serfdom — for it's 

 nothing else — would materially change, 

 and matters adjust themselves, as it 

 were, so that a broader and far more 

 pleasant life — one that could be enjoyed 

 — might yet be theirs, if they would only 

 lend a hand to their emancipation. 



Do they bring forward the claim that 

 they are too old? Or do they offer as 

 an excuse that they have been denied 

 the advantages of schooling in their 

 younger days? If the former is their 

 cry, then tliey should read E. A. Dag- 

 gitt's article in November Bee-Keepers' 

 Review, which closes with these senti- 

 ments : 



" To keep off old age, and to remain young, 

 we must keep in full strength and vigor our 

 physical, mental and moral powers. Activity 

 is life. I think it may be safely said that the 

 foundation of youth lies within every one. 

 To all, I say, keep young. If old age is steal- 

 ing upon you, or has stolen upon you, shake 

 it off. Through the activity of your func- 

 tions bring back the elastic step, the deep and 

 quickened thought, and the tenderest emo- 

 tion. Gradually persevere, and success will 

 attend your efforts. Effort and determina- 

 tion will work wonders, and here is the rich- 

 est field for their labor, with the richest 

 promise of the greatest rewards. Again I say, 

 be young. Dress young, act young. Be 

 young in heart, be young in sympathy, be 

 young in sentiment — be young, be young." 



If coupled with age they extend the 

 plea of a lack of learning in extenua- 

 tion of their apathy relative to a possible 

 agreeable change for them, they should 

 be referred to J. E. Crane's article in 



December ist Gleanings. One of his 

 memories was of "a farmer who at the 

 age of 70 took up the study of Latin 

 and had the pleasure later of reading 

 his old Latin authors." He cites the 

 case of Owen Kildare, whose writings 

 form books that have attracted much at- 

 tention, yet he at 30 did not know his 

 letters. He also tells us the story of the 

 learned shoemaker who at 40 found 

 himself in broken health, and consulted 

 a specialist, with the result that outdoor 

 life was recommended, with the study 

 of botany thrown in as a diversion. In 

 six weeks he was a well man; but so 

 intense had his interest become in his 

 studies, that he kept them up till he had 

 exhausted all the text-books that would 

 help him in this country. Then he sent 

 to foreign countries and mastered for- 

 eign languages, in order to quench his 

 thirst for botanical knowledge. Was 

 not this to. him an unexpected (and as 

 agreeable as unexpected) break in a 

 monotonous life? 



Our bee-papers have many articles of 

 like weight that should drive convic- 

 tion home to the most reluctant mind. 

 For more reasons than space permits 

 me to recite, they should be on the read- 

 ing table of every live bee-keeper. 



Do you ask why I have written in 

 behalf of the interests of women and 

 children? My answer is. Because men- 

 folks usually look out for themselves, 

 and see to it that they have what read- 

 ing matter they desire — more likely they 

 expect women-folks to do the same. 

 However, as wholesome reading mat- 

 ter has never been known to injure a 

 man, he who considers himself a pro- 

 tector of his home should not lose sight 

 of this particular obligation, but build 

 up fortifications around his home with a 

 liberal supply of interesting and benefi- 

 cial reading matter. 



When he goes forth these blustering 

 winter mornings, fully equipped in the 

 shape of snow-shoes, leggings, reefer, 

 slicker and sou'-wester, to meet and 

 wrestle with the storm — which wrestling 

 of itself gives him a warm glow and 

 renewed vigor — let him not forget the 

 weaker and thinner clad ones — who must 

 remain prisoners for the day, at least, 

 and sometimes many days — that they, 

 with him, need diversion of some kind. 

 These "weaker vessels," as men delight 

 to style women, have been known as 

 the mothers of the strongest of men — 

 giants, as it were, in either physique and 

 intellect, or both. Strange, is it not, that 

 such strength could possibly come of 

 such weakness? This happy lot, will, 

 in the future, be that of some other 

 mothers ; then happy will be the man 

 who can conscientiously share with her 

 the honor. 



Our homes constitute the bulwarks of 

 the nation, and the farmer being a 

 veritable Atlas to the world, our good, 

 old fostering Uncle Sam saw, in the de- 

 serted New England farms, of not many 

 years ago, sure signs of national declina- 

 tion, and went to work with characteris- 

 tic vim to apply a remedj' in the shape 

 of Rural Free Delivery of mail. Now 

 it is "up to" every patriotic rural citi- 

 zen to make the most of his privileges. 

 (Mrs.) M.\RY E. Null. 



Miami, Mo. 



