1886 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



807 



WHAT TO DO, AND HOW TO BE HAPPY WHILE DOING IT, 



Continued from March 15. 



chaptp:ii xiii. 



Better is little, with the tear of the Lord, than great treasure and trouble therewith.— Phov. l.'i: 16. 



As I commt'uce this chapter during this 

 6th day of April, 1886, our country is beset 

 with troubles on account of strikes because 

 of the conflict between lab.)r and capital. 

 A great many are also in trottble because of 

 the very low prices obtained for every thing, 

 and therefore many are out of work. I 

 bought a load of large beautiful " Northern 

 Spy '' apples at only 30 cts. a bushel. The 

 man took that, rather than drive around 

 from house to house, meeting only with the 

 discouraged statement that they had more 

 than they wanted already. At the very 

 time I bought those apples, my own were 

 rotting at the rate of a bushel a day, and I 

 did not need any more. Anotlier farmer 

 sold me twelve dozen eggs for only an even 

 dollar; and if one were to keep his poultry 

 shut up, and feed them till they lay twelve 

 dozen eggs, I am sure the feed would cost 

 more than a dollar. Fifty bushels of turnips 

 are shooting up sprouts out where they are 

 buried, but no one wants them, even at 85 

 cts. a bushel, although they usually bring a 

 dollar a bushel in the spring. A year ago 

 last fall I thought I should like to try my 

 hand at raising a piece of wheat. I was go- 

 ing to show the farmers what big farming 

 and modem implements, underdraining, 

 phosphate, etc., would do. How do yoti 

 suppose it turned out ? I think I got about 

 21 bushels of wheat to the acre ; but I was 

 offered so little for it I concluded to keep it 

 to feed to my Light Brahmas. It is true, 

 we have had eggs almost all through the 

 winter, and I have enjoyed keeping the 

 poultry; but I doubt whether the eggs 

 would have sold for enough to pay for the 

 wheat, and I doubt again whether the wheat 

 would have sold for enough to pay for the 

 expense of raising the crop, to say nothing 

 about the value of the land, that cost me 

 over S200 an acre. 



Although labor is plentiful, and people 

 are everywhere begging for a job, yet real 

 faithful farm hands are not plentiful. Out 

 of the hundreds who apply to me for some- 

 thing to do, I doubt if there is one who 

 would feel greatly worried or troubled if he 

 knew the crops he raised for me would not 

 sell for enough to pay the wages he receives. 

 He would doubtless think that was viy part 



of the business, and that his was to do as he 

 was bidden. May be he would think I had 

 lots of money, and that I was doing it for 

 fun any way, and that he might just as well 

 have some of my money as anybody else. 



Now, I presume I could write several 

 chapters fidl of discouragements like the 

 above. Shall I go on V I think there is no 

 need of it ; in fact, I think the better way 

 will be for us to examine the above, and see 

 where the troulile is. If this book is to tell 

 you all what to do, and how to be happy in 

 doing it, we can not very well have it tilled 

 with such doleful tales as I have just given 

 you. I have before told you that tlie book 

 was written for poor people, or any kind of 

 people who have leisure hours, and want to 

 know how they can make some money dur- 

 ing those leisure hours. If somebody had 

 asked me to write a book stating how peo- 

 ple who are busy from daylight till dark 

 could make vtore money by luring other peo- 

 ple, I think I should have said at once I 

 didn't know how to write any such book. 

 In fact, I very much doubt whether a book 

 could be written to tell people how to make 

 money by hiring somebody else to take care 

 of their poultry, their garden, their green- 

 house, or any of these things. All these 

 kinds of industries need yourself, my dear 

 friend. God wants you, and no substitute ; 

 and the first thing to do in any kind of busi- 

 ness is to learn to be faithful and successful 

 yourself, and in due time this faculty of be- 

 ing able to employ others will come. It can 

 not be learned out of a book, although a 

 book may be a great help to you ; and this 

 book, I feel sure, will show you the way i*n 

 which you can be comfortable and happy, 

 providing you are willing to work. In fact, 

 I begin to think more happiness is to be 

 found with small possessions, than where 

 property lias been left you. Giving a young 

 man a good farm does not necessarily make 

 him happy ; and if he should get two or 

 three farms by the death of relatives, it 

 seems to me that, in the generality of cases, 

 they would be pretty sure to make him un- 

 happy. Our text says, " Better is a little, 

 with the fear of tlie Lord, than great trea- 

 sure and trouble therewith." 



Now, then, about the low prices. There is 



