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GLEANI2^GS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



Bo ye therefore peileet, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.— Matt. 5: 48. 



Some of the friends may wonder what the 

 above text lias to do with raising garden- 

 stuff. Well, I hope I may be able to make 

 it plain that it has a great deal to do with it. 

 At onr teachers' meeting recently, the ques- 

 tion was asked whether it is indeed possible 

 for erf ry one to attain to the high graces of 

 Christian life. Is it within the powers of 

 ordinary individuals to lead sanctified, holy 

 lives? I asked the chairman of the meeting 

 to let me talk a little ; and when permission 

 was given me to '■' talk," I told the friends 

 that I felt sure that it i.s within the power of 

 every one to lead a life of purity, but that, 

 like almost every thing else in this world, it 

 needed watchfulness as well as prayerful- 

 ness. It is as snrely possible as it is for one 

 to be proficient, and to excel in business mat- 

 ters. And then I told of some of our trials 

 in getting clerks who could do business 

 without committing annoying and expensive 

 blunders. Our book-keeping, perhaps, re- 

 quires the most care and precision of almost 

 any one department. When lielji is needed 

 on the books, we try first one and then an- 

 other; and may be we get discouraged, and 

 aick of thinking of bringing any nav help at 

 all, it is so rarely we find somebody who can 

 be trusted. In using the word " trusted " I 

 do not mean that it is dlrticult to find those 

 who are honest ; but the great difliculty is to 

 find some one who is careful — always careful. 

 The clerk who credits a man when she ought 

 to debit him can not hold her place very long. 

 She may explain that it was an accident, 

 and nothing intentional ; but the world at 

 large nowadays demands Accuracy ; it re- 

 fuses to be satisfied without it. Well, at one 

 time I decided that such positions must be 

 given to none but elderly people, say those 

 toward forty years of age. Pretty soon, 

 however, a girl in her teens upset all this 

 philosophy by showing more care and preci- 

 sion than any one who had had any thing to do 

 with the books for a long while, and she did 

 this, too, with only nfew ■h(oh^/(.s'' experience. 

 I was astonished to see her go along day aft- 

 er day, doing every thing just right, and do- 

 ing it in so quiet and still a way that one 

 would hardly know that she was in the rcom. 

 I began to make it a study to see where the 

 secret lay. For the help of others who had 

 failed I wanted to discovev some great truth 



that might be helpful to the rest. I found 

 it. A great part of her success was because, 

 while at work, she did not take her mind 

 nor scarcely her eyes off from her task. She 

 never spoke to any one unless business de- 

 manded it ; and it seemed surprising that 

 she could keep the run of things, to the ex- 

 tent she did, and yet ask so few questions. 

 No matter who came into the room, or what 

 was going on, she never looked or seemed to 

 notice. Had an earthquake occurred here, 

 such as the friends had in Charleston, prob- 

 ably she wonld have looked up and inquir- 

 ed what the matter was ; but I rather think, 

 my friends, she would have been one of the 

 last to stop her work. You see, she was in 

 the habit of letting nothing divert her from 

 the work in question ; and I believe the 

 greater part of the mistakes that are made 

 in this world are because the one who does 

 it was looking at something else, or thinking 

 of something else besides the wprk in hand. 

 Now, I do not mean to be partial to the 

 other sex, and I am happy to state that we 

 have boys in our establishment who do just 

 about as well. While age is an advantage, 

 it is only one of the elements of success. 

 You may say it is natural for some people to 

 be careful and accurate, while it is not nat- 

 ural for others, and that you have no right 

 to expect it. I admit this ; but for all that, 

 the same rules will apply in any kind 

 of life— making garden or driving team. 

 Have your thoughts about you, and bend 

 your whole energies to the work about you ; 

 and if you succeed, you must do this. 

 AVhether you are hired to drive horses, or 

 whether the team is your own you are driv- 

 ing, to make a success of your business 

 your heart and soul must be in it. I think 

 our text touches the spirit of the matter. 

 Never stop short of absolute perfection ; 

 that is, so far as it lies in you. In spiritual 

 things I think the same rule applies. The 

 question comes up constantly. Which shall 

 it be— self or the honor and glory of Christ 

 JesusV You are perfectly free to decide 

 which. If you let se?/ rule, you may obtain 

 a momentary gratification many times ; but 

 if you let the teachings of Christ take the 

 place of selfish feelings, the result will be a 

 full and glorious character. A self-sacrific- 

 ing spirit will ultimately make your life a 



