842 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 



distributed, gratis, to agriculturists, and the new in- 

 dustry was particularly recommended to the fair 

 sex. Well, therefore, may Henry and Olivier be 

 called the creators of the culture of silk in France. 



The most singular feature of this innovation is, 

 that the king did contribute more to its introduc- 

 tion than any of his ministers. Him alone was 

 ( )livier able to convince of its utility. He failed 

 with Sully, who generally acted with great wisdom, 

 but who, upon this occasion, was directly opposed 

 to salutary advice. It is curious to find the remarks, 

 to be found at the conclusion of the 16th book of 

 Sully's Memoirs. I shall not omit to mention here 

 what was done in France, in the year 1603, in regard 

 to manufactures, and especially those of silk. 

 Henry, who embraced with ai-dor every means to 

 increase the welfare and glory of the kingdom, suf- 

 fered himself to be persuaded that nothing would 

 lie easier than not only to become independent of 

 foreign countries, in regard to the fabrication of 

 fuch silk stuffs as are imported into France, and 

 which the French were accustomed to procure from 

 a distance, but to make them serve as an important 

 branch of the national trade. Nothing more was 

 necessary for this, it was said, than to promote the 

 rearing of silkworms, the plantation of nuilberry- 

 trces, and the building of houses apiiropriate for 

 this species of manufacture. 



A LEAF FROM THE LIFE OF AN OR- 

 FHAN. 



ALSO SOMETHING .iBOtTT THE BOOK OK BOOKS. 



HEN Sarah Paxon was quite young her moth- 

 er died. Surah was, therefore, left to the 

 care of her two grandmothers. Now, these 

 two old ladies were vci-y good when sur- 

 rounded by proper influences; but, like 

 the chameleon, they sometimes changed their col- 

 ors. One of these grandmas wanted the waif, and 

 the other was determined to have her; and Sarah, 

 being too young to have her say, let them have it 

 their own way. Grandma Loraine having posses- 

 sion, took care of the child in her own style, which 

 was exactly opposite from the style of grandma 

 Paxon. So the latter ladj- devised apian to "turn 

 the tables." Sai-ah's father was to aid her by get- 

 ting the child, under pretense of taking her to 

 church — grandpa Paxon to be at the door of the 

 church to receive her. 



In this way Sarah got a new home. Grandpa 

 Loraine returned this compliment of grandpa Pax- 

 on's on his death-bed, by bequeathing poor little 

 Sarah but fifty dollars instead of the one thousand 

 Which should have been hers. 



Innocent Sarah grew from babyhood to childhood, 

 Bnd partially reunited the two families; but she was 

 early twitted about her fortune. The Paxon's 

 would laugh at her, and the Loraines ask her what 

 she intended to do with her estate. 



At the age of twenty Sarah left her girlhood home 

 to become a wife, and in one more year she stops at 

 a furniture store and spends fifteen dollars of her 

 fortune for a cab for her boj-, and the rest of her 

 cash she divided out as follows: Ten dollars for a 

 dress, seven for a porker, and the rest for sundries. 

 The cab soon went to staves. The dress wore out, 

 the pig turned into lard, sausage, side meat, etc., 

 and that was the end of poor Sarah's wonderful for- 

 tune. Now, don't you think if she had bought some 



bees she would have been as well off — perhaps 

 hundreds of dollars ahead? Sarah has made a great 

 many mistakes in life, and she has found experi- 

 ence to be a dear teacher. She thinks it cheaper to 

 follow good advice than risk her own judgment. 

 She likes the advice she finds in Gleanings, espe- 

 cially the Home Papers; and when she finds noth- 

 ing to suit her case there, she has found a most 

 wonderful book which is a sure guide-book for ev- 

 ery case that can be recorded. Brother Root may 

 sometimes make mistakes; but there is absolutely 

 no risk in risking this Book of books. E. 



Thank you for this sketch, my good friend 

 E.; and may God be praised that we have 

 that Book of books, that safe counselor, 

 within tlie reacli of every poor mortal ! And 

 may God help us to remember that there is 

 absolutely no risk in taking this book for 

 our guide. 



— ^ — ^ 



BEES, WHISKY, AND TOBACCO. 



A JI'VENILE I.ETTEIl AND SOME JUVENILE POETRY. 



E are located on a beautiful stream in the 

 far West, 100 miles from Seattle. We are 

 putting up a saw-mill this season. The 

 flowers are all commencing to bloom. One 

 can stand on the snow and pick flowers. 

 The ground doesn't freeze here. There is an abund- 

 ance of flowers here in summer, and I think it a 

 good place for bees, although there are none in this 

 Vicinity yet. Bees are very useful; and as soon as 

 we can get anj' near enough, without being killed 

 on the way, we will have some. Every time I look 

 at John's dream of the toad, mauling the bee with a 

 spiked club, I have to laugh. 



WHISKY. 

 Boys, keep iway from the saloon. 

 Or a drunkard ynu will be too soon. 

 You will be degrarted. 

 And your name will be faded; 

 Your folks will be '^i'^gusted, 

 And you never will be trusted. 

 1 had rather be a slave 

 Than to go a drunkard to my grave 

 If you are asked to take a drink, 

 .lust stop nwhile and think. 

 How dare I be so low, 

 And give the answer no? 



TOBACCO. 



J. D. Seaton. 

 EUenburgh, Kittitas Co., W. T., March 26, 1884. 



Friend 8., I do not see why bees won't 

 prosper in any locality where the ground 

 does not freeze. We have made several 

 shipments to Washington Territory, and, if 

 I am correct, we have had some pretty good 

 reports.— So you liked the picture about 

 John's dream, did you? Well, friend S., I 

 will tell you, confidentially, that there is 

 some talk of having Mr. Merrybanks and 

 his neighbors all in a nice little book. 

 When 1 used to write it every month it 

 came in such disconnected portions that our 

 little friends, and some of the older ones, 

 did not recognize it as only a story. If it is 

 all in a book by itself, perhaps it will sound 

 better. Thanks for your poetry. 



