1884 



GLEAXIXGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



713 



few days back he has been almost wild about 

 burning stumps. I showed him how we 

 could set them on fire, and gatlier the brok- 

 en roots and bits of wood, and thus clear up 

 the land. Every evening we went down 

 after dark, and he saw the flames light up 

 the darkness, as many a farmer's boy has 

 seen it, and perhaps enjoyed it. When the 

 fire did not burn well I fanned it with my hat; 

 and now the last thing at night, and the first 

 thing in the morning, is about the '' burn,'' 

 and the way in which I swing my hat to 

 make the fire go. He explained it over and 

 over again to his mamma ; and during break- 

 fast he slips down out of my lap, and gets 

 my old hat, and proposes that we go and 

 burn the stumps. His whole little life, so 

 full of energy, seems to hang on me. What- 

 ever I do is fun, and he wants to be with me, 

 helping. What shall we do witli this little 

 bundle of energy and zeal ? Will it rejoice 

 my heart to see'him a very rich man, with 

 plenty of this world's goods on every hand ? 

 or will it make me happy to see him hold- 

 ing some great public ofiice V or to know 

 that he excels all other young men in athlet- 

 ic sports and games ? or, if not, what would I 

 have him attain ? What spot on earth, and 

 wjiat occupation, would most thrill my heart 

 with joy to see him occupy V 



You have little ones around you, my 

 friends— perhaps little brothers and sisters 

 not yet gone out into the world, but eager 

 and ready, and full of life. What do you 

 want to see them do ? My wife asked me the 

 question, and I think I will tell you what 

 reply I made. I would, above all things, see 

 him engaged heart and soul in the work of 

 saving souls. I want him to have an educa- 

 tion as good as he can well get, and then I 

 should rejoice to have him use it among 

 the most destitute and helpless of (iod's 

 creatures— no matter to what portion of the 

 face of old mother Earth God may call liim. 



" But," said my wife, " would you be will- 

 ing to take the chances of never seeing him 

 again V Could you bid him good-by for ever, 

 and send him oif among those who would 

 not appreciate him, nor love him as we do, 

 to waste his life, as many missionaries have 

 done, witliout accomplishing very miicli visi- 

 ble to us, after all?" 



" Yes, I think I could. But it seems to me 

 I should see him once in a while, after all ;" 

 for our facilities for travel are now such that 

 there are but few portions of the world 

 where we can not pay a visit. If God spares 

 me, and gives me strength, I might go and 

 see him, even if I could not stay and help 

 him. I thank God, too, tliat now "our means 

 of travel and communication are such that 

 missionaries are no longer dead to us, as 

 they used to be ; and I thank (4od that he 

 has permitted me to help in tlie building and 

 fitting-out of that missionary steamship, the 

 Morning Star, I told you about a while ago. 



Of course, it is not absolutely necessary 

 that one should go to foreign lands, to give 

 • himself entirely to the work of the Master. 

 One may take up the cross, and deny him- 

 self here at home, as well as in foreignlands, 

 if he only thinks so, and is able to cut loose 

 from the attractions and hindrances about 

 him, A great field is open in almost every 



neighborhood in our vast land, in furnishing 

 employment to those who are hungry and 

 eager for something to do. Schools for teach- 

 ing children work, while they are being 

 taught godliness, are much needed every- 

 where ; and lie who works and prays with 

 this object in view, of turning drudgery to 

 pleasant employment, surely does Christ's 

 work. Vast areas of fertile lands are lying 

 unused and inicared for in ditferent portions 

 of our country. Agricultural colleges are 

 doing a great good, but there is abundant 

 need that they be supplemented by smaller 

 home industries. It has been repeatedly 

 demonstrated, that only as mall portion of 

 ground is needed to support not only a per- 

 son, but a whole family ; but the people do 

 not know how to do it. Worse still, as it is 

 usually done they do not enjoy doing it. If 

 Iluber should become a successful cultivat- 

 or of the soil, assisted by education and mod- 

 ern improvements, and should delight in 

 teaching others round about him how to do 

 this, and be happy while doing it, it would 

 be worth as much to me as to see him amid 

 the wilds of central Africa, doing a similar 

 work, but with more ignorant pupils. While 

 he taught them thus, I should especially 

 want him also to teach and prove by practice 

 that whoever strives to do God's will " shall 

 be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, 

 that bringeth forth his fruit in his season ; 

 his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever 

 he doeth shall prosper." 



In a recent speech by one who is likely to 

 be our next Vice-president, he spoke with 

 wonderful elociuence in regard to the pros- 

 perity of the United States; and while I was 

 much imi»resse(l with it I was saddened by 

 the thought that perhaps our very patriotism 

 may be of a selfish kind. Whenever it takes 

 on that phase that Avould make us strive on- 

 ly for the prosperity of America, while we 

 are content, or more than willing, to see our 

 brothers across the Atlantic working hard 

 for barely enough to keep body and soul to- 



f:ether, it seems to me we are in danger of 

 orgetting God, who gave us our land of lib- 

 erty. We are sending missionaries to China. 

 It costs a good (leal of money to send them, 

 and when tlitw get there the odds is so great 

 against them t heir abilitv to do Christ's work 

 is necessarily limited. \Yell, providentially, 

 as it seems to me, the Chinese are coming in 

 considerable numbers to our own land. 

 Where one Chinaman has a thousand Chris- 

 tians all around him, it seems to me the 

 chances of his conversion are much greater 

 than where one missionary is sent among 

 the thousand Chinamen. Of course, the ex- 

 pense of doing the missionary work in the 

 former case would be almost "^nothing com- 

 pared with sending missionaries to China. 

 Now, this phase of Christ's work is not by 

 any means confined to tlie Chinese. For- 

 eigners from almost every part of the world 

 are coming among us. They are attracted 

 by the bustle and stir of America, and by 

 her wonderful progress in the arts and 

 sciences, and in Christianity. Shall we not 

 rejoice to see them come, and thank ({od 

 that it is so V Shall we not in very truth put 

 the foundation of our republic on a more 

 solid footing by doing so? 



