1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



289 



SONGS FOB BEE-KEEPERS. 



W. F. CLARKE RESPONDS TO MRS. AXTELL'S CALL. 



T THINK Mrs. Axtell's suggestion, that bee- 

 ^ keepers ought to have some songs and music 

 W relating to their occupation, a good one; and in 

 "*■ response to her invitation, made to me by 

 name, which I am too polite to decline, I have 

 been courting the muses with the following results. 

 First, a song suitable for home use, a social enter- 

 tainment, or bee-keepers' convention. Second, a 

 song that may "make the welkin ring "when the 

 singers are busily at work in the apiary, for I be- 

 lieve in singing at one's work, also in singing out of 

 doors as well as indcors. In fact, music never 

 sounds so well anywhere else as it does in the open 

 air. Third, a song, or, perhaps, it may be more ap- 

 propriately termed, a hymn, for use at conventions, 

 where I think it is eminently proper that at least 

 part of the singing be of the natui-e of worship. 



The first song is adapted to a sweet, simple air 

 which used to be very common and popular in my 

 young days, but, like many good old-fashioned 



At everj' worker's call, 

 And nature's boundless held 

 Gives ample scope for all. 

 Chorus. 



Come, Come, Come! 

 Come out of doors with me. 

 The day is, bright and fair; 

 The little busy bee 

 Makes music in the air. 



2 

 CoDie, Come, Come! 

 Come to the busy hive; 



Hark to its cheerful hum ; 

 With work and stir alive, 



The insects go and come. 

 Along th' alighting-board 

 Hurry their nimble feet. 

 That quickly may be stored 

 The precious liquid sweet. 

 Chorus. 



"Come, Come, Cornel 

 Come to the busy hive; 



Air: "COME TO THE SUNSET TREE." 



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Come, come, come, Come out of doors with me. The day Is bright and fair. The lit - tie busy bee 



f -^-^— * — * — *— F^ — ^ — ^-^ F^ — j * * F ' — '-'^^ —h — ^-|*-F'=^1 



Makesmu-sle in the air; Theflow'rs 



— * — *— F* — * — * — *— F^-g — d — — 



Makesmu-sle in the air; Theflow'rs their nee- tar yield. At ev ■ - ry worker'scall; 



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And na - ture's boundless field, Gives am - pie scope for all. Come, come, come, Come out of doors 



^^^^ m^^ i^3^^m =^i^^^^^^ 



with me. The day is bright and fair. The lit - tie busy bee. Makes mu-sic in the air. 



tunes, has gone out of vogue— so much so that 1 can 

 not find a copy of the notes at any music or book 

 store in this city. I have no doubt that in such a 

 well-appointed printing-office as the one at the 

 " Home of ^the Honey-Bees," there is a font of 

 music type, so I have recalled the air from the 

 archives of memory, and send herewith the score, 

 not executed very professionally, I am afraid, for I 

 am not a scientific musician, but I think any com- 

 positor who understands setting music type can 

 make a readable job of it, so that Mrs. Axtell can go 

 right to her parlor organ, when she gets the number 

 of Gleanings containing it, and try the song with- 

 out delay. 



the BEE-klEEPEB'S SONG. 

 1. 



Come, Come, Come! 

 Come out of doors with me. 



The day is bright and fair. 

 The little busy bee 



Makes music in the air; 

 The flowers their nectar yield, 



Hark to its cheerful hum; 

 With work and stir alive. 

 The insects go and come. 

 3. 

 Come, Come, Come I 

 Hear what the toilers say: 



" Let us improve each hour. 

 And lose no time iniplay, 



But put forth every power. 

 Soon will the'season pass; 



Our harvest time is brief; 

 Winter ere long, alas! 

 Will nip each flower and leaf. 

 Come, Come, Come ! 

 Let us improve each hour, 



Of every summer day. 

 Exert our utmost power 

 And lose no time in play." 

 4. 

 Come, Come, Come! 

 And see the merry swarm 

 Rising in the air; 



