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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



Apr. 



not believe in tliis kind of work. But. now, 

 don't rush to the conclusion that the man 

 who is in debt shall not give any thing. If 

 such were the case, almost all of us could 

 excuse ourselves from giving. Aside from 

 paying your debts, you nave money to pur- 

 chase food and clothing— may be books and 

 a few luxuries. Give the Lord a part of 

 this sum. If you can not scrape up a little 

 money in any other way. eat less and plain- 

 er food. A young friend of mine was once 

 lamenting because he could not put any 

 thing into the contribution-box, because he 

 had no work during tliat winter. We had 

 union meetings around at the different 

 churches ; and during one of these meet- 

 ings, when the contribution-box was pass- 

 ed, it suddenly dropped into his mind that, 

 if he should stop using tobacco, he could 

 take the money it cost and put it into the 

 box. He tried to get rid of the idea, but he 

 never got over it— yes, he did get over it 

 after all. Do you want to know how '? He 

 asked God to help him break off, and made 

 it a special plea in his prayer that he might 

 have help to invest the money in God's 

 work instead of tobacco. He slipped off the 

 shackles of tobacco, and came out bright 

 and happy ; and you, my friend, can slip off 

 something, 1 am sure. You can make some 

 sacrifice for Christ's sake. Oh, what a 

 bright and happy experience comes with 

 parting with things of this kind for his 

 sake. And now a word about the latter 

 part of the title of my book. Suppose we 

 make the heading of it this: " How^ to be 

 Happy.' 



Christians have a great deal to say about 

 being happy. Some of them talk extrava- 

 gantly about the great happiness and the 

 floods of joy that God pours into their 

 hearts. I have at different times had some- 

 thing to say in reference to this. Some have 

 these exalted seasons and others do not. 

 The ones who do are very often the same 

 chaps who, at other times, have gloomy 

 spells. I do not like to say much about 

 these seasons when God has seen fit to lift 

 me above the cares of this earth ; but per- 

 haps I may mention them in this concluding 

 chapter. These seasons of keenest and 

 most intense enjoyment come to me after 

 having made some sort of sacrifice— after I 

 have been working for his sake. 



A few months ago I felt as though duty 

 called me off to Michigan. I did not want 

 to go, but I went, a good deal from a sense 

 of duty ; and for quite a time 1 didn't have 

 verv "much enjoyment either. My mind 

 was constantly, on things at home. I was 

 gone several days, and worked hard ; but no 

 particular feeling of approval came into my 

 heart. I began to think that perhaps God 

 had decided that I was getting to be too old 

 in the Christian life, to need commending 

 as we commend a child, and that my faith 

 was getting strong enough so it was not nec- 

 essary to encourage me as we encourage a 

 child when he does well. " Well," said I to 

 myself, ''if this is what God thinks, all 

 right. Thy will, not mine, be done." 



When I got home they wanted me at a 

 farmers' institute, in a neighboring town. 

 Every thing needed me sadly at home, and 



there was no way to get to this neighboring 

 town but across the country, through fear- 

 ful roads. Why, it took us four hours to go 

 nine miles. The mud was freezing at every 

 step. I should have felt a little sorry for 

 the horses ; but a good stout team that did 

 not have much to do, pulled two of us with 

 comparative ease. Well, now, if you shoiild 

 ask me to mention some of the happiest ex- 

 periences, spiritually, that I ever knew, I 

 should tell you that one of them was while 

 at that farmers' institute. It was before the 

 meeting began. No one was speaking, and 

 there was nothing that had occurred, that I 

 know of, to make me pai'ticulaiiy happy. I 

 just sat there waiting for the meeting to 

 open ; but while seated on that bench a 

 flood of joy and peace poured down into my 

 soul until I felt as if I could hardly bear 

 more. It is true, there was a large crowd 

 assembled in the hall : but I was very 

 slightly acquainted with this crowd. But 

 there was a feeling round about me that I 

 was in the midst of friends. Don't think 

 me visionary when I say that the words in- 

 visible frieyicts seem to tell it better than any 

 thing else I can describe; and something 

 seemed saying to me, " Well done, thou 

 good and "faithful servant. You have de- 

 nied yourself for me, and have been work- 

 ing hard, as well as you knew how, for the 

 good of my people. Fear not. Trials and 

 difficulties and conflicts await you ; but be 

 not disheartened nor discouraged. I am 

 with you, and will never forsake you." It 

 may be years before I shall have a similar 

 experience ; but the recollection of that time 

 will sustain and strengthen me, I hope, for 

 years to come . 



In thinking of this experience afterward, 

 I decided there was probably some reason 

 for it, which I had overlooked and forgot- 

 ten. Well, if you will look on page 9-54, 

 Gleaninoj^ in Bee Culture for Decem- 

 ber 15, 18S7, you will get a hint of it. While 

 I sat there at the institute I did not know 

 any thing about the outcome of my talk 

 that day on the cars ; in fact, I had forgotten 

 all about it ; but I have heard of it since, 

 and here is a letter from the young friend 

 himself. At the time I talked with him on 

 the cars, he objected to any sort of publici- 

 ty ; but you will notice in the conclusion of 

 the following letter, that all of that feeling 

 has gone. He is quite willing now to stand 

 \ip before the world, like Paul of old (or any 

 other new-born soul), and testify for the 

 Master. 



Dear Brother Boot:— I know you have thought of 

 me a great many times since we parted at White 

 Cloud on our way home from the State Convention, 

 and wondered what the result of our talk on the 

 train proved to be. Well, from that hour I began 

 trying to be more of a Christian than I ever had 

 been before. After getting home and talking with 

 my wife and one of the members of the church, we 

 made application for membership. But on the 

 Sabbath that we were to be admitted to the 

 church, the minister was sick and could not come, 

 and has been here only twice since; but last Sun- 

 day we were admitted, to the delight of the whole 

 congregation, and I hope to the salvation of our 

 own souls. The ceremony to me was very impress- 



