580 



uLeanings in bee culture. 



July 



decided to make the price $1.05. Then I in- 

 structed one of our boys to help him unload 

 them. Pretty soon I saw them measuring 

 them. 1 remarked, " Wliy, friend U., you 

 measured the potatoes before you started, 

 did you notr"' 



" Why, yes, I measured them, but I sup- 

 posed, of course, you would want to measure 

 them after me, to see how our measurements 

 agreed." 



"Why, I guess your measure is all right, 

 and you are probably in a hurry to get home. 

 are you not? Well, we will take your mea- 

 sure for it ; and while you are unloading 

 them, to save you time 1 will bring you your 

 money." 



So he rolled up the money and put it in his 

 vest-pocket, before the last of the potatoes 

 were off, and then he jumped back into his 

 light wagon, and was back to his work again 

 several minutes sooner than if he had wait- 

 ed until they were all unloaded, measure 

 carefully compared, and then a clerk sent 

 upstairs to wait until the book-keeper count- 

 ed out the proper amount. Now, friends, it 

 does me ever so much good to see the look 

 of pleased surprise on the face of these 

 friends when they discover that 1 am look- 

 ing ahead, and planning to save their time 

 instead of my own. Why, I just love to see 

 an opportunity present itself tiiat peimits 

 me to show these friends that 1 am interest- 

 ed in their welfare as well as in my own. 

 Contrast this method, if you ])lease, with 

 the one of telling the man who raised the 

 potatoes that your money is a little short 

 just then, but that you will try to have it 

 ready for him when he comes to town next 

 time. Now, 1 have repeatedly heard of in- 

 stances where farmers have come several 

 miles to town to get the money that had 

 been promised them for a load of produce. 

 Sometimes they come for no other purpose, 

 and do not get it even then. 



A few days ago an elderly man and wom- 

 an came into the store and inquired anx- 

 iously for Neighbor II. One of the clerks 

 told them that Neighbor II. was off in the 

 country, and would not be back until late at 

 night. I noticed a disappointed expression 

 in their faces, especially on the face of the 

 woman ; and, in fact, they made some re- 

 marks to the effect that they were greatly 

 disappointed. The clerk, however, did not 

 seem to think that it was any of his busi- 

 ness, and turned away from them. But I 

 took the liberty of asking if I might inquire 

 why they wished to see Neighbor H. The old 

 lady seemed quite pleased to have me show an 

 anxiety to help her, and told me that he had 

 bought some bees of them, but did not have 

 the money with him to pay for them. They 

 hapi)ened to be needing money, however, 

 and had nuide a journey of several miles in 

 order to get it a little sooner. They were, 

 however, just ready to drive back home 

 without it. Inquiry revealed the fact that 

 Neighbor II. had left no record of the trans- 

 action, and nobody knew how much money 

 they were to have, unless we took their 

 statement for it. I told her that, without 

 any authority from Neighbor H., I would 

 pay her the money provided she would make 

 it right if it were not exactly as II. under- 



stood it when he got home. A clerk just 

 then informed me that she knew these two 

 worthy old people, and that she would be 

 responsible for the truthfulness of whatever 

 .statement they made. How happy and 

 pleasant was the expression on their faces, 

 contrasted with the one when they were told 

 that Neighbor II would not be back until 

 night ! The memory of having sent people 

 away pleased not only lasts me all day. but 

 two or three days ; in fact, I have kept hap- 

 py almost all the while lately by just watch- 

 ing for chances liKe these I have mentioned. 

 A great many times we trouble people 

 seriously by heedlessness ; and 1 think we 

 might as well define heedlessness as a spe- 

 cies of selfishness. iVny thing that leads us 

 to be forgetful of the needs and comforts of 

 those about us is selfishness. To illustrate : 

 Some time ago when we were buying bees 

 to fill orders by the pound, a neighbor offer- 

 ed us three or four extra-strong colonies. 

 The boys told me, after they had unloaded 

 them, that there were the most bees in one 

 of those hives that they ever saw in any 

 hive. The neighbor who brought them 

 stood around some time, looking at the 

 apiary, and talking on various subjects. 

 Although he was a farmer, I supposed he 

 had not very mucli to do that morning, and 

 was theiefore looking about to see what we 

 had that was curious and interesting. He 

 finally went home, and came again about 

 a week after, and stood around in the same 

 way. Finally I saw there was something 

 on his mind, and at length he spoke some- 

 thing like this : 



" Mr. Root, if it is not going to put you 



to too much inconvenience, I should like 



the money for those bees. I need it to use." 



I turned around in astonishment. 



" Why, friend W., what bees do you 



mean ? I do not understand you." 



" Why, those bees I brought you about a 

 week ago, that your boys thought such a 

 bargain." 



And then it transpired that nobody had 

 offered to pay him for them, and he went 

 off home because he disliked to urge pay- 

 ment when he thought that, perhaps, we 

 were not prepared to pay right oft". I got 

 the money for him at once, and then went 

 to the boys who unloaded the bees. Each 

 one supposed that the other had looked aft- 

 er the money part of it, and so it was drop- 

 ped. You may say that the man ought to 

 have had pluck enough to talk right out ; 

 but, dear friends, there are a great many 

 people who do not like to urge matters in 

 this way, and they aie very often the best 

 people in the world too. Have you never 

 troubled and inconvenienced those with 

 whom you have deal, in this way ? There 

 are some products of labor that it seems 

 particularly haid to lose. A young friend 

 of mine who was recently married, and who 

 is working hard to make both ends meet, 

 brought some butter to town, and sold it to 

 a Christian woman— at least, she is a mem- 

 ber of one of our churches. She was not 

 ready to pay right off, and so they called 

 again and again. The money was never 

 ready, and finally the woman who had the 

 crock of butter plainly evaded and avoided 



