892 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 



and the home which they still occupy was of the 

 humbler sort of farm houses. Their first years 

 were those of strugg-le and disappointment. The 

 farming did not greatly prosper. But, notwith- 

 standing the increasing- weakness of the wife, which 

 left her, much of the time, able to work only with 

 her hands and her busy brain, the Lord was gracious 

 to them, and even through their trials drew them 

 gently, j-ear by year, nearer to himself. 



As the products of the farm went but little beyond 

 the necessities of the place, the wife, in her desire 

 to earn money to give, turned her fertile brain and 

 facile hands to various devices. As she could work 

 only in a reclining position, she made wax flowers 

 and stuffed birds, and did hair work. A kind of 

 half-lounge built in the family carriage enabled her 

 to drive alone to neighboring towns, where she ex- 

 changed the resultsof her handicraftforout-of-date 

 hats and soiled ribbons or bits of silk. These hats, 

 trimmed by her deft fingers, to the number of seven 

 or eight hundred, have been sent to Indian and 

 f reedmen schools, some of them being given to the 

 need3', and others sold, and the proceeds put into 

 such benevolent work as required money. 



There, friends, is missionary worli; truly. 

 It is not away off beyond the seas, but it Is 

 to the Indian boys and girls of our own 

 United States— to a people who have a bet- 

 ter right, if any thing, to the broad acres of 

 our country than we have. I am glad to 

 say, that a lot of ladies' hats went from our 

 establishment liere in Medina. Just think 

 of our frifc-nd riding about on her lounge in 

 the family carriage, in order to do this work 

 for the Master ! No wonder she and her 

 good husband felt as if '' the windows of 

 Jieaven "" were really open. 



For the ^;uiic purpose they began some years 

 sine" to keep J)ces. At the beginning it was not a 

 success. For the first three jM-ars thej' were a 

 source of e.xpons e, one of the j cars costing them 

 seventy-five dollars more than the value of the hon- 

 ey produced. This was another severe disappoint- 

 ment. Had they not honestly ont^-red upon this 

 project to gain more for the Lord's service? And 

 yet he had given no blessing. But he was leading 

 them by a way they knew not. Gradually one aft- 

 ter another, under the gentle ministry of the Spirit, 

 the bands of selfishness gave way until they came 

 into the full purpose indicated in the letter with 

 which this account opens— the purpose of giving 

 all the surplus, after their honest debts and necessi- 

 ties had been met, to the Lord's work. 



Then the prosperity which at an earlier time 

 might have narrowed their hearts began to come 

 in. The debt on their farm disappeared ; a barn was 

 built; there was money in hand to enlarge the ap- 

 pliances of the apiaries; and, best of all, there came 

 IJrecious blessings to their souls. Now life and 

 money getting were found to have a divine and de- 

 lightful signiflcance. "Since our all has been con- 

 secrated," they write, "this has seemed like a dif- 

 ferent world. We feel that God Is so good to let 

 us be helpers with him." No covetous farmer in 

 all the land, rising up early, sitting up late, eating 

 the bread of carefulness, oruhhiud that he may get 

 money to buy the next farm when his shiftless 

 neighbor over the fence there shall be obliged to 

 sell out, plans with more care or practices a closer 

 economy than do this thrifty pair, as they give 

 their strength to money-making for the liOrd. And 



why should they not? He works for his own little 

 self; they for the Lord Jesus and a world of suffer- 

 ing humanity. 



From this " eighty," worth about six thousand 

 dollars, and from the two apiaries, which may be 

 valued at two thousand dollars more, Mr. and Mrs. 

 have been permitted to give as "the sur- 

 plus" during the last six years about seven thou- 

 sand five hundred dollars. 



The seasons have not all been alike prosperous. 

 One year, the great honey year, they gladly paid 

 into the treasury of the Lord, about four thousand 

 and one hundred dollars. This year, 1884, the sur- 

 plus will be but little. They write submissively : 

 "Tlie Lord has seen best not to lend us quite so 

 freely as in the past, so we can not give what we do 

 not have, but our hearts go out in longings that 

 can not be uttered for the spread of the gospel to 

 the earth's reiriotrst bounds, and for suffering hu- 

 manity." 



THE POOR INVALID WHO WANTED TO KEEP BEES 

 "FOR CHRIST'S SAKE." 



These friends do not confine their benefactions to 

 any one work, but maintain a lively and intelligent 

 interest in all the leading causes of Christ's king- 

 dom, and they seem unusually fruitful in devising 

 little helpful things in their aid. A girl's mission 

 circle is made glad by their purchase of a rag car- 

 pet which the little fingers have toiU'ully sewed. 

 And then this carpet, packed in with such things as 

 make a thanksgiving at both ends of the line, goes 

 to a home missionary in the Indian Territory. Fif- 

 ty hats are ad'ied to be sold for the new church he 

 is attempting to build. Some swarms of bees have 

 also been sent, to aid him in his self-sacrificing 

 work. 



With one check came this word: "We should 

 like it to be used for the missions in Africa— poor 

 Africa! Oh that God in his great mercy would noiv 

 pour out upon his people a desire for the salvation 



