338 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 15. 



truths at the bottom of one of my old favorite 

 texts: "Blessed are ye when men shall perse- 

 cute you and revile you, and speak all manner 

 of evil against you falsely for my sake." Es- 

 pecially if the one who is persecuted unjustly 

 takes it quietly and pleasantly, and does not 

 say a word back, nor retaliate in any way. 

 May be I am letting out a great secret here; in 

 fact. I rather hope I am; for if I can make 

 plain to you the wonderful secrets embodied in 

 the Bible texts and uromises— if I can, in short, 

 point you to the Lamb of God, -who, when he 

 was " reviled, reviled not again,'" why, it is just 

 the work I love to do rather than any thing 

 else God has ever called me to in this whole 

 wide world. And now let me finish by giving 

 you some extracts from kind letters that have 

 come since the above was published: 



Friend Root:— I have been thinking- of wiiting 

 to you for a Ioiik tiniu, as I have good evidence that 

 you still retain recollections of j'our brief visit with 

 me, and mig-lit lie inteieste(i in kaowing about my 

 welfare; but many cares have prevented, and might 

 still do so but for some tilings which appear in tlie 

 March 15lh issue of Gi-eanings. They " sort o' riled 

 me," and I will refer to them later. Providence has, 

 since my mother's death, griuited me a boon which 

 does not fall to the lot of very many, to judge from 

 appearences— a good wife, wlio is, in the true sense 

 of the word, a helpmeet. Home is, once more, more 

 than "a place to stay;" and 1 am sure tliat, if you 

 conclude to come to California again, you will find a 

 happy spot when you visit us. I have about as 

 many bees as formerly, but the strawberry patch 

 has given way to a thrifty young orange-grove, and 

 a three-acre orchard of figs and apricots is growing 

 finely above the house. 



Now, in regard to the articles of criticism which 

 appear in Gleanings. It does seem a little peculiar 

 that some people do not use more good sound sense 

 in arriving at conclusions; for instance Mi. IJraley, 

 who gets the shoe on the wrong foot rHtire/j/ with 

 liis " big 1." It would seem tluit the individual who 

 demands that any publication shall be gotten vip 

 exactly in the line of hix likes and dislikes (irrespec- 

 tive of what its other readers may ie(iuire>, bristles 

 all over with egotism, or "big I"-ishness; and in 

 writing as Mr. B. did, he shows about as much con- 

 sistency as the peison who goes to the butcher's 

 shop after beef steak which he likes, and proceeds 

 to abuse the i)roprietor for keeping Sditsofifc, which 

 he does not like. Tiiere has been information in 

 the last few numbers of Gleanings wortli a dollar 

 to any bee-keeper; and. for tliat matter, valuable to 

 all; and if one finds something "obnoxious" occa- 

 sionally, I know of no law to compel him to read it. 



As to Mr. Lutlier's article, I am also a member of 

 the association mentioned, and was present at the 

 meeting Jan. 8th. I take issue with liim. If Mr. L. 

 takes his honey to market and receives a bid of 4 

 cents, does he consider it "dishonorable " to inform 

 another buver that he has such an otfer. and then 

 sell to hini at .5 cents " Ceitainly not. Wlien busi- 

 ness throughout the country is run on principles as 

 nearly parallel to the Golden Rule as is A. I. Root's, 

 we shall lie a long way nearer the millennium than 

 at present. S. B. Woodberry. 



Verdugo, Cal., Mar. 23. 



DearBro. Root:—l feel it my duty to address you 

 to-day as a Christian brother; and if we do not buoy 

 each other up in this Christian warfare, and fly to 

 each other's assistance, we do wrong, and 1 consider 

 it a sin. God is our refuge and ever present help in 

 trouble. I believe it; but we do like our fellow- 

 men to understand why we so talk, why we so act. 

 But they can not and will not, and then fling mean 

 and sniiill words at us. How can a Greek and 

 ■Fi'enchman understand each other's language y 

 How can one who is not a Christian know of tlie 

 love that God lias placed in his soul for Christ and 

 his fellow-men V But to know and feel tliat you act 

 and say all for Christ's sake is a great blessing in 

 itself. 



I have, as an officer in my church of 300, given my 

 views most emphatically against all fairs, banquets, 

 and concerts in God's house, to raise money to car- 

 ry on his cause. I don't believe in it. The Holj- 

 Spirit moved me to take this stand, so vcr.v contrary 

 to my former views, that it has called down from 



the members sucii words as to trouble me; but I 

 can stand with Christ's aid, as I know it cometh 

 not from the Devil, but from Him who gave his Son 

 for us. The power of the Spirit worKCth wonders; 

 and 1 desire it, oh so nuich ! Now, this sympathetic 

 bond is why I write to j'ou. After I'eading Mr. 

 Braley's letter, page 226, I feel tliat you mu.st 

 want some sympathy. It relieves me to give it. 

 They don't undei'stand you. Let tliem talk. It 

 makes you stronger for Christ's service. It all re- 

 dounds to the glory of Christ. You are a great in- 

 strument in Ids hand. Your Home Payiers have 

 ever been a helping hand to me in my liusiness. in 

 luy prayer-meeting, and in my home; and I shall 

 pray now for you and yours, that you may continue 

 to Serve Christ in your way, under the guidance of 

 his Holy Spirit, all your days, and at last be united 

 with Him who loves you— loves lyoit— more than you 

 ever dreamed of, and has now a place ready or pre- 

 pared for you. This letter requires no answer, and 

 is not for publication. 



The last brother who writes, says the letter is 

 not for publication; and it is quite evident to 

 all that he had no thought of its being used in 

 that way when it was written. I trust, how- 

 ever, he will pardon me when I tell him that it 

 strikes th(» point I wish to illustrate, much 

 more fully than any of the other kind letters 

 received in answer to ottr good friend Braley.* 

 Perhaps I should also apologize to our readers 

 for permitting any thing to get into print con- 

 taining such extravagant praise of myself as 

 the last few words. But it is these few words 

 that bring out the wonderful truth in the text I 

 have quoted: " Blessed are ye when men shall 

 revile you and per.secute you." etc. Now, please 

 note, the blessing is promised when this perse- 

 cution is U7ijust or untrue, and \\heu it comes 

 because of Christ Jesus, or for his sake. If you 

 are guilty of some wrong act, and you are per- 

 secuted and reviled because of that, no bh'.ssing 

 is pi'omised. It is only when we are entirely 

 innocent. And, now, please note again, the 

 greater the injustice you suffer, the greater will 

 be the blessing. Many of you, probably, will re- 

 fuse to believe this; but see how it has been 

 verified in my own case, in the promise before 

 us. Friend Braley said some spiteful things 

 about me, because of the Home Papers, because 

 T, in my poor way, tried to hold up Christ Jesus 

 as an examjile for the world. Did it hurt me? 

 or did anybody think the less of me? Quite 

 the contrai'y. It stirred up friends from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific, and induced many to 

 write encouraging words who ju'obably would 

 not have said any thimj otherwise. Several 

 have seemed to fear that I might be induced to 

 drop the Home Papers, and sent in vehement 

 protests and kind words like those I have given 

 you. The 22d and 23d verses of the 6th chapter 

 of Luke contain some words that have always 

 seemed to nu^ to be a little extravagant— at 

 least, I have been tempted to think there might 

 be some mistake about it. They are as follows: 



Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and 

 when they shall separate you from their company, 

 and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as 

 evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that 

 day, and leap for joy; for, behold your reward is 

 great in heaven; for in like manner did their fathers 

 unto the prophets. 



The words I allude to are, " Rejoice ye in 



* Perhaps I may add, that the writer of this last 

 letter has been well known to us for sevei-al years. 

 Ernest and John have met him personally, but we 

 were greatly astonished, all of us, to receive such a 

 letter from one whom we had hardly any reason to 

 suspect was even a professor of religion. And may 

 I just drop a word of caution right here to our 

 brother in regard to church fairs? Even if he is 

 wholly in the right, would it not be well to heed the 

 injunction, " Not by might nor by power, but by my 

 Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts '"r' Tliese tilings are 

 much more easily set right by a loving and gentle 

 hand. 



