384 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 1. 



Tliou God seest me.— Gen. 16:13. 



There seems to be a great dividing line among 

 humanity; and the little text I have chosen 

 seems to indicate where the dividing line is. A 

 part of humanity believe that (Jod sees when 

 nobody else does, and behave themselves ac- 

 cordingly. The other part eitheV deny the ex- 

 istence of any overseeing spirit at all, or they 

 insist that God does not care, or does not bother 

 himself to look after events and lives of each 

 separate individual. One class think if they 

 can hide their deeds from the eyes of men. 

 nothing furthei- is necessary. The other class 

 live in the fear of God; and the Bible says. 

 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wis- 

 dom." Some may urge and argue, that it is the 

 duty of every one to do right because it is right. 

 I sliould be very glad indeed to have them do 

 this if they would. But, alas! such an incen- 

 tive to right doing seems to lack strength and 

 en(>rgy with the average individual. I was 

 brought up, as you know, to attend church and 

 Sunday-school. I learned Bible texts, and 

 verses of Scripture by the hundred, without 

 having any very distinct idea of what was im- 

 plied in them. Nevertheless, I am heartily in 

 favor of having children learn Bible texts. I 

 will tell you pi'esently why. 



When i was about eighteen yeai'S old I taught 

 school in a region then called " Black Swamp." 

 My schoolhouse was a mile north of the town 

 of Elmore. Ottawa Co., O. At that time I had 

 rather broken away from the influences of 

 Sunday-schools and Bible teachings, and was 

 having my " liberty " as I called it. At eighteen 

 I thought I was capable of taking care of my- 

 self without any such hindrances as Christiani- 

 ty imposes. Oiie liitle sketch or glimpse of my 

 life at this time comes vividly to my mind this 

 morning. My principal companion and associ- 

 ate was a man perhaps twice my age. He was 

 one of the class who pride themselves on their 

 freedom of action and freedom of thought. 

 One evening he announced his determination 

 of going "up town." and I accoi-dingly decided 

 to go along. The first place we visited was a 

 little gi'ocery where they sold beei-. The man 

 was new in the business, and his premises were 

 so narrow and small that he kept his beer in 

 the cellar, and went down a little trapdoor be- 

 hind the counter to draw it for his customers. 

 My companion called for two glasses of beer; 

 and while the proprietor was down through the 

 trapdoor my friend jumped lightly and seated 

 himself on the top of the counter. Then he 

 leaned over to the shelves back of the counter, 

 took a couple of nice oranges from a basinet, 

 pushed one into my i)ock(>t, and put the other 

 into his own. When the storekeeper emerged 

 with his two glasses of beer we were standing 

 by the counter in our former attitude, looking 

 honest and innocent, as a matter of course. 

 My friend paid for the beer; and when we got 

 out of doors we both had a good laugh at our 

 own sharpness, and probably at the same time 

 at the dullness and stupidity of a storekeeper 

 who would go away out of sight and leave cus- 

 tomers such a chance to help themselves. 

 Now, I can not remember that any compunc- 

 tions of conscience troubled me at all at that 

 lime. I am afraid, too, that many young men 

 in their teens would have thought as I did, that 

 it was a shai'p trick, and not of much account 

 any way. Had I reached over the counter my- 

 fielf and taken the oranges, it would have made 

 a difference. But. you see I did not touch them 

 at all. I had nothing to do with it. I could 

 not very well object to his putting the orange 



into my pocltet, because the proprietor came up 

 so quickly that it would liave got my friend 

 into trouble. I presume likely I had heard it 

 said, that " tlie partaker is as bad as the thief;" 

 but I did not remember it then. There is one 

 thing very certain: At that period of my life 

 I did not think of the all-seeing Eye at all. I 

 remained in the town of Elmore pretty nearly 

 a year: but as I look back I can not recollect 

 of having attended churcli or Sunday-school 

 one single time. Although I taught nchool. the 

 Bible was never ray counselor or friend in 

 need. I never read a word from it to my pupils, 

 and I can not remember that I ever used a 

 Scripture text. A schoolteacher nowadays who 

 is in the liabit of taking his beer would jjrob- 

 ably lose his place very soon. I had learned 

 to drink beer with anybody who asked me; but 

 I presume I kept the fact from the knowledge of 

 my good mother. The pastors of the different 

 churches in Elmore may have approaclied me 

 on the subject of religion, but I can not now 

 remember that tliey did. Someliody may liave 

 invited me to go to >Sunday-school; but after a 

 lapse of more than thirty years I can not recall 

 that the matter of Sunday-schools ever came 

 to my mind. I was like a thousand other boys 

 who do not seem to think they have any thing 

 to do but to amuse themselves, and perhaps do 

 what they can to get an education. I remem- 

 ber that, during tJiat winter. I sent for a small 

 microscope, and became quite full of enthusi- 

 asm over the wonders it revealed. I read a 

 good deal in the popular magazines, and got 

 books from the various stores. But, so far as I 

 can remember, the thought tliat I owed respect, 

 reverence, and I'ecognition to the great God 

 aliove, never entered my mind. As I recall this 

 pei'iod of my life, so far as I can after the lapse 

 of years, I begin to have more charity for the 

 boys and young men around me than I have 

 had Ixifore. At some of my boarding-places 

 (for I boarded around) they read the Bible 

 mornings, and had family prayers; but I can 

 not now recall a single thing that I heard from 

 those Bible-readings, nor can I remembc" the 

 words of the morning prayer, except in a 90?i- 

 eral way. It was not customary in those days 

 to make practical applications in Bible-read- 

 ings and prayers as it is now. The Young 

 Men's Christian Association, which sprang into 

 existence about that time, or a little before, 

 was entirely unknown to me. My Sundays 

 were mostly passed in rambling about the 

 woods and fields, looliing up spfings in the hill- 

 sides; and I remember of carrying lemons and 

 sugar along, and nuiking lemonade under the 

 shady trees. The first thing Sunday morning 

 was to study up how we could have the most 

 fun. A great part of the Sabbath was. how- 

 ever, spent in reading magazines and news- 

 papers. After a long ramble one Sunday with 

 the friend I have spoken of, as we neared home 

 we sat on thc^ top of a fence to rest. I made a 

 remark something like tliis: 



" I do not know just how it comes; but to tell 

 the truth. L., the older I grow, the more taste- 

 less, insipid, and unsatisfying my life becomes. 

 In fact, I am getting so lately that I don't en- 

 joy things at all as I did when I was twelve or 

 Hfteen. I wonder how long this state of affairs 

 is to continue." 



Now, boys, take note of the reply; and bear 

 in mind that it came from a man who prided 

 himself on feeing a free-thinker, and being en- 

 tirely untrameled by superstition or by religion. 

 As nearly as I remember, his woi'ds were some- 

 thing like these; and what sort of words are 

 they, dear friends, for a boy eighteen years of 

 ag(!! Said he: 



" Well, Amos, it is a kind of sad fact; but 

 facts are often sad things. My own experience 



