740 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 15. 



other, the feelings of some will be hurt. Why 

 not treat all alike, and then leave valuable 

 points, when they wedge in. to be reserved by 

 the president, either for the qui-stion-box or the 

 time when some subject will be discussed un- 

 dei- a head where it propei'ly belongs. We 

 who report the proceedings of the bee-conven- 

 tions must eithrr give the report verbatim, giv- 

 ing all the connecting links, or else omit the ir- 

 irrelevant It looks bad in a printed report to see, 

 after a valuable paper on Controlling Swarms, 

 the matter of comb foundation, wintering in 

 cellars, and a whole lot of other things lugged 

 in after the discussion, with here and there a 

 sprinkling of the real matter under discussion. 

 The reader can not, in the necessarily brief re- 

 port, see the connecting links that bi'ought in 

 these other points. It is the report that does 

 the great(ist general good, and this report 

 should be orderly and logical, and should show 

 evidences that bee-keepers can meet together 

 and discuss a subject without running ofi on a 

 tangent. 



I agree with you heartily, that there should 

 not be too much formality or parlimentary 

 stiffness. It is better to address the chair when 

 arising to speak, especially if many are seeking 

 the floor: but for ordinaiy questions or inter- 

 jected sentences sprinkled in here and there, 

 the formality of addressing the chair would 

 spoil the continuity of the connecting links. 



Yes, sir, there should be a question-box in 

 every program, and plenty of space allotted for 

 it. Some of the liveliest and most valuable 

 disctissions proceed from this, and right here is 

 the place to bring in the valuable points that 

 were or would be irrelevant elsewhere.] E. R. 



A BEE-HUNT WITH A SEftUEL. 



COXCLUDED FKOM I'A(,E fi'Kj. 



The next morning after the bee-hunt I was 

 hard at work under a large oak, in front of the 

 apiary. Here I have my carpenter shop, black- 

 smith shop, tin-shop, paint-shop, etc. They 

 are so located that I can see everv hive in the 

 apiary, as the ground rolls gently upward. 

 These various shops are all in one I'ai'ge room, 

 which has neither sides, ends, nor roof. I find 

 that this kind of building is the least expensive 

 of any, and I have the advantage of being able 

 to see all around me. About 9 o'clock John 

 came ovei', passed the house, and came on up to 

 my bench. His brow was dark, and his coun- 

 tenance was lit up with fury. His great tist 

 was clenched so tight that I could see the white 

 ring around the edge of his forefinger and 

 thumb. There \\ as not a single soul on the 

 ranch that day but myself. 



" Good morning. John," said I in a hearty 

 voice. 



•• You'll find it a'in't any good mornin'for you 

 afore I'm done with you, for I'm goin" to mash 

 you."" 



I am no coward. I have stood at the can- 

 non's mouth — when nobody else was near— all 

 alone. I am brave— as brave as the bov on the 

 burning deck— brave as a sheep: but "when I 

 saw that great clenched fist, as big as one of 

 the boulders with which they pave the streets 

 of Native City. I was scared— scared all over. 

 In the midst of my teiTor (I was only a little 

 bit scared) I thought of Solomon saying, "A 

 soft answer turneth away wrath." 



Here let me digress from my narrative to say 

 a_ word to the young men of the rising genera- 

 tion. You may not know, young man. that I 

 have been a great benefactor to my fellow-men. 

 Atone time I donated fifty millions of dollars 



for the good of mankind: at another time, 

 thirty millions; and at still another time, 

 twenty millions more — aggregating one hun- 

 dred millions of dollars. I here donate to yoti 

 ten millions more — in good, clean, cold-cut ad- 

 vice. This is the same form in which I gave 

 all this immense sum of money 1 Here it is — 

 listen to Solomon. He will be "a lamp to your 

 feet and a light to your path." Put one of his 

 proverbs in your pocket every morning. It will 

 be better tlian a pistol to ward off danger, 

 and protect you fi'om haim. Chew it through 

 the day instead of tobacco. Drink in its wis- 

 dom all day long, instead of guzzling beer. The 

 dainty little letter that you carry next your 

 heart is from the dearest girl in all the woi'Id. 

 Just think of iti When she fumbles in your 

 pockets — just for fun — and finds a proverb of 

 Solomon instead of a chunk of tobacco, how 

 her heart will roll out to you I When you "pop 

 the question,'" that girl — with her Saratoga 

 ti'unk packed full of new clothes — will hand 

 herself over to you without any express charges 

 or cash in advance. Listen to Solomon: "A 

 soft answer turneth away wrath.'" So I said 

 very softly to John. " Did your wife— did Mar- 

 tha send you over to smash me "?"" 



"No, she didn"t: and she would cry her eyes 

 out if she knew it. I could no more hit you 

 afore that woman than I could fly. But I've 

 got you here, and I'll settle the case here. You 

 had it made up aforehand with that colt and 

 them bees to kick up that fuss. A feller that 

 can go into a hive of bees and rake 'em round 

 with his hands just as he pleases can do any 

 thing with "em. I don't know how you got 

 round that colt, but you done it. and Fm goin' 

 to pay you for it. I don't believe in no Prof. 

 Cook, nor no Rutt. I believe you made up the 

 hull thing aforehand to git us into trouble." 



John made a grab for me. but I eluded him. 



"John, just one word more. Do you I'emem- 

 ber how often I used to go over to your house 

 and romp with the children— with little Nel- 

 lie?" 



I saw the great fist unclasp, and John's hand 

 fell limp at his side. The tears were in his eyes. 

 Little Nellie was then sleeping peacefullybe- 

 neath the grass in the cemetery. 



" Do you remember, John, how I used to 

 spend an hour at a time in dancing her round 

 the room, and she would lay her dear little cur- 

 ly head on my cheek and say. "Mo-a! mo-a!' 

 meaning more?" I had found the "soft an- 

 swer that turneth away wi-ath." for the tears 

 were now streaming down John's cheeks. 



" Now, John, I have no defense to make. 

 Strikel Strike, mani what's the matter with 

 you?" 



"Whatl"he cried, with his arms extended 

 toward me. "strike a man that loved my little 

 dai'ling? — strike a man that nursed that dear 

 head upon his bosom ? — strike a man that kiss- 

 ed the dear lips that are now cold and silent in 

 the grave? I was a fool— a beast — a brute. 

 May God forgive me — I'll never forgive myself." 



He grasped my hand, which I had reached out 

 to him. " Come." he said, " you'll do no more 

 work to-day. We'll go over and tell Martha, 

 and ril beg her pardon, and you'll be there to 

 intercede for me." 



O Solomon, Solomon ! You were a great man 

 — a wise counselor, a mighty king, a prophet! 

 AVhen you added that proverb to the brlliant 

 galaxy of other sayings with which your name 

 will ever be intimately and sacredly associated, 

 you gave a star to the world that will never set 

 — a jewel that will never be lost. You got me 

 out of that scrape, without a broken bone or 

 the loss of a single drop of blood. I was only a 

 little bit scared, anyhow. 



Sumac. Cal. J. P. Israel. 



