744 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 1. 



of a big warm overcoat. Now, this is a strange 

 thing: but I have stranger things yet to tell 

 yon. Please look at the text again — "Above all 

 that we ask or think." For many years I have 

 been accustomed to drink coffee three times a 

 day. Mrs. Root has worried a little during the 

 past year because I kept wanting it stronger. 

 I drink so little, however, that I have always 

 thought it could not harm me — seldom more 

 than a half or two-thirds of n cup. When suf- 

 fering from nervous exhaustion, and feeling as 

 if I could hardly drag one foot artei' another, 

 my hand would often shake as I reached nerv- 

 ously for the coffee that I knew would give 

 me steadiness and strength for the time being — 

 that is. a feeble sort of strength. How is it 

 now? Since I have been feeling so sti'ong and 

 well, my desire for coffee has, most of the time, 

 gone entirely. I crave milk or pure water. In 

 my most earnest prayers for health, and that it 

 might be made known to me the secrets of 

 health and disease, I never thought for a mo- 

 ment that I could be lifted to a point where I 

 should not crave coffee, beef tea, food, or sleep. 

 Well, for three days past I have entirely omit- 

 ted my nap just before diinier. I do not need it 

 any more than I need coffee. If it becomes 

 necessary for me to keep on working after my 

 accustomed meal hours, I do it without incon- 

 venience. Isn't this really a fulfillment of the 

 promise in the text — "Above all that we ask or 

 think"? 



Once more: Some of you may remember of 

 my telling you that, although I have drank no 

 beer nor ale for about twenty years, the longing 

 for it at times is such that I would give half a 

 dollar for a drink if I could take it with a clear 

 conscience, and if it wer^i not wicked to waste 

 money in that way. Well, this intense craving 

 for drinks slightly alcoholic came usually with 

 nervous exhaustion. For the past month or 

 two, since I have been riding the wheel, I have 

 felt nothing of the kind. I have been around 

 where beer was drank and offered for sal(>, and 

 I have been surprised to feel that I had no de- 

 sire for it whatever. Now, isn't there some 

 explanation here right along in this line, for the 

 taste or longing for stimulants? It is a per- 

 verted taste, I know; but hasn't this matter of 

 lack of proper exercise something to do with 

 intemperate habits? We stay indoors until we 

 suffer, and then go to the drugstore or physi- 

 cian, in the vain hope that tonics may take the 

 place of exercise, outdoor air, and sunshine. 



Now, I am iiot through yet. Thei-e is a great 

 deal more. But I want to digress a little here. 

 I am talking about myself — my own feelings, 

 and taking it for gi'anted that every one else is 

 like me — or, at least, taking it partially for 

 granted. Some of the friends, or, may be. some 

 who are not specially friendly, may say that I 

 never was sick at all— I just imagined it, and, 

 under the influence of the fashionable craze for 

 the wheel. I simply took needful exercise. Well, 

 you may have it that way if you like. The 

 doctors here and on the Pacific coast, and every- 

 wliere else, said at once that I was a nervous 

 and physical wreck; that I could nt^ver be a 

 well and strong man again; that I would have 

 to give up work and business. It is rather 

 rough on the doctors, if I have not been sick. 

 Let us now talk about somebody else besides A. 

 I. Root. 



Some years ago I became acquainted with a 

 slight and in many respects delicate-looking 

 woman. I do not think she weighed a hundred 

 pounds. Years passed, and somebody told me 

 that she was going about doing washing, and 

 cleaning houses for people, because she wanted 

 to buy a home for herself and children. Mrs. 

 Root and I both wondered how it could be that 

 a woman so slight could do such heavy and 



fatiguing work. She came to work for us— in 

 fact, she cleaned house, and my wife and I were 

 astonished to find that she was a young torna- 

 do for hard work. .She did as much, oftentim es 

 as three of some women. I told her not to 

 waste her strength, for big stout men were near 

 by, and would willingly move the heavy arti- 

 cles of furniture. But she did not care for the 

 men. It took too much time to " go " for them, 

 and they wereoften in the way. anyhow. After 

 laborious house-cleaning that would use up 

 most ordinary women, she would do a washing, 

 and. in fact, she often did two oi' three ordinary 

 washings in a day. She was determined to 

 have a home of her own, and to have her chil- 

 dren educated, and she has accomplished her 

 desire, and is not worn out nor broken down 

 either. Mrs. Root once asked htn- how it was 

 possible, or by what miracle this sudden and 

 wonderful change in her life came all at once. 

 The answer she gave with a merry laugh was 

 something as follows, as nearly as I can remem- 

 ber, for it was years ago: 



" Why, Mrs. Root. I used to be one of these 

 feeble women who are sending for the doctor, 

 and going to the drugstore for tonics and in- 

 vigorators. wearing plasters for a weak back, 

 and not able to do their own washing. I finally 

 made up my mind that I was going to have a 

 place of my own where I could live, or die in 

 the attempt. I commenced doing my own 

 washing first: then I astonished the neighbors 

 by proposing to wash for thern. When all the 

 washing was done I felt so strong and well I 

 thought I should like to clean houses: and then 

 I found out that my aches and pains were all 

 gone. My back got right of itself; and the 

 more work I have to do, the better I feel." 



How much does this experience differ from 

 my own ? You may ask whether this woman 

 had been praying. I have talked with her 

 about it. and 1 think she did sometimes— per- 

 haps, however, without a very large amount of 

 faith, and I presume she does not now consider 

 it as any direct answer to prayer. Well, the 

 point I wish to make comes in right here. I 

 have prayed earnestly for days and weeks that 

 God would reveal to me his wishes in this mat- 

 ter of medicine and disease. Many are looking 

 to me for advice; they regard my opinion and 

 counsel worth something at least. I begged 

 that God would give me wisdom to advise 

 aright, and I felt as if the answer had come to 

 me in a way that I may with safety say, in 

 regard to this matter, " Thus saith the Lord." 

 I do not mean by this that we should ignore phy- 

 sicians, and. occasionally, medicines; I simply 

 mean to say that God gave us these bodies of 

 ours, expecting us to keep them well and strong 

 by using our muscles as well as our brains, and 

 not that he intended or now wishes us to get 

 energy and strength through tea and coffee, 

 alcoholic tonics, quinine, or any thing of the 

 sort. Let me give you one more illustration: 



A friend of mine told me a short time ago 

 that he had done no outdoor work in the open 

 air for over seven years. He has worked in the 

 factory when able; but poor health, and a 

 complication of diseases, have kept him for all 

 these seven years under the doctor's care, and 

 have prevented him from working, except at 

 intervals. Our business has been dull this past 

 season, as you know, and there was really noth- 

 ing for him to do. He remained at home, 

 thinking himself unable to do any outside 

 work. Finally he felt as if he could stand it no 

 longer — that is. until he felt as \f he must do 

 something for a living. The only opening we 

 had for him was in the lumber-yard, handling 

 heavy plank. He decided to try" it. In a week 

 his color had improved, and he seemed to be 

 fleshing up. In a month he had become tanned 



