GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



-1(17 



<;ifi>. and wliilc in my shirtsleeves I greatly 

 I'lijoyed '■ lotting it rain;" in fact, I was feeling 

 ahont as happy as I nsually gel, riding in thai 

 Slimmer sliower. I began to feel somewhat 

 thirsty; but the great delicions breaths of that 

 damp water laden air gave me a peculiar en- 

 joyment that I have mentioned once or twice 

 before. If one could get intoxicated on pure 

 soft uiitcr. I do not know but I should call it a 

 grand kind of intoxication. When I was breaih- 

 ing the heavy spray at Niagara I felt the same 

 exhilaration. I finally came to one exceedingly 

 long hill, still traveling east, as it seemed to me. 

 The rain was increasing to such an extent that 

 I knew I sliould have to stop at the tirst con- 

 venient dwelling. On top of the hill there was 

 a very pretty little home, on the right hand 

 side, and on the south side of the road— at least 

 this other fellow I have been telling you about 

 insisted it was on the south side, while I was 

 traveling east to get to Barnesville. I have 

 made a little diagram below to show you how 

 I was situated. 



C, L. & W. R. R. 



II 



I a Xational Pike. 



You will readily notice the Cleveland, Lorain 

 A: Wheeling Railroad where it crosses the pike 

 at Bannock. I have put on the points of the 

 compass so you will have no difficulty in under- 

 standing the situation. When I left Bannock 

 I was all square with the world. When I got 

 to the national pike I was ' turned exactly 

 around. If you take your book and turn it 

 upside down you will see how I was turned 

 around. I was going to Barnesville by travel- 

 ing from left to right, or at least so it seemed 

 to me in my lurned-around condition. I reach- 

 ed the top of the great hill, turned down a little 

 lane, and pushed my wheel into an empty coal- 

 house or shed; but as it continued raining I 

 told the good people who I was, and finally 

 induced the proprietor to take his team and 

 carry me to Barnesville; and the course he took 

 seemed just like going back to Bannock; but 

 yet we found Barnesville all right. Of course, 

 I was turned around all the time I was there; 

 and when I started to go home I left the place 

 exactly as it seemed to me as I left Bannock 

 the day before. 



Now, my good friend Campbell, when he car- 

 ried me with his team the day before, took a 

 commf)!! road over the hills; therefore when I 

 took the pike to go home with my wheel it was 

 a road I had never traveled before: but I should 

 get on to familiar ground when I reached Mr. 

 Campbell's, where I had left some of my wet 

 clothing. 



Now comes the strange part of my adventure. 

 In running from the Barnesville pike down to 

 the national pike I went through the same 

 kind of experience that I had in leaving Ban- 

 nock. I started, as it seemed to me. going 

 southward toward the national pike. When I 

 reached it I was turned around again, and 

 came into it from the south. Getting turned 

 around twice brought me right. 



When I discovered this .second change I 



thought of the man who was "clothed and in 

 his right mind." and felt happy that I could 

 make the rest of my journey by the points of 

 the compass, and have them sr'em as they really 

 were; and 1 began speculating, before I reach- 

 ed Mr. Campbell's, as to what the probable 

 result would be when we came to the house 

 where I had stopped in the rain the day before. 

 In my present '• frame of mind " I should lind 

 that liouse on the top of the hill on the opposite 

 side of the road. I could not make it seem pos- 

 sible. Now, let us imagine that there was a 

 discussion between myself and this stubborn, 

 contrary other part of mvself. I said: 



'• Now, look here, old fellow, you were pig- 

 headed yesterday, and got me into a lot of 

 trouble. I tried every way in the world to con- 

 vince you by solid reason and plain facts that 

 east was not icest, but you would not give up. 

 Now, sir, I have got you in a corner. When 

 you come to Mr. Campbell's, where we stopped 

 yesterday, you are going to find it on the other 

 side of the road. Yesterday you declared he 

 lived on the south side of the road. Now, when 

 you find his house, barn, and coal-shed all 

 moved over on the north side, what are you 

 going to do ? My good sir, how will you explain 

 your inconsistency and foolhardy course ? " 



Would you believe it? The fellow would not 

 say any thing, except that I would find the 

 house on the south side of the road, just as it 

 was the day before. In fact, it seemed to me I 

 was traveling the same road I traveled the day 

 before, or at least in the same direction, but the 

 scenery was different. 



Just before reaching Mr. Campbell's from the 

 west I passed through one of the most beauti- 

 ful valleys I have ever seen — in California, 

 Arizona, Florida, or anywhere else. I do not 

 know of a more beautiful spot on the face of 

 the earth. I got off from my wheel and gazed 

 my fill again and again; and then I drew in 

 long breaths of life-giving air, and rejoiced 

 that God had given me a human life to live. 

 Yes. I rejoiced in the thought, even though 

 God had seen fit to send this other fellow I have 

 been telling you about along with me to trouble 

 and perplex me, perhaps until the last day of 

 mv life. 



I was nearing Mr. Campbell's home, and so I 

 got off froiii the wheel and walked. If the 

 whole facf' of creation was going to swing half 

 way round all of a sudden, as they swing a 

 locomotive on a turntable, I wanted to see the 

 thing done; and so I kept saying to this other 

 fellow, "Now, then, old chap, which way are 

 you going to have it? Are you going to stick 

 where you are now, or are you going to whop 

 over when you see the old familiar landmarks 

 of ^yesterday ? " 



Dl waited in breathless silence. I looked before 

 me over the hill toward the place where the 

 sun rises, and barely caught a glimpse of Bro. 

 Campbell's house, and, as sure as you live, his 

 whole farm and surroyndinys had been moved 

 during the night to the opposite side of the 

 road. This illusion was only momentary, how- 

 ever; for, just as I was going to crow over this 

 other fellow, quicker than the wind I myself 

 was swung around to the east, where I had 

 been looking, and approached my friend's 

 home in the very direction I went from It the 

 day before. My right position of the compass 

 was only short-lived. This other fellow tri- 

 umphed, and I went all the way back to Ban- 

 nock turned squarely around; but I inquired 

 my way, so that I did not get into any more 

 mishaps. 



I have told this little story, dear friends, 

 simply to illustrate to you the fact that there is 

 a part of myself — yes, a part of your old friend 



