1SV)7 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURP:. 



familiar with a case where, for many reasons 

 of expediency, a woman married a man for 

 whom she had no love at all. Her sister 

 died, leavinij; a family of little children. It 

 seemed to be a Christian duty, under ])eculiar 

 circumstances, for her to take the departed 

 mother's place. She was a Christian, and 

 she asked God to help her do her duty. In a 

 very little time she loved this man as much 

 as anv woman should love her husband. In 

 fact, she said she feared in her love for him 

 she was forj^etting her Savior, for he was a 

 very good man indeed. When Satan whis- 

 pers to you that you can not stand it — that it 

 will kill you — just say to him decidedl}- you 

 are going to do your dut}-, even if it dors kill. 

 /)iih' and not inclination or feeling must rule. 

 Our feelings are no guide in any thing unless 

 duty and reason stand at the head. 



The above thoughts were in my mind as I 

 retired for the night. A pretty little room 

 was given me, that opened out upon the lake, 

 and the full moon was shining. I knelt dowui 

 and thanked God, as I have thousands of 

 times before, that he had given me a human 

 life to live. Then I thanked him again that 

 he had taught me the importance and the 

 beauty of that first and great commandment. 

 Then I prayed for the young friend who had 

 just been rescued and brought back to life. 

 As I stretched myself out on the beautiful 

 soft bed that had IJeen provided for me, a sud- 

 den feeling came over me of thanksgiving to 

 God. Perhaps my long ride on the wheel had 

 something to do with it. I began thinking of 

 the pleasant sleeping-places that seemed to 

 fall to my lot, no matter where I happened to 

 be. Is it not a little singular that one can 

 travel hundreds and thousands of miles, and 

 yet, when night comes, rarely fail of finding a 

 comfortable, pleasant, and tidy resting-place 

 — yes, a resting-place that bears evidence of 

 woman's touch and loving feminine hands. 

 Again and again has it seemed to me that I 

 did not half deserve the dainty beautiful 

 sleeping-apartments that are placed at my 

 disposal. May be some of these hard-working 

 women think we men do not appreciate their 

 efforts in this direction. If it will encourage 

 them any I want to have them know that / 

 at least do. Then from this I began meditat- 

 ing on the Ijeautiful plan which God ordained 

 in the creation of the sexes, and their relation 

 one to another. Next to love to God should 

 be the love of parents; and the love between 

 a young man and a young woman is like the 

 opening flower — the rosebud if you choose. 

 It is one of the most sacred and holy influences 

 that should move men and women. But even 

 here Satan has a foothold. I admire the man 

 who is willing to give his life, who gives him- 

 self, all he is or all he hopes to be, toward 

 making the woman of his choice happy; but 

 when this woman dies, or when by some 

 strange mishap she is married to another, the 

 man. if he is created in God's own image, 

 should be a man still, and make the best of 

 the circumstances. My mind wandered to 

 other things that should make us happy here 

 in this world of ours. I looked out over the 

 beautiful Silver Lake, and then at the bright 



moon sending down its genial l)eams ; and 

 just then, aw^ay out over the water, a l)eautiful 

 melody broke forth. Somebody was .singing. 

 At first memory groped back through the dim 

 past to recall that song of olden time; and as 

 the singer came nearer I caught the words : 



When in thy dreaming. 



Mootis like these shall shine ajjain. 

 And daylight beaming, 



Prove" thy dreams are vain, 

 W'ilt thon not, relenting, 



For thine absent lover sigh, 

 In thy heart consenting 



To "a prayer gone by ? 

 Nita ! Juanita ! 



Let me linger by thy side ! 

 Nita ! Juanita ! 



Be my own fair bride ! * 



I had heard the melody hundreds of times 

 in years gone by, but I never appreciated it 

 before then. I presume the words were sup- 

 posed to be those of an Indian to his dusky 

 bride. Then I thought of the genius who 

 gave the world not only the words but the 

 beautiful music. Why does music touch us 

 and stir us so wonderfully ? Somebody has 

 called it the universal language. It affects 

 alike all tribes and all nations, no matter what 

 language the}' speak. The singer of the night 

 may have been one of more than usual talent, 

 but perhaps not. At any rate, it gave me a 

 new conception of the power and pathos of 

 nmsic ; and I thanked God again and again 

 for having made it possible for us to appreci- 

 ate and enjoy this strange and beautiful thing 

 that is called harmony. Then I thought of 

 poetry — poetry that we find in many of our 

 h3-mns and songs — poetry to make men better 

 — at least all poetry should do so. Then I was 

 permitted to take a bird's-eye view, as it were, 

 comprising all human attainments and ac- 

 complishments, including the joys that are 

 in store for those who love God. I never saw 

 it spread out before me as it was on that moon- 

 light night. And then I prayed again that, if 

 the opportunity should offer, I might tell this 

 3-oung woman of whom I have been speaking, 

 of what she tried to throw away when God in 

 his mercy planned her rescue. It came out, 

 as you will notice, through this new and won- 

 derful servant of man, electricity. Friend 

 Lodge has at his place one of the electric 

 launches that were used at the World's Fair. 

 Thousands upon thousands wondered to see 

 them start in an instant with that mighty hid- 

 den power. No oarsman could have rowed a 

 boat fast enough to rescue that drowning wo- 

 man. As I sat in the seat at one time, enjoy- 

 ing a ride on the electric launch, the proprie- 

 tor told me that under the seat where I sat 

 were stored |800 worth of storage batteries. 

 These batteries are replenished by the electric 

 current that runs the cars up to Silver Lake. 

 The boat is ready to shoot out in an instant at 

 any moment, day or night, and the power that 

 may be turned on is prodigious. You and I, 



* I would not have the friends think that I entirely 

 indorse this old song. It came out and was given to 

 the world, if I am correct, before the advent of (iospel 

 Hvmns : but vet it delighted the young people in the 

 ye'ars gone by ; and probably through the influence of 

 the beautiful music, to .say nothing about the senti- 

 ment of the words, it may have brought cheer and 

 brightness to many a troubled soul. 



