934 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 15. 



And when he was come near he beheld the city, and 

 wept over it. — L,uke 19 :^1. 



Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they 

 know not what they do. — L,uke 23 :34. 



In the Old Testament we read of God's 

 anger with people when the}' were disobedient, 

 and committed sin ; and we read, too, of the 

 terrible judgments that he visited on them 

 when they were persistently disobedient; and, 

 for that matter, even during this present day 

 we have abundant evidence of God's terrible 

 judgments when people keep right on com- 

 mitting sin after repeated warnings. When 

 Jesus came into the world he saw sin just as 

 God sees it ; but as he was both human and 

 divine, he took a middle stand, as it were, 

 between humanity and God the righteous 

 Father. When he looked over Jerusalem he 

 had the power to destroy it utterly ; but his 

 human heart comprehended and sympathized 

 with humanity; and instead of the condemna- 

 tion that the inhabitants deserved, especially 

 those who stood in high places, he stood still 

 and wept in real sorrow. For some time back 

 I have been contemplating humanity — not 

 other folks, mind you, altogether, but I have 

 ahnost wept in contemplating the sinfulness 

 and depravity of my own heart. I am one of 

 humanity, and a poor feeble specimen at that; 

 but yet humanity streams through my veins, 

 and I am part and parcel of even sinful hu- 

 manity. Were it not for the blood of that 

 same Jesus who cleanseth from all sin, where 

 should I be ? 



I am now going to take up an interpreta- 

 tion of the little texts I have chosen, in a little 

 different way from what the average minister 

 of the gospel would take it — not that he is 

 wrong, by any means, but only that I, per- 

 haps, may have a glimpse of a field different 

 from his own. I want to consider first the 

 especial kinds of sin that the great business 

 world is guilty of — sins that we may well weep 

 over instead of getting angry about them and 

 calling people hard names. May God give 

 me grace and wisdom that I may avoid show- 

 ing up human weakness and that alone. We 

 all know how easy it is to look at the short- 

 comings and frailties of our neighbors. Please, 

 dear reader, do not think I wish to show how 

 bad people are compared with myself ; and 

 please do not think that I love to dwell on 

 that side of humanity. 



When we wanted to buy a new large engine 

 we consulted a great many catalogs, and talk- 

 ed over the matter with a great many different 

 agents for great manufacturing establishments. 

 An electric plant has lately been placed in our 

 town. They have a new engine — a most 

 beautifully running machine, built especially 

 for running electric work. We decided to 

 purchase one of that make. One thing that 

 influenced us strongly was that the agent 

 declared that every engine of their make was 

 tested while standing on three points or cones. 



It was made to work so still, and was so per- 

 fectly balanced, that it could be run at full 

 speed without being even bolted down to the 

 floor or any thing else. I considered this a 

 svifficient guarantee of the quality of their 

 work ; and the one in our town runs so still 

 that one might easily use it for a writing-desk. 

 So the order was given for a 400-horse-power 

 engine. It was very carefully taken from the 

 car, planted on a solid bed of masonry, and 

 securely bolted down. But imagine our sur- 

 prise when it not only shook the foundation 

 but also our buildings adjoining, even before 

 trying to make it carry a load. We wrote to 

 the manufacturers, and remonstrated ; but 

 they declared most emphatically the engine 

 was perfectly balanced before it was sent out, 

 saying they would send a man around after a 

 while. But when Thanksgiving day came, 

 and no man appeared, we began to be trovibled 

 and wired them to send an expert at once. 

 Here is the answer to the telegram, of course 

 omitting names : 



At your reque.'^t, expert will arrive Wednesday. 

 Engine ran beautifully here. 



You will see that, even in a telegram, they 

 declare once more that the engine ran per- 

 fectly before it was shipped. I met the expert 

 when he got off the train, for I felt troubled 

 in regard to the matter, and was anxious to 

 know if it was any fault of ours in setting it 

 up. Perhaps I might say that I declared in 

 the outset that that big balance-wheel, weigh- 

 ing several tons, was not accurately balanced ; 

 but our people assured me that that could 

 not be. The expert took off his coat, and 

 went right to work. I stood near to provide 

 any thing that might be wanted. He said he 

 wanted a lot of putty, or, if it were handy, 

 some yellow clay worked up into balls. When 

 I suggested that five or ten pounds would 

 probably be sufficient, he smiled and said -he 

 guessed I had better get clay, for they might 

 need thirty or forty pounds. He first had a 

 rest made solid and secure, right close to a 

 polished part of the great shaft ; then while 

 the engine was in full speed he made a mark 

 on the shaft as it went around. The balls of 

 clay were then stuck fast to the inside of the 

 rim of the balance-wheel, on a point opposite 

 where the mark was made on the shaft. It 

 was not thirty or forty pounds that was need- 

 ed to bring that great wheel into balance, for 

 before we had got through we had put on ij2 

 pounds! No wonder our buildings weaved to 

 and fro when that great wheel revolved. The 

 makers had done something toward balancing 

 it. They had put on about 60 pounds of cast 

 iron, and they had got it in the proper place, 

 but they did not get on enough within 172 

 pounds. 



Now, this engine was made at a very large 

 establishment ; and I believe that, as a rule, 

 they do very nice work. The onlj' reason the 

 expert could give as to why they let a machine 

 worth .$2000 go out of their works in that 

 shape was that we kept hurrying then up 

 when we found the}' were not likely to ship it 

 promptly at the time agreed on. They were 

 in too great a hurry to get it aboard the cars 

 on the date specified in the contract. Shall 



