1899 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



585 



ed carrying people, and giving transfers, for 

 three cents instead of five ; and yet, instead of 

 this thanksgiving that I have been talking 

 about, we are having fierce wars, and blood is 

 being shed, and the greatest part of this war 

 and bloodshed comes over these very electric 

 cars. 



It is not in the great cities alone, however, 

 that Bible teachings are forgotten. This greed 

 for gain, and sacrificing reputation and every 

 thing else for gain, seems to be everywhere. 

 Let me give you one illustration : The post- 

 master in a town of moderate size received 

 quite a good salarj' ; but instead of doing the 

 work himself he was permitted to have two 

 young women for assistants. Although he 

 had quite a comfortable salary these young 

 women who did the work had quite a small 

 one. As the business of the office increased 

 the girls asked him if he did not think they 

 ought to have a little better pay. He said he 

 agreed with them, and promised to write to 

 Washington and use his influence in getting a 

 better appropriation for them. This he did, 

 but he told them that the increase was not 

 granted. But this was an untruth. The raise 

 in salary zvas granted, but he put the amount 

 in his own pocket, simply giving them their 

 old pay. They had such perfect confidence 

 in their employer that they signed receipts 

 for their pay on a blank, leaving him to fill it 

 out. This thing went on for two years, when 

 one of the young ladies wrote to Washington 

 herself, and discovered the true state of affairs. 

 Now, this man, not content with having a big 

 salary when others did the work for him, at 

 small pay too, not content with this injustice, 

 for that is what I call it, he robbed these poor 

 hard-working underpaid young women, and 

 put the stealings into his own pocket that he 

 might buy more cigars, and possibly drink 

 more beer (or do something still worse) with 

 the money. Was this man possessed of a 

 devil too? I have never learned that the 

 Devil has any conscience at all, and I presume 

 he has none ; but if he has he certainly would 

 have been ashamed of himself and of his mean- 

 ness, to be found engaged in such a dastardly 

 work as this. Oh how foolish it is to try to 

 get a little more for yourself by cheating 

 somebody else ! I fear it is indeed true that, 

 in the United States of America, where young 

 women are better treated (so it is said) than 

 in any other country on the face of the earth, 

 I fear it is indeed true, as I said, that here in 

 our own native land, women are many times 

 allowed to suffer just because they are women. 

 If one man should come before some other 

 man, and demand fairness and justice, he 

 would get it simply because his opponent 

 would know he would not submit to being put 

 off or cheated ; but if a woman should come 

 and make the same protest, and demand her 

 rights, this same man might, and I think does 

 sometimes, say to himself, "Oh ! she is only 

 a woman. She will not do any thing;" or, 

 perhaps, "She can't do any thing, and sol 

 will not bother myself about each other." 



Now, when I tell about the sins of humanity 

 I try to look into my own heart and see if I 

 am ever guilty in a similar way. Several 



times of late, conscience has given me quite a 

 lash right along on this line. Almost every 

 day of my life I am conscious of something or 

 other that has been neglected that really 

 ought to be seen to. I excuse myself some- 

 what by saying I am old and partly worn out, 

 and I can not fight everybody's battles as I 

 used to do when younger. Well, perhaps I 

 am somewhat excusable along this line ; but 

 where conscience lashed me is right here : 

 Whe'n I read my letters, as they come in the 

 mails, I never look to see who the writer is 

 till I get clear to the end. Well, oftentimes of 

 late I am urged to take in hand something 

 that needs to be done. A letter is so eloquent, 

 and the matter is stated so fairly, that I say to 

 myself, "Well, now, I will drop every thing 

 else, and get at this thing right straight, and 

 do what I can to have it righted." But per- 

 haps when I come to read the signature I see 

 it is Mrs. somebody instead of Mr. Now, 

 while I ask God to forgive me I want you too, 

 dear friends, to forgive me when I confess 

 that, when I see it is "only a woman," I 

 sometimes draw a sort of breath of relief, and 

 conclude I will not do any thing about it after 

 all. Now, what is the reason I do not move 

 with the same vehemence and alacrity when a 

 woman pleads that I do when it is a man ? I 

 am afraid, dear friends, to be real honest, it is 

 because I sometimes take it for granted she 

 will not do much about it anyhow, if no reply 

 is made and the matter is dropped. Let me 

 see. What text was it I gave you a talk on 

 quite recently ? As sure as you live, it reads, 

 " We that are strong ought to bear the infirm- 

 ities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." 

 A true gentleman ought to exert himself more 

 when a petition comes from a woman, or, if 

 you choose, from a child, than when it comes 

 from a man of wealth and influence. I be- 

 lieve it is a pretty good plan to read the letter 

 over carefully before you look for the signa- 

 ture ; then decide what you will do, entirely 

 on the merits of the case presented, and not 

 because of the one who presents it. How 

 many of us are there who do that way ? And, 

 again, how many are there who will promise 

 right here now to put away all bias or preju- 

 dice, and do right before God, and not gauge 

 your alacrity according to the standing or in- 

 fluence or person who asks you to do him a 

 favor ? 



Some little time ago there was a question 

 up about rent. A friend of mine was to have 

 his property put out on the sidewalk in a very 

 few hours if his rent was not paid. I ques- 

 tioned about it, and was told my friend did 

 not propose to pay the rent, because the rent- 

 er had acted so mean about it. I replied: 



" Why, don't you pay a just debt, even if a 

 man does act mean ? I would pay everybody 

 every cent that is honestly his due, without 

 any regard to how he has acted. In fact, I do 

 not know but I should be a little readier to 

 pay a mean man, for then we could wind the 

 matter up and have nothing further to do 

 with it." 



After an arrangement had been made to 

 pay up the month's rent I remarked, "But, 

 look here. You have occupied the premises 



