1899 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



657 



bar. Then he tipped over forward, went clear 

 around and came up again, and pretty soon 

 he was flying around the bar like a windmill, 

 evidently trying to stop, but could not ; but 

 when he came up on top of the bar his feet 

 were just as loose as when he first stepped on 

 it. Now, some ingenious piece of mechanism 

 must have been invented to enable him to do 

 this sleight-of-hand, or, if you choose, sleight- 

 of foot, performance. 



I figured up that, to perform such a trick, 

 one would need a stout harness going over his 

 shoulders and down under his feet ; and this 

 harness must be so it could be securely attach- 

 ed to the trapeze-bar and yet so it could take 

 hold or let go of it in a second of time. After 

 he jumped down from the bar the shock of 

 alighting seemed to have dislocated his knees 

 and thighs ; then he looked down in a quaint 

 way at his deformity, and then at the audience, 

 and then wabbled about the stage as if he 

 were crippled. By some apparent awkward- 

 ness he struck his head against one of the 

 pillars on the stage ; but his look of blank 

 astonishment to think that the pillar should 

 stand right there when he did not suspect it 

 was so comical and ridiculous that I nearly 

 fell off the table where I was standing, because 

 I was so convulsed with laughter. 



Now, this was a very pretty and innocent 

 exhibition. I would not mind paying 25 cents 

 to see exhibitions of gymnastic feats like this. 

 I mean, of course, where human life is not 

 endangered, and where there is no suggestion 

 of any thing bad or wrong. Why, I should 

 be delighted to have my three grandchildren 

 see such a performance. In this case there 

 was wonderful skill and agility coupled with 

 a vein of fun and humor that I enjoyed hugely. 

 It interested me to know T that God has so 

 made the human frame that it can endure 

 such contortions and such a tremendous 

 strain, and yet be unharmed. How wonder- 

 fully the organs of life must be fabricated to 

 stand all sorts of positions and yet every func- 

 tion go on with its work unhindered ! 



After the trapeze, a very pretty, modest, 

 decently dressed young woman came on the 

 stage. There was a little play with a com- 

 panion, and some conversation that I could 

 not hear, as I was so far away from the stage. 

 Her companion left, and she stood on the 

 stage alone. J presume my readers will ex- 

 cuse me for describing in print what a thou- 

 sand or more people saw in broad daylight. 

 Well, this modest-looking and well-behaved 

 young woman deliberately stepped forward 

 and grasped her skirts and threw them over 

 her head, or pretty nearly so. Then she 

 threw one of her feet a good deal higher than 

 her head, and gave an exhibition of what I 

 should call a gymnastic dance that might 

 have been pretty if it had been done by a man 

 instead of a woman. Somebody suggested 

 that it was a man ; but I am sure it was a 

 woman. By the way the audience applauded 

 I was obliged to conclude that this was noth- 

 ing unusual. The higher she kicked her feet 

 the louder was the applause ; and when she 

 turned a handspring with both feet in the air, 

 and her clothing covering her head and arms 



entirely, there was louder applause for some 

 time. There was no laugh on m)^ face, I as- 

 sure you, when this performance began ; in 

 fact, I was a great way from it when I climbed 

 down off from my table and got out into the 

 open air. My face was flushed with indigna- 

 tion. I was ready to denounce the place and 

 the people ; and could my bicycle have gone 

 across the water I do not know but I would 

 have shaken the dust from my feet (or rather, 

 perhaps, the white sand out of my shoes) and 

 started for "home then and there. Of late 

 years I do not talk out what I feel on the im- 

 pulse of the moment as much as I used to do. 

 I walked out among the trees and thought the 

 matter over. If I went home before I found 

 my friends and relatives they would wonder, 

 and think singular of it. When I found them 

 I had cooled off somewhat ; but I had not 

 changed my views very much, after all. Many 

 of you have read the book that suggested the 

 thought, "What would Jesus do?" I sat 

 down and thought it over. Did Jesus want 

 me to be in such a place ? Was my nephew 

 right when he said I ought to know about 

 such places? Well, perhaps I should; but 

 just now I humbly confess that I do not ex- 

 actly know what is right and what is best in 

 matters of this kind. Thousands of my good 

 friends will say, unhesitatingly, that / had no 

 business in such a place, and that it was my 

 plain duty to get out of it just as soon as pos- 

 sible. They might urge that, by my presence, 

 I gave encouragement for others to go to that 

 or similar places. Then there are other thou- 

 sands who say that I would harm the cause 

 dear to my heart more by holding myself en- 

 tirely aloof from pleasure resorts, and ytt 

 writing about these things when I know al- 

 most nothing about them. These friends 

 might say, and perhaps do say, "Brother 

 Root, you have come down hard and severe 

 on Sunday excursions. Now, when people 

 all respect the Sabbath, as you would have 

 them do, and plan their excursions on week 

 days, are you going to come down on these 

 things too, and leave the boys and girls to 

 think that you are one of those old gray- 

 headed deacons who do not see any fun in the 

 world anywhere, and think everybody should 

 hoe corn, even on the Fourth of July ? " 



Dear friends, I have studied this ground all 

 over, and I am praying that God may give me 

 wisdom and guidance; and I feel just now 

 like asking you in a like manner to pray that 

 my advice may be good in this matter of holi- 

 days, excursions, pleasure-resorts, and recrea- 

 tions. You may remember the dear Savior once 

 said in that wonderful prayer, " I pray not that 

 thou shouldst take them out of the world, but 

 that thou shouldst keep them from the evil." 

 And, again, we know he once attended a wed- 

 ding, and not only encouraged it by his 

 presence, but actually furnished refreshment 

 by that notable first miracle. We have reason 

 to think that he went out among men, espe- 

 cially where he was invited. He did not shun 

 crowds, and he frequently went among the 

 rich; attended great feasts, and was one among 

 the people. 



I said I witnessed no intoxication while at 



