24 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. L 



■work. Now, in view of this, bow could you, 

 while in my employ, formulate a plan, and 

 carry it out, for getting every boy under age 

 (and some of them under 16) either to chew 

 or smoke, or do both ? Did you not feel as 

 though you were doing a dishonorable thing? 

 and have you not felt ashamed of it? Of 

 course, you kept the tobacco out of my sight 

 whenever I came around near you. Was that 

 a manly and honorable thing to do? I have 

 been a boy- myself, and God knows I was not 

 always a manly or consistent boy. I remem- 

 ber what a fine thing we used to think it was 

 to play tricks on the schoolmaster, and work 

 against him. The cases are not exactly par- 

 allel, but I think this tobacco craze has come 

 along something in the same line. I do not 

 believe you really wanted to be bad and wick- 

 ed, but that you did it because there was a sort 

 of excitement about it that boys usually en- 

 joy. They call it fun ; but, dear boys, is it 

 not best to have even our fun a manly and in- 

 nocent fun? To be playing tricks on your 

 employer, or working against him in an un- 

 derhanded way, is a foolish sort of fun, is it 

 not ? for sooner or later you are sure to be 

 found out ; and how can you expect or ask for 

 a raise of wages when you have been working 

 against instead of for your employer ? You 

 may claim that you have not been working 

 against my business interests. But ought not 

 a man to have something higher in this world 

 than even business? The most serious and 

 the saddest part of this whole matter is urg- 

 ing good boys, with Christian fathers and 

 mothers, to learn the tobacco habit. I think 

 that most of you have read what I said about 

 Mr. Herkner, on page 778. There are many 

 others who can t^l how tobacco has injured 

 them, bodily and mentally, but not one will 

 tell of its being a help — that is, a help in the 

 end. Now, when you help to fasten such a 

 habit on a boy in his youth, are you not get- 

 ting pretty nearly in line with the class of peo- 

 ple whom the Savior held up to view ? Shall 

 I tell you what he said about them? "Who- 

 so shall offend one of these little ones which 

 believe in me, it were better that a millstone 

 were hanged about his neck, and that he were 

 drowned in the depth of the sea." Some of 

 the boys you have coaxed into this habit are 

 members of the church. Their parents are 

 Christian people. As I look into your faces, 

 or when I meet you in the morning, and you 

 respond to my salutation in a cheerful and 

 manly way, I can not believe it possible that 

 you are enemies of mine. You look friendly, 

 and I believe you are at heart my friends, each 

 and all of you. Dear boys, we do not want 

 hard and severe rules in our establishment. 

 Whenever we try to enforce rigid rules, almost 

 every time they hurt some innocent party, and 

 strike where we do not mean to strike. I never 

 er want to say to any boy, " I will turn you off 

 if you do not do so and so ; " and it has been a 

 long time since I did say it. When some boy 

 commences to work for us, and pleasant re- 

 lations begin to be established, when he helps 

 me and I help him week after week and month 

 after month, a tender relation grows up be- 

 tween us — at least it is so on my part. When 



any boy "quits" without a word to his em- 

 ployer or the foreman of the room where he 

 works, I always feel hurt. I get to asking 

 myself the question over and over, "Have I 

 been neglectful of this boy's interests in any 

 way ? Is it any fault of mine that he has left 

 and gone away ? ' ' for whenever we have been 

 obliged to dismiss any one, man or boy, I al- 

 ways feel bad after it. When we talk the mat- 

 ter over and mutually agree that one of our 

 friends has had a better offer than we are able 

 to make him, that is a different thing altogeth- 

 er. Then we can shake hands and wish each 

 other success ; and when one of our old hands 

 comes around, years after, how pleasant it is 

 to shake hands with him, and talk matters 

 over ! Then the beautiful text at the head of 

 this talk, I have said scarcely a word about it 

 so far ; but if you will read it over I am sure 

 you will see the connection. These things 

 that gratify a bodily appetite, especially stim- 

 ulants and narcotics, are things that are sown 

 to the flesh, and there has got to be a harvest. 

 " Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also 

 reap." Mr. Herkner and others can tell you 

 what the harvest is. But the boy who sows to 

 the spirit — that is, to the spirit of righteous- 

 ness and to the spirit of Christ Jesus — shall 

 reap life everlasting. Here in this world he 

 will be wanted, and will have friends every- 

 where ; and he need never be afraid to look 

 anybody in the face, nor to have people find 

 out about his life and habits.* In talking 

 with the boys, I met with three who work in 

 other rooms. These three have lately united 

 with one of our Medina churches, and have 

 started out as young Christians. Do you think 

 they use tobacco ? Of course not. There may 

 be old Christians who use tobacco, but I do 

 not believe there are very many young ones. 

 I said to one of them, "John, do you use to- 

 bacco in any shape or form ? " 



"No, sir. I never had a bit of it in my 

 mouth in my life ; and, what is more, I never 

 expect to as long as I live." 



Why, the thrill that it gave me when I took 

 him by the hand and congratulated him lasted 

 me all day. Several times I asked myself, 



* One man said to me (and he is a Christian man, 

 and a good friend of the boys too, I am sure), "Mr. 

 Root, if your boys would show you what they have in 

 their pockets, I think you woulS find a dirty pipe and 

 a lot of tobacco— perhaps both chewing and smoking 

 tobacco also — with almost everj,' one of them : and I 

 should not be .surprised if some of the outfits would in- 

 clude also a pack of cards. Now, I do not know what 

 you think about it ; but as for myself, when a boy 

 stuffs his pockets with such things I shouldn't want 

 him around at any price or under any circumstances." 



The above may be a little severe. But suppose, boys, 

 I should plea.santly ask you, next time I see you alone, 

 if vou have any objection to letting me see what your 

 pockets contain. I said this to one boy, and he ad- 

 mitted he was one of the tobacco-users also, or had 

 been ; but he looked up good-naturedly and said, " Mr. 

 Root, I am perfectly willing to show yovi everj' thing 

 there is in my pockets right now, if you care to look 

 at them." Oh how glad I was to hear the boy say 

 this ! It was an admission that he was not using to- 

 bacco then. And now how is it with the rest of you? 

 If I were to ask vou the question as I did this one, are 

 you perfectly willing I should see every thing j'ou car- 

 ry around daily in your pockets ? Of course, I could 

 not te'il what you have unless you see fit to show me ; 

 but, dear friends, are you forgetting there is a great 

 God above whose all-seeing eye not only takes notice 

 of the contents of the boys' pocket, but reads the very 

 thoughts that are in every boy's heart ? 



