538 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



JUI.Y 1. 



our big rain ; but I have had more experience 

 in such mailers than any of them. Fifteen or 

 twenty miles south of us the land is sandy 

 and gravelly ; so I took the train to a point 

 nearest where I wanted to go. They told me 

 at the ticket-office that this partcular train 

 did not stop at Easton, and that I would have 

 to go four miles beyond. I have learned, 

 however, that sometimes unexpected chances 

 favor us ; so I asked the conductor if it was 

 possible for him to let me off at Easton or 

 near there. 



" Why, yes, although it is contrary to our 

 usual custom. To-day we have a special mat- 

 ter that will cause us to stop at Easton. You 

 can get off as well as not." 



I told him I had paid my fare to Warwick, 

 four or five mi'es beyond. He did not offer to 

 return what I had overpaid, and did not make 

 any suggestion as to how I could get it back. 

 He simply stated I could get off at Easton 

 just as well if I wanted to. But I should like 

 to see even railroad companies as anxious to 

 refund, when the matter is clearly their own 

 mistake, as they are to get a few cents more 

 when it comes the other way. May be it 

 would be expecting too much of a railroad 

 company to undertake to do business as Jesus 

 would do it ; but I have faith to believe the 

 time will come when we shall see something 

 of the kind. I got off at the station, and 

 started off on a road that was comparatively 

 new to me. I was obliged to make some in- 

 quiries of people I met. By the way, when I 

 am out wheelriding through the country I 

 make it a point to speak to everybody I pass — 

 that is, when I can do so without hindering 

 them. I like to talk with boys and girls; I 

 like to compliment people on their nice gar- 

 dens and on the beautiful flowers in their door- 

 yards. And, by the way, I never enjoyed 

 flowers before in my life as I do this summer. 

 Some people may think me a little queer, it is 

 true, because I have a salutation for every 

 one. But I can not help it if they do. If Je- 

 sus were traveling through our beautiful State 

 of Ohio he would speak to people ri^ht and 

 left — -certainly to every child he met. When 

 I was in Bermuda I noticed friend Morrison 

 seemed a little surprised that I was in the hab- 

 it of saying "good morning," not only to the 

 schoolchildren, the colored men and women, 

 but even to the high-toned folks who came to 

 Bermuda to spend the winter. I finally spoke 

 to him about it, and he said no doubt some of 

 the rich people would think I was taking a 

 liberty ; but to one who loves his fellow-man 

 (as Jesus did, and does even now) it seems al- 

 most as if one could not well pass a human 

 being, especially out in the country, without 

 some sort of recognition. Of course, a nod is 

 many times all that is necessary; but when I 

 am wheeling I cin slow up, without any trou- 

 ble, enough to recognize the one I meet, and 

 to say something, and get some sort of reply. 

 Where people are out on the street or near the 

 gate it is an easy matter to speak about their 

 pretty homes ; and most of the homes through 

 our State of Oh'o have something attractive 

 about them. With the recent newspaper ac- 

 counts of outrages, women, when away off 



alone on the road, are often a little timid about 

 passing a man on a bicycle ; but a pleasant 

 " good evening " oftentimes reassures them, 

 and brings a pleasant recognition in return. 

 Where the path is narrow I am also very par- 

 ticular that no woman shall step out of the 

 path in order to let me by. I frequently ask 

 them to keep in the path, and I will get around 

 some way. I mention this to suggest to riders, 

 old and young, that it is not out of place to 

 cimsider " what would Jesus do," even when 

 you are riding the wheel. 



My first stop was at the pretty home of Mr. 

 Christian Weckesser, near Marshallville, 

 Wayne Co., O. Friend W. has recently locat- 

 ed in a pretty ravine on his father's farm, near 

 a little spring. He has even his greenhouse 

 and hot-beds placed down under the trees. 

 When I suggested so much shade was an ob- 

 jection, he said there was no shade till the 

 trees leave out ; and after they leave out, the 

 shade was just what he wanted. He does not 

 have to whitewash the glass nor put up cur- 

 tains as we do. Away up on the summit of 

 the great hills (that are seen through a large 

 part of Wayne Co. ) he is growing beautiful 

 crops ; and as most of his ground is away up 

 above the valleys he has literally a "tiptop" 

 (?) location for growing all kinds of fruit. 

 His family of five little ones have a grand 

 place to play on the steep side of the canyon, 

 as I should call it, and they can play in the 

 soft spring water if they feel so inclined, dur- 

 ing the hottest day in summer. 



As I wanted to make the experiment station 

 at Wooster before night, my call was a brief 

 one. As Mr. Weckesser is not on a main road 

 I started off across the lots on my wheel. 

 Pretty soon I met his oldest girl coming from 

 school. The father told me she had taken a 

 great interest in getting an education. I said, 

 as I met her, " I dim't think you know me, 

 my little friend, do you.? " 



"Yes, I do, Mr. Root," she replied, as she 

 looked up at me a little shyly, but yet with a 

 most winning smile. I remembered meeting 

 the children on a former visit, but I should 

 not have known this one. I have told you of 

 late how a glimpse of a beautiful flower often 

 gives me thrills like sweet music ; yes, and I 

 think I have often told you that the faces of 

 the boj'S and girls frequently stir me much in 

 the same way. At the time I mention I had 

 had an exhilarating wheelride over those grand 

 hills. I had a pleasant talk with the father 

 and mother about their home, their children, 

 the flowers, and the crops, and my heart was 

 warm vdth love to God and to all my fellow- 

 men. The father had told me about this 

 child's special desire to get an education. His 

 own sister was her teacher. She was prettily 

 attired, as school-children usually are, and 

 her bright face gave me a thrill of joy. It 

 brought to mind vividly what Jesus said of 

 little children, especially the closing part of 

 the text I have chosen — "for of such is the 

 kingdom of heaven." There are thousands 

 of such little girls scattered all over our State. 

 They are often out on their way to school, or 

 on other errands, sometimes off across the lots, 

 and unprotected ; and I believe that, as a rule, 



