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GI.EANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 15. 



the other expression is better. As an apology 

 for no Sunday-school at all, the speaker said 

 he could scarcely blame the children or any- 

 body else for not wanting to come out on such 

 a sultry day. Now, this might do very well, 

 and we might go home and read and sleep, 

 and think matters were not so very bad ; but 

 let me tell you, dear reader, during my ram- 

 bles over the city that Sunday morning I found 

 hundreds if not thousands of children of all 

 ages going sotiiezvhere. Mothers were drag- 

 ging them along for fear they would be late. 

 Fathers were lugging those too young to walk, 

 and small boys and girls were tugging at large 

 luncheon-baskets. Where were they going ? 

 I did not ask, but the great crowd of human- 

 ity filled the large depot to such an extent one 

 could hardly get in and out of the spacious 

 doors. They were going on excursions some- 

 where — Sunday excursions. The reason there 

 were no children out to fill that great Sunday- 

 school room and other ones like it was, I fear, 

 that their parents had taken them to go off on 

 a Sunday excursion. Oh ! I forgot to tell you 

 there was one great church that was full of 

 people — so full, in fact, that I could not get a 

 glimpse of a seat anywhere. It was mostly 

 full of children. Now, I do not know just 

 what inducement was thrown out to get these 

 good people (whole families) to be so devoted 

 and faithful to their church and their worship. 

 I discovered, after I stood on the threshold, 

 that it was some sort of Catholic church — at 

 least I judged so by some burning tapers and 

 some things connected with their worship ; 

 and I wish to say on my own responsibility 

 right here, " May God bless and guide our 

 Roman Catholic brethren in their decision to 

 let no excursion nor any other outing prevent 

 them from being in regular attendance at the 

 house of God." 



My trip home was on an excursion ticket, 

 and the conditions of purchase were that, 

 when I started home, there should be no stop- 

 off. I was to take the first train till I reached 

 home. I have told you I prefer not to travel 

 on Sunday ; but in this case I would have to 

 lose my ticket entirely or take a train at 2:15 

 Sunday afternoon. I did not think, and do 

 not think now, I was called on to lose my 

 ticket by waiting till Monday morning. The 

 train was not an excursion train, and the road, 

 the Wheeling & Lake Erie, does not, if I am 

 correct, offer any lower rates for Sunday travel 

 than any other day. As a consequence there 

 were very few passengers, and my trip was 

 very quiet and Sunday-like. It landed me 16 

 miles from home. There were p^^irticular rea- 

 sons why I wished to be home early Monday 

 morning. I found a chainless whetl in the 

 town, that I could rent, and I could easily 

 have made home before dark. In fact, I had 

 once dtcided to go home on the wheel rather 

 than stay over night at a hotel. In fact, I sat 

 down to supper expecting to take my wheel- 

 ride immediately afterward. I had been trav- 

 eling for about a week, and had had scarcely 

 a wheelride, and I confess I was in rather buoy- 

 ant spirits in anticipation of the fifteen-mile 

 trip just about sunset. But conscience was 

 troubling me. The trip was for pleasure and 



the fun of it, and because I wished to get 

 home, and I wanted to get home so as to save 

 time Monday morning. For many years I 

 have shut down on inclination whenever I 

 felt that what I ivanted to do was not exactly 

 what I ought to do. While I ate my supper 

 there was a warfare going on. Something 

 urged me to go ahead and have the wheelride, 

 no matter what people thought, or if it might 

 not be just the thing. While I am discussing 

 this matter I feel that my readers are divided 

 into two great classes on this question Very 

 likely the larger number will say, " Wh}% 

 Bro. Root, you make a big fuss about little 

 things. You had been gone away a week, 

 and were almo=t home. If you rode your 

 wheel you did not oblige anybody to work on 

 Sunday — not even a horse. It was your own 

 strength and muscle. If, you never do any 

 thing worse than that, you will do pretty 

 well." Another voice (or we may say another 

 company of my friends, and perhaps the small 

 company) said, " Dear child, you have taught 

 vehemently for years past, to shun, as the Bi- 

 ble en j (ins, even the appearance of evil. You 

 have, through all your Christian life, refrained 

 from any thing that seemed like work or un- 

 called-for work on God's holy day. Fifteen 

 miles before dark will be very severe exercise 

 — it will be work. But even if it be true that 

 this work is something you enjoy, it will be 

 ' seeking your own pleasure ' on God's holy 

 day in a way you have not been accustomed 

 to do. Still more," and the voice sank almost 

 to a whisper — yes, it was a still small voice 

 that suggested, " not many years ago, here in 

 this same town, you addressed a churchful of 

 people. The business men, you may remem- 

 ber, closed their stores, and came out en masse 

 to hear you talk. You spoke about Sunday 

 observance. You told them how careful you 

 were to abstain, not only from business, but 

 from making the day a day of pleasure and 

 recreation. In fact, you defined pretty close- 

 ly what it meant to remember the sabbath, to 

 keep it holy. Now, perhaps many of those 

 who listened to you will think it is all right, 

 your going home on a wheel under the cir- 

 cumstances ; but are there not a few who will 

 feel pained to notice that A. I. Root, as the 

 ) ears go by, has lost, at least to some extent, 

 his careful and conscientious regard for the 

 sabbath ? During the whole 15 miles, where 

 everybody knows you more or less, -will not 

 many be pained, and perhaps some of the 

 younger ones harmed, by the spectacle of 

 yourself out on a bicycle on Sunday ? You 

 know you have been pretty severe on some of 

 the teachers in your own Sunday-school who 

 take bicycle-rides of several miles on Sunday 

 afternoon for recreation, pleasure, or busi- 

 ness." 



I am ashamed to say that, for a time, I was 

 contrary and stubborn. I was not inclined to 

 give up ; but I finally declared I would err on 

 the safe side, and that inclination should cut 

 no figure in my decision. A bright young 

 girl was waiting on the supper-table. I asked 

 her if she could tell me about the preaching 

 services of the evening. She said there was 

 to be a sermon at the Free-will Baptist church; 



