GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



37 



teen: and it struck me at that time as a 

 wonderful piece of artistic beauty. Not 

 only the handwork and design, but the 

 thought it embodied — that this bright skill- 

 ful \oung teacher should say to my sister, 

 that he placed all he had, and ail he was, 

 in her care and keeping, until that beating 

 heart grew cold in dt ath — was to me a piece 

 of sublimity and heroism that was to be ad- 

 mired and emulated. 



No doubt you have discovered there is 

 something Quixotic in my makeup. I have 

 read Don (Juixote again and again, and, I 

 might almost say, laughed and cried over 

 it. A year ago while in Cuba 1 had aspira- 

 tions to be able to read Don Quixute some 

 time in the original Spanish. Well, it is a 

 grand good thing to be Quixotic within cer- 

 tain limits. It was m^' good fortune to be 

 with this sister and her husband more or 

 less for a good many j ears. \V hen 1 taught 

 my first school I made my home with them, 

 and with an older sister who was also re- 

 cently married. 



Now, I want to say just a little more 

 about that young schoolteacher. He was 

 not only handy in carpenterwork, but he 

 has always been h .ndy everywhere. He 

 could not only build the handiest house im- 

 aginable for a woman to do her work in, 

 but he could wash and bake, and, 1 think, 

 do every thing a woman usually does. That 

 motto of his was in my mind, and 1 used to 

 watch him for years afterward to see how 

 well he lived it out. He was up early in 

 the morning, and I think he invariably 

 made the fire. We lived in the back woods 

 then. He started breakfast; had plenty of 

 wood in the stove and plenty in a neat tidy 

 wood-box; he had the water handy; he did 

 not spill any ashes nor make any litter. 

 Mrs. Root is a model housekeeper. Every- 

 body says so; but she says herself she can 

 not keep a house as neat, and with so few 

 steps, as my sister who married the school- 

 teacher; and she thinks it is largely due to 

 the assistance that the schoolteacher has 

 always given to his wife, not only in doing 

 the work, but in planning with her for the 

 best and shortest cuts for doing housework. 



Now, in closing permit me to say there is, 

 in my opinion, nothing in this world to be 

 corhpared with, as a helper in having hus- 

 bands and wives love each other, as the 

 gospel of Christ Jesus. Mrs. Root and I 

 read something from the Bible, at least once 

 every day of our lives. Then we kneel to- 

 gether (we are now living all alone, as the 

 children are all away ^ and ask God to help 

 us in using our declining years in such a 

 way as will give him most honor and glory. 

 This daily reading of God's word, and 

 kneeling together in prayer, has done more 

 to give us happiness — yes, health too— than 

 any thing else in this world. " Thou shalt 

 love the Lord thy God with all thy strength, 

 with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, 

 and thy neighbor as thy»elf. " Now, the 

 thing to do is to put love to God first and 

 foremost. If we do this, love to our neigh- 

 bors will follow. 



And now, seriously, is there any other 

 neighbor in this whole wide world so near 

 and dear as the woman — or, perhaps we 

 had better say, companion — whom God gave? 

 Something suggtsts to me right here that 

 my talk this time is in very truth a ^'' home 

 paper. " 



BRO. WHITCOMB'S new LIFE — MOKE ABOUT 



ir. 

 Let me explain that Bro. Whitcomb wrote 

 to Bro. York some letters, which the latter 

 forwarded on to me, saying he felt sure I 

 would be glad to read them. After getting 

 my letter he wrote to Bro. Whitcomb lor 

 permission to use them in Gleamings. 

 Below are the letters referred to: 



Bro. York. - You have my pernii.-sion to do what you 

 please With the Idler reierr^d lo 1 am not abhaiued 

 ot any ihiiigcoiiuecled wuh the maiier, and if it could 

 do any ihiug toward lea.-iiug any soul to Christ I s.-all 

 say. ■■ G ory to Goa! ' 



1 thank. God ihal things look brighter, and the time 

 is drawuif; nigdwhtU niypiasers will be answered. 

 1 start for Louisiana to-inuirow morniug, ana 1 shall 

 take my Bible and religion wuh me 1 have a broti er 

 down there who is out oi Cniist Pray for me that I 

 m y will him ovei to I .e rig ,t .-ide of the cros.s We 

 had a praying mo hec wh se prayers have lollowed 

 me iniough foi.r \ ear-, ol ci uei war, an i more thaa 

 half a hiindied l)anlc-hckls, ano then on through life. 

 To tay 1 do not know how i snouM h ive 1 ved without 

 them. Vours lor God. 



K. Whitcoivib. 



Brother York. — During last August some Chicago 

 fellows, the Olivers, opened up leiu nieelings ai lli.s 

 ploCe, and amoiif^ other rtsuUs i forsook a luciime of 

 sin and begiii lo .-er^e God in e .i nesi, siuc- w hioh 

 lime 1 have had the usual prayei -nieeiin;; and oilier 

 nican.-< ot grace lo aitend lO, ana have the finest Bible- 

 class in the Sunday scliool you ever saw. 1 know that 

 you will say amen tu thai. 



No man or woman has been able to handle and in- 

 vestigate the organization ot me honey bee for any 

 length of linic vvitlioui bi in=! gieatly imprcs.-ed with 

 the v\ondcrful wisdom ot God. ana his most wouaer- 

 ful workings. I am yours very truly, 



Fneud, JMeb., Nov. H. K. Whitcomb. 



After relating his experience when com- 

 ing out of the tent, as given in the Dec. 15th 

 issue, Mr. Whitcom.o adds: 



I got on my knees before God, and prayed the prayer 

 of tne pulil can. •Lord, be luercilul to me a sinuct." 

 Then his sata'iic majesty appealed aiiu said, Ed, 

 you'll make a fool ot yourselt. You can not run a 

 newspaper and be a Christian " But I said to him," If 

 I can not, I 11 el it all go for God " .-Mid I tel. you, 

 brother, oh h jw abunoanly God has bles ed me, and 

 he bless s me every day with .-hower-. of the Hely 

 Ghost. My woi k is easier, and 1 am able to do ii and 

 praise his holy name ai the same time. The things 

 that I once lovcd I now haie, and the ihiugs which I 

 once hated I now 1 .ve. O my broihrr! wliat a traiis- 

 formatiou! It is a relig.on ot ihe heart and not of ihe 

 hea I. 



The family altar has be< n established; and so.long 

 as God will loniinue to bless us. so long will it rema n, 

 and so 1 )ng mxW our pra>e s ascend lo Hea^rii tor 

 th se who are near and dear to us I know ihat Ciod 

 does hear and answer pra\ er, and I must not expect to 

 pel through the lew yeais that yet remain lor me 

 wiihout tiials and tempiatioTis. If God wishes to trv 

 me I am willing that ht should do .so. 



Perhaps there may he a little repetition; 

 but I am sure our friends will gladly over- 

 look it. 



Now a word in regard to his paper. This 

 question has often come up among new con- 

 verts. Years ago the editor of one of our 

 county papers, who had taught infidelity 

 more or le»s through his columns for years, 



