1911 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



259 



was myself getting a little excited to see how 

 my many projects were prospering, and I 

 became a little careless about making pay- 

 ments, as my friends had a right to expect 

 one who made the profession I did should 

 make them. The timely admonition came 

 from the cashier of our Medina bank who 

 had always been a firm friend of mine, even 

 if I did not always take his advice. He 

 took the trouble to write me a letter, and I 

 am going to give the contents of that letter 

 here as far as I can remember it, for I feel 

 sure such a letter is needed, possibly, by a 

 great number of young men just now — say 

 young men who are for the first time getting 

 into the whirlpool of great business enter- 

 prises. The letter was something like this: 



Dear Mr. Root: — This is a friendly letter and not a 

 business one: and in view of the fact of the large 

 amount of interest money you have been paying 

 our bank for years past, as an officer of the bank I 

 might come under criticism for driving away busi- 

 ness. I write a letter because I want time to think 

 of what I say, and because I want you to take time 

 to read carefully and consider what I am about to 

 write, whether you take my advice or not. I want 

 to remind you that your friends and people at large 

 are getting a little uneasy about the way you are 

 branching out and taking up so many new lines of 

 business. So long as you have your health, and ev- 

 ery thing goes well, you may come out all right: in 

 fact you seem to have done so thus far: but would 

 it not be wisdom and prudence to hold up just a 

 little until you have a little money ahead, say, for 

 the proverbial rainy day? Another thing: As you 

 know, I am not a member of any church, although 

 I am permitted to have a class in the Sunday-school, 

 and I greatly enjoy our teachers* meetings. Your 

 religious experiences are attracting a good deal of 

 attention just now, and any kind of financial fail- 

 ure would injure the cause you and I hold most 

 dear— more than yott. I fear, have any idea of. Re- 

 flect, I beg of you, that your teachings have already 

 gone through that journal broadcast over the world 

 to at least a great extent. Dollars and cents are but a 

 drop in the bucket compared with the keeping of 

 your good name above reproach before the outside 

 world. Now. my good friend, I know you will ex- 

 cuse the above, and I think you will excuse me for 

 going a little further and saying, that, as you are 

 always pushing some new hobby, you make your 

 ne.rt one a cur ail of outgoes until you have a little 

 money ahead In the bank instead of being all the 

 time crowded, as you have been for some time past. 

 As ever your friend, 



Robert MpDowell. 



I replied briefly something as follows: 



Dearfriend Robert: — I don't know how I can thank 

 you enough for proving yourself a veritable " friend 

 In need." unless it is to tell you to keep watch and 

 see how well I take your very kind suggestion. 



A. I. R. 



I have reason to believe Robert and the 

 pastor of our church had talked the matter 

 over before that letter was written; for, short- 

 ly after, I received a letter from Rev. C. J. 

 Ryder, now of Stamford, Conn., which read 

 something as follows: 



Dear Friend A. I. i?.— Robert writes me, "A. I. R. 

 has now SIO.OOO in our bank, and all his bills paid 

 up ahead." I want to congratulate you. 

 Your old friend and pastor. 



C. J. Ryder. 



Now I want to tell you that that "turn- 

 ing about " in my business habits was not 

 an easjj thing. At times I just had to shut 

 my teeth and say no to every thing that 

 came up; but I soon found that something 

 ahead in the bank enabled me to do many 

 things I had before been unable to do. In 

 fact, Robert mentioned it in his letter. A 

 cargo of lumber, for instance, was offered at 

 a low figure if moved and paid for at once; 



or a carload of printing-paper for our jour- 

 nal. In short, the lesson 1 learned in con- 

 sequence of that friendly letter was more 

 far-reaching, away out into the future, than 

 any one can measure; and I hope and pray 

 that the letter may prove a kindly warning 

 to other young men as it was to me at that 

 time, years ago. Truly, a good name is 

 rather to be chosen than great riches. 



Did Lewis have any such kind friend to 

 advise him to let "well enough alone " when 

 he was already doing well? I felt sorry to 

 see him, even several years ago, use so much 

 space in blaming others, even our govern- 

 ment oflEicials. All in all, I think this is a 

 pretty good world to live in; and I think 

 our government, even our postal depart- 

 ment, means to be, as a rule, fair to all; and 

 if the people continue to demand it, we shall 

 soon have parcels post and these other 

 things. That good old book says, "When 

 a man's ways please the Lord he maketh 

 even his enemies to be at peace with him," 

 and I have found it true; but sometimes we 

 have to wait quite a while for said "ene- 

 mies" to get around to recognizing their 

 friends. 



High-pressure Gardening 



By A. I. Root 



"HIGH-PRESSURE GARDENING" DOWN IN 

 FLORIDA DURING A SEVERE DROUTH. 



AVe have had no rain since the first week 

 in .January up until about the middle of 

 March — something like a nine -weeks' 

 drouth, and about the most severe dry spell 

 recorded at this season of the year for many 

 years past. Neighbors Rood and Dr. Bray- 

 mer, with their great artesian wells, got 

 along very well; and where I "borrowed" 

 the overflow from these wells, as I have 

 told you about, I got along very well grow- 

 ing sprouted oats and other green stuff for 

 the chickens; but in my lanes, where we 

 have no water, the oats never came up: or 

 after they were up, they withered and dried 

 up under the scorching March sunshine. 

 There were other things, however, that had 

 got their roots down into the ground water 

 that is always found in this region four or 

 five feet below the surface, and these kept 

 growing right along, seemingly oblivious of 

 the dry weather. The mulberries particu- 

 larly have been all along furnishing the 

 most juicy and delicious fruit. Just before 

 getting dead ripe they swell out and fairly 

 glisten in the sun. seeming full to bursting 

 with moisture. Why, one of these large 

 heavily laden trees must pump up daily an 

 almost incredible quantity of water. To- 

 day, March 27, they are taking so much of 

 that spring in the cellar that there does not 

 seem to be any in the pipes for poultry, and 

 we are having to carry water again for the 

 chickens. But it is not the water alone 

 that gives the mulberries such a vigor of 

 growth, for very likely the poultry drop- 



