July 1. 1911 



each other: and. all together, I was very 

 happ.i/.* 1 had received a new baptism of 

 the Holy Sjurit: antl ever since that bap- 

 tism, if I may so call it, whenever I am 

 tempted to do wrong I feel a chiding of that 

 same Holy Spirit. Sometimes I am tempt- 

 ed to exaggerate, or to stretch the truth a 

 little. Before the words are uttered, a lov- 

 ing hand seems to be laid on my shouUler, 

 and I change my words so as to he more in 

 strict conformity with the exact truth. 

 When I first started (toward forty years 

 ago) for the straight and narrow path, after 

 listening to a sermon that Bro. Reed deliv- 

 ered, I felt as if I loved everybody. I even 

 wanted to i)at the horses on their necks that 

 stood in front of the okl church where the 

 sermon was jireached. I not only loved 

 humanity more, but loved the domestic an- 

 imals too; and this new baptism has affect- 

 ed me something in the same way. One 

 thing troubles me, however; there are so 

 many lapses into the old way; but, thank 

 the Lord, the fits and starts for a better and 

 more unselfish life are becoming more and 

 more frequent. May God be praised for the 

 Comforter that is promiseil in our text, and 

 for a Comforter that surely will '" reprove 

 the world of sin" if we will only take the 

 I^ord .Jesus Christ into our hearts and into 

 our very lives. 



MRS. L. c. axtell; also something about 



CANCERS, ETC. 



Our older readers will, I am sure, recollect 

 Mrs. Axtell. As we have not had any com- 

 munication from her for quite a time I will 

 explain to our newer readers that, toward 

 forty years ago, Mrs. Axtell was not only a 

 helpless invalid, but I presume that she her- 

 self, as well as her friends, felt she was a 

 hopeless invalid. While lying on her sick- 

 bed she got hold of a copy of Gleanings 

 and began to read about bees. Let me ex- 

 plain that she at this very time, notwith- 

 standing her aflHiction, was a devoted Chris- 

 tian, and had doubtless been praying over 

 her helpless condition; but she became so 

 much interested in bees that she induced 

 her friends to place a hive up near her win- 

 dow where she could see the bees work, and 

 study their habits. It is a long story, but I 

 will go over it briefly. Under the enthusi- 

 asm and excitement of watching the bees (I 

 think it was about this time in the si)ring 

 of the year) she got an appetite and a new 

 hold on life. In a little time she was rest- 

 ing on her elbow while she studied the bees 

 in their busy flights. Pretty soon she want- 

 ed the hive opened, or fixed so she could get 

 a glimpse of the inside; and a little later she 

 got off her bed and sat up a part of the time 

 on an easy-chair; and, later on, she began to 



* Had I been drinking strong coffee or tea I might 

 have thovight my inspiration, if tliat is tlie proper 

 term, came from the stimulus: but I am happy to 

 say that I had a very plain and simple breakfast and 

 dinner, and nothing but apples for supper: so my 

 happy frame of mind came from following (iod"s 

 laws, and consenting to be guided by the prompt- 

 ings of the Holy Spirit and nothiny else. 



445 



lift out the combs and put them back again. 

 Still later she got outdoors and worked with 

 the bees, always sitting down, of course; and 

 a little later still she got up on her feet, and 

 with unsteady limbs, doubtless, she walked 

 from one hive to another. The more she 

 studied and handled the bees, the more her 

 enthusiasm and interest developed and her 

 work prospered; and in due time (I do not 

 remember just how long) she was doing the 

 work of a good stout man in the apiary. 



Xow, this is a wonderful story, even if I 

 should stop right here; but the best part of 

 it is to come. She had always been much 

 interested in the work of foreign missions; 

 and when the idea came into her head (or 

 heart, perhaps) , that she could with her bees 

 earn money to help missionaries spread the 

 gospel in foreign fields, a new and greeder 

 enthusiasm grew u}) in her heart and soul. 

 It would seem that the great Father above 

 was i^leased with her undertaking; for in 

 answer to her prayers and earnest, hard 

 ;>hysical work, he sent her antl her good 

 husband a crop of honey unheard of by even 

 the writers of Gleanings — o9,000 lbs. in one 

 year. The money that her honey sold for 

 was given to a missionary enterprise, and a 

 little tract was sent out broadcast over the 

 world. I believe the title was, "The Mis- 

 sionary Work of the Honey-bee." I have 

 often thought of Mrs. Axtell of late, and 

 wondered if she were still alive; therefore 

 you may realize with what interest I read 

 the following letter: 



Dear 3/r. i?oo^— In ( ILEANINGS for March 1 you 

 mention having- a brown spot on yoiu- back, and 

 that cuticura was causing it to go away. By all 

 means keep up the use of cuticura. then, even if it 

 costs S50.00 a box. Such spots often develop into 

 cancers — not always: but be on the safe side, and 

 drive it away before it gets beyond control. I had 

 a cancer some twenty years ago. in niy cheek, caus- 

 ed by decaying bone from ulcerated teeth. I had 

 to have it taken out three times before I got it en- 

 tirely removed, and it cost me about -S'150.00 — that 

 is, treatment, board, and travel: but I have never 

 regretted having it taken out when it was small. 

 When large it is much liarder to subdue them. The 

 first time it was taken out the doctor put on a med- 

 icine that killed it. and I went home and poulticed 

 it until I thought it ready to drop out; but it hung 

 by a tiny thread. I, not knowing the harm it would 

 do, took hold of it and jerked it a little and broke the 

 thread, or root, and in a few months it was growing 

 again. I would never have them cut out. for they 

 almost always grow out again: but if properly killed 

 and drawn out by a plaster they go away — at least 

 that is the way it worked on the five persons I have 

 known to be treated. 



Mr. Axtell and I are always interested in all your 

 Home talks, and have been using boiled wheat 

 largely, and similar foods, and have been greatly 

 benefited. 



M'e are still supporting three native preachers 

 and a famine child, and feel greatly blessed in so 

 doing. 



You ask if grease would not do just as well as cu- 

 ticura to drive away the brown spot. 1 know that 

 grease of any kind is all that is needed to kill ver- 

 min on chickens. Years ago I let my chicken- 

 house (nearly new) get very much alive with mites 

 before I knew of grease. 1 tried several remedies 

 first, then I took a gallon of rancid lard, heated it 

 hot, and took a brush broom and went for it. I 

 greased thoroughly the ends and knots in the 

 roosts, and all cracks and corners of the house, and 

 a little nearly all over — under nests and in the bot- 

 toms of nests and in corners. I soon got almost en- 

 tirely rid of the mites. <4reasewill kill every bed- 

 bug too if the ends of the slats are smeared with it. 

 and the inside corners of the bedstead. 



