77S 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



I have read what you said about working to de- 

 stroy the squash-bugs and protecting the vines on 

 Sunday. It seems that at some times you attach far 

 more importance to God's commands than you do at 

 others, and that you seem privileged to do what you 

 would deem a sin if done by another. 



My good friend, are yoi; not in error? 

 The commandment reads, "Remember the 

 sabbath day to keep it holy;" and in other 

 places it is explained we shall drop our 

 week-day avocations, or, as I understand it, 

 we should desist from all unnecessary work. 

 A farmer must feed his stock on Sunday 

 and take care of his milk if he is a milk- 

 man — that is, he must take care of it in 

 some way so it will not go to waste, and so 

 the babies and children who are dependent 

 on it will not suffer in health. The Savior, 

 you may remember, suggested that ir a 

 domestic animal fall into a pit we should 

 pull it out, even if it was on Sunday. I 

 believe all Christians agree that it is proper 

 to work in order to avert the destruction 

 of property — that is, where a little work 

 would save a large amount of property, a 

 good Christian should always be ready to 

 take off his coat and go to work. I remem- 

 ber one Sunday ivhen there was a big wind- 

 storm when the people were in clmrch. On 

 the way home one of our good deacons 

 found a large tree across the road so he 

 could not well get home until the tree was 

 removed. A crosscut saw and some axes 

 were procured, and off went their coats. 

 Did anybody think less of their Christian- 

 ity? 



Now, it is not always easy to decide what 

 work should be done and what should not, 

 so as to be consistent with God's command ; 

 but I believe the law.s of our land and the 

 -laws of God will let each faithful follower 

 of the Master decide this largely for him- 

 self. If he makes an honest and sincere 

 decision, even if he is wrong, I am sure the 

 loving Savior will never lay it up against 

 him. Let me illustrate : 



I have told you about starting a Sunday- 

 school up in northern Michigan where there 

 was none. I started out early Sunday 

 morning and worked hard, inviting and 

 pleading with the men, women, and children. 

 It was in the spring of the year, and a 

 beautiful sap day. My good neighbor Hil- 

 bert had a big sugar-bush, and all of his 

 children and some of his neighbors' children 

 were busy as bees gathering sap, and he did 

 not see how they could be spared to go 

 down to the Sunday-school where I had 

 permission to use the church, nearly a mile 

 away. I told him that, if he ivould give 

 permission, we would go around to all the 

 sap-trees and dip pnougn out from the pails 

 so none of them would run over if he would 



let me take all the hands down to the Sun- 

 day-school. His young daughter, Alice 

 (bless her memory!) was full of enthusiasm 

 about the Sunday-school, and she flew 

 around like a butterfly among the big trees 

 and ladled out the sap while I carried it to 

 the smaller trees that were not running very 

 much. As a result by 3 o'clock p. M. we 

 had a rousing Sunday-school to start out 

 with, and that Sunday-school is going yet — 

 the school that was started, as I have told 

 you, more than a dozen years ago; and 

 there is a nice little church there, too, com- 

 posed mostly, I think, of the Sunday-school 

 scholars, who will, many of them, remember 

 that bright spring day. Now to get back to 

 the squash-bugs: 



All gardeners know by sad experience 

 what damage such bugs may do in just a 

 few hours or even minutes; and I think 

 about half an hour's work effectually broke 

 up and scattered the gang that was deter- 

 mined to eat up my vines that warm Sun- 

 day evening; and just now I am enjoying 

 the fruit of that half-hour's work in the 

 shape of the most luscious cantaloups I 

 ever tasted. The seed was sent me by a 

 good beekeeper to whom I had sent some 

 dasheen tubers. Don't you think, friends, 

 the writer of the above who pitches into 

 me about working on Sunday was some- 

 what like the man who was going to con- 

 vince me by argument that there is no king 

 nor queen at all in a hive? Now he takes 

 me to task once more as follows: 



In your account of the drowning boy's rescue by 

 Wesley you state that your prayer that Wesley's next 

 step would find higher footing was answered. Will 

 you kindly explain in just what way God answered 1 

 Did he make the water shallower than it had been 

 before your prayer ? And if so, has it remained 

 shallower ever since? 



Well, friends, some of you may think at 

 first glance that the above is a "stumper" if 

 you will excuse a slang word. I think 

 there is a rocky bottom to that swimming- 

 pool. In answer to my little prayer, "Lord, 

 help !" did the great Father of the universe 

 raise or lower that rock? In the first place, 

 I did not think of dictating to the great 

 Father as to Jwiv he would lend me help to 

 avoid having on my hands and shoulders a 

 drowned man as Vv-ell as a drowned boy. In 

 fact, if Wesley had gotten into trouble be- 

 cause he could not swim, I was ready to go 

 in after him, realizing that I was risking 

 my own life in so doing, because he, a 

 strong man, in liis drowning struggles, 

 might easily pull me under with himself. 

 There was a terrible necessity for help from 

 somewhere, for the frightened boy who 

 stood near by did not volunteer any sort of 

 help. Under the circumstances, did my 



