38 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



right ; but this has nothing to do with evad- 

 ing the printed bill of fare. 



Some one else may suggest I should have 

 " tipped " the waiter to start with, and then 

 there would have been no tricks. Very like- 

 ly; but I don't believe in tips, and a world 

 of good people are back of me. 



Mrs. Root suggests he took a look at my 

 old shoes that I wear even in traveling, be- 

 cause they are easier, and concluded I was 

 " hayseed," and wouldn't dare say a word, 

 et'c. 



At this i^oint in my story three things 

 come into my mind. The first is our second 

 text — " Behold, they which are gorgeously 

 appareled, and live delicately, are in kings' 

 courts." 



The second is that I am told I was named 

 by my grandmother after the prophet Amos. 

 She was a devout Christian, and, most like- 

 ly, prayed I might be like him. Comment- 

 ing on a recent Sunday-school lesson the 

 Christian Herald says: 



It was good for Amos' preaching that he was a 

 day laborer. Doubtless he often went to bed with 

 the backache. His hands were calloused, and he 

 wore old clothes. But he got far more out of day's 

 labor than day's pay, as Christ's workmen disciples 

 knew how to do. 



The third is that, some years ago, the 

 governor of Ohio called on a near relative 

 to help on a commission of three for an 

 imj^ortant work for the State. He said he 

 was not permitted to offer pay, except nec- 

 essary expenses. When each of the three 

 sent in items of expense, my relative had 

 among expenses thirty cents for dinner in a 

 gi'eat city. Said the clerk, " Why, hello ! 

 When the State of Ohio is to pay for your 

 dinner, is 30 cents all it costs? " 



" I had a nice dinner, and everything I 

 cared for. What did the other two pay for 

 dinner?" 



" Only $1.50 each." 



I don't exactly remember; but my im- 

 pression is the two others had expensive 

 liquors, and let Ohio pay the bill.* 



As I have said, this was several years 

 ago. May God be praised, things are dif- 

 ferent now. 



Now, dear friends, I have something 

 pleasanter to tell you about " daily bread 

 in traveling." Had our train been on time 

 we would have reached Bradentown Friday 

 night, and Mrs. Root was impatient to get 



* It is not the men only who, when called upon 

 to do important work for the state, seem to think it 

 the thing to run up a big bill. Recently a woman 

 was sent to Columbus to take charge of some busi- 

 ness for a few days. Her bill of expenses included 

 room or rooms at something like $5.00 a day, and 

 she gave as an excuse that she supposed when our 

 great state called on a woman they expected to give 

 her the best lodging place to be found in the capital 

 city. 



hold of our cottage that had been vacant 

 since last May. As we had a couple of 

 hours in Jacksonville I was glad of a 

 chance to call at the office of the Florida 

 Anti-saloon League. I first interviewed 

 (from the outside) the saloons on that long 

 central street. The few that had not closed 

 up seemed very quiet, and I saw notices of 

 liquors sold only in " sealed packages." 

 After some delay because the office had 

 been moved, 1 stood before the open door of 

 the new office. As it is nearly always 

 " summer " in Jacksonville, doors are al- 

 most always open. Well, while I stood in 

 the doorway feeling 1 hardly knew a single 

 soul in that great city, a lady came forward 

 with such a beaming smile I was forced to 

 laugh outright as I said : 



"Why, you don't know vie? '^ 



" Yes, I do know you/^ she replied, as 

 she gave me her hand. 



" Well, who am I, any way? " 



" You are the great beem.an of Medina. 

 Ohio."* 



Then we had a most friendly chat until 

 the State superintendent, Mr. Crook, came 

 in. He gave me full particulars of the 

 great victory for Florida, and I could not 

 but commend his wisdom when he said he 

 was sure it was best to avoid as far as 

 possible fights or lawsuits with the saloon 

 element. The new law has been declared 

 valid, and there seems a general disposition 

 to submit to it all over the state. 



Notwithstanding they told us at the ticket 

 office we would get to Bradentown that 

 night the conductor said we would have to 

 stay in Tampa over night. Mrs. Root was 

 disposed to be cross about it when told it 

 would be toward Saturday noon before she 

 could get to work " sweeping down the cob- 

 webs," etc. I assured her it behooved us to 

 wait and see if a kind Providence had not 

 something good in store for us. Whenever 

 I am in Tampa I try to call at the Cren- 

 shaw Bros.' seed-store to talk over dasheen 

 and other new things for Florida. Last 

 May I stayed so lona: there I almost had 

 to run for over a mile to catch the train, 

 and Mrs. Root objected to my going there 

 this time for fear it would be Saturday 

 night before we got " home." 



As we stepped from the train after dark, 

 strangers in a strange city, something im- 

 pelled me to breathe a little prayer some- 

 thing like this: 



" Lord, guide our en-ing footsteps." 



I had planned getting a hotel near the 

 station so I might get up very early and 



* As she had seen me only once a few minutes 

 three years ago it was a little surprising. She had, 

 however, read these Home papers. 



