GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



March, 1917 



have just measured a splinter from the 

 broken end. It is only % inch thick for 

 a shipment of over a thousand miles. 



2. I was .not on hand when the chicks 

 came, because I was " too tired." Who 

 knows but that the colored man, by his 

 awkwardness, let the two live ones get 

 away? When he dropped it upside down 

 on the porch, two got out and we had to 

 chase them. 



3. I now recall that I put two older 

 chicks in with the hen and chickens; and 

 Mrs. Root said before they started, " That 

 hen will surely kill the two that do not 

 belong to her." But I replied, "Oh! she 

 will fet up after a little." Were not the 

 two dead ones found in the cage these 

 two? They were about the size of them. 



4. In watching shipments of chickens 

 in the large cities as we came thru, I 

 noticed all crates were strongly made, and 

 low and flat, not permitting the fowls to 

 stand upright. On this account the hand- 

 lers of "coops," in the hurry, forgot to 

 notice that my crate was to stand upright, 

 and turned it over on its back like the 

 rest, spilling the food, water, etc. Was I 

 not at least somewhat at fault in not con- 

 forming to custom? 



5. Was I not further at fault in putting 

 21 chickens, of three different ages, all in 

 one crate instead of having three small 

 crates for so long a shipment? 



I might go on, friends, still further. This 

 incident illustrates how the shipper, if he 

 wishes to be fair and " neighborly," can 

 ^^ew both sides of the question when it 

 comes to discussing " damages " while the 

 company has to guess at what I have 

 owned up in the above.* 



Somebody has said, " Corporations have 

 no soul." Is it not largely your fault and 

 mine that it is so? Have you not noticed 

 the growing fashion of sueing for damages? 

 I am told that there are a lot of so-called 

 lawyers who make it their business to go 

 to people who have suffered, and offer to 

 " sue." for half the proceeds if successful. 

 Is it not true that if we, as a people, loved 

 our neighbors as ourselves, even " just a 

 little bit," the wicked war over the seas 

 would never have been started? And would 

 it not be still more true if we only recog- 

 nized every poor soul in trouble, no matter 



* Some years ago a lot of bees sent by express 

 wei-e " smashed up." I sent in a bill for thirty or 

 forty dollars' damages. An agent of the company 

 came to see ns, and in a very friendlv way said 

 something like this: "Mr. Root, we will pay this 

 bill if you say so; in fact, I suppose we shall have 

 to pay it; but if we do we shall be obliged to raise 

 our rate on bees. Shall I pay the bill?" I think 

 that in this case there was fault in preparing the 

 shipment. I said, "No;" and the rate on hives of 

 bees was not advanced. 



on which side of the world he lives, as " our 

 neighbor" ? I think I can see this " cruel 

 war " is in some way helping to bring the 

 above to pass. 



" Oh glorious victory " that is coming, 

 coming, coming, when we shall be neighbors 

 to everybody, and everybody neighbors to 

 us — the victory that overoometh the world ! 



TRUE AND FALSE PATRIOTISM, PROM A COUPLE 

 OF " MOTHERS IN ISRAEL.-" 



Mr. A. I Root: — Quite recently mother sent me 

 a clipping taken from Gleanings. It was an 

 article in regard to patriotism, which I heartily 

 endorse. I have for years viewed national pat- 

 riotism as a sort fanaticism, a breeder of mis- 

 chief. It is a form of self-exaltation and misap- 

 preciation of others. It must come to pass accord- 

 ing to Isaiah 9 : 6, 7, that " the government shall 

 be upon his (Christ's) shoulders;" his is the 

 only flag or banner that can unite humanitv. He is 

 the one great magnet or force that can " draw all 

 men " without causing friction of the iinits. When 

 the angels proclaimed the fact of his birth, his 

 mission on earth was heralded thus: "Peace on 

 earth, good will to men." 



I think the root of the trouble is too much 

 theoretical and not enough practical Christianity. 

 Faith without works is dead. We practice too 

 much selfish and not enough unselfish patriotism. 

 Patriotism, from " patria," Latin for fatherland, 

 ought to mean zeal and patriotism for the heavenly 

 Father's kingdom to be established on earth. For- 

 merly there were family, tribal, and state differences 

 and feuds. We have reached the stage where 

 these have found means of living in peace and 

 harmony, having laid aside each his own emblem 

 and united under brotherly love. It is now time 

 that the nations unite under the banner seen by 

 Solomon, and which will lead to the " banqueting 

 house" of nations — Song of Songs, 2:4. " Pe 

 brought me into the banqueting house, and his 

 banner over me was love." Mrs. Louise Lacy. 



Richmond,, Mo., Nov. 6. 



Mr. A. I. Root: — To the above letter T will 

 add that both of my parents were French, and that I 

 love France where I had a very happy childhood. 

 My good husband was a German. I have been 

 in Germany five times, and love Germany dearly. 

 Our children were all born in Belgium, except the 

 youngest. He was born in the United States. 

 By such conditions, how can a body feel patriotic, 

 especially if homesick for the "old country"? Of 

 course we all must be true toward our adopted 

 country. 



With such a mixture of people from everywhere 

 under the sun, many having come here to escape 

 militarism, I doubt very much whether it is right 

 for us to export any implements of war. May 

 the time soon be here when the women will all 

 have the right to vote, and that they will use it so 

 that the lexportation of arms, whisky, and cigarettes 

 from this country will be a thing of the past. How 

 can we pray in truth for God's kingdom to come, 

 and at the same time furnish the world with im- 

 plements of murder for body and soul? God's king- 

 dom will not come so long as this nation tries to 

 serve God and mammon. 



Mrs. N. H. Sorge and Family. 



Ringwood, Okla., Nov. 23. 



Amen to both of the above letters; and 

 may the time speedily come when women 



