42 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



January, 1922 



that makes it all right. No human being 

 but myself knew my trademark. I think 

 not even the dear sister I have mentioned 

 who clerked for me. After marriage both 

 wife and sister helped in the store. With 

 two of God's precious jewels near by me 

 for. helpers, how coulil I ever have "gone 

 wrong?" See last text. 



While my "hobby" was electricity and 

 mechanical work, Mrs. Eoot 's was making 

 a ' ' home. ' ' Not only a neat, tidy, sanitary 

 home, but a godly home. Before I recog- 

 nized God 's call, two children were born, 

 a boy and a girl. Just as soon as they were 

 fairly able to go to Sunday school, they were 

 neatly attired and on hand. Well do I re- 

 call the Scripture text, repeated after the 

 mother by "lisping tongues." Later, when 

 the boy was old enough to go to day school, 

 he came home using words he had never 

 used before. When questioned by the care- 

 ful (and prayerful) mother he said the boys 

 at school all used such words. She gave him 

 a careful talk, and next morning bid him 

 good-bye outside the gate, with his promise 

 to * ' report ' ' when he came home. At night 

 she was again "outside the gate," waiting 

 his return. For some days his reports were 

 not always all that she had desired and 

 prayed for; but such careful work could not 

 fail, and finally he welcomed his mother 

 with an honest, manly, bright face, saying 

 day after day ' ' no more bad words. ' ' The 

 rest of the five children were watched and 

 trained in the same way. Altho she never 

 had the opportunity, she insisted there 

 should be no lack, on their part, in the way 

 of finished scholarship. She not only visited 

 the schools and kept in touch with their 

 teachers, but went over their lessons with 

 them when needed. When the older boy 

 was about 15 he was so much interested in 

 electricity and mechanics (like his father), 

 he announced he wasn 't going to school any 

 more; he was going to be a machinist. 

 Mother had planned sending him to Ober- 

 lin College. After considerable discussion, 

 I think the young man for the first time in 

 his life used the word "won't" to his 

 mother. At this crisis, I was about to in- 

 terfere but she waved me aside with "Fa- 

 ther, this is my job. I can handle the young 

 man without help." 



He went to Oberlin (of course he did) 

 and came home often with high honors, to 

 report to the good mother, just as he did 

 in childhood about the "bad words." 



The three girls and the other boy had the 

 same watchful care. The youngest daugh- 

 ter, Carrie Belle, while at High School, had 

 trouble with her eyes. The best doctors 

 agreed they must not be used to read for 

 quite a period. Must her education come to 

 a halt? The niotlier said not. She took Car- 

 rie 's books, Latin, ancient history, and I 

 don 't know what else, and mastered the les- 

 sons so Carrie came off with high marks, 

 without using her eyes at all. Did I too 

 help? I will tell you how / helped. When 



Mrs. Root got so much interested in her 

 ' ' lessons, ' ' she had to tell me about it. 

 When I was trying to sleep I would some- 

 times say, ' ' Dear wife, I am afraid j'ou will 

 have to ' let up, ' for I am so tired, I must 

 get to sleep. 



Today is Dec. 6. Mrs. Eoot was taken 

 from this world, with scarcely a minute 's 

 warning, a week ago today. Oh, what would 

 I give itoiv for the privilege of listening to 

 her dear voice once more, no matter what 

 she might have to say! It has been the 

 hardest blow of my life. I have prayed, 

 while the blinding tears shut out vis- 

 ion, as I never prayed before; and, bless 

 the Lord, I have learned lessons that noth- 

 ing else could teach me. For a year past 

 she has been telling us all she was not go- 

 ing to live long. Just the night before she 

 died, we both woke up and had a long talk 

 in regard to the matter of separation and 

 that one of us must go first. She declared 

 she was the one, and planned who should 

 care for me in my old age. The next morn- 

 ing she insisted on getting up early and 

 starting the washing. On page 780, Decem- 

 ber issue, I mentioned the work of the storm 

 on our best room. I finally found a mason, 

 and she was very much pleased to have the 

 ceiling ' ' made good. ' ' I suggested leaving 

 the mopping of the floor until next day, but 

 she told a neighbor after everybody got out 

 of the way, after supper, she would mop it. 

 I mention this to show she had her usual 

 health and strength, and especially her zeal 

 to have things tidy and neat, before retir- 

 ing. Her helper went away about 5 o 'clock, 

 after scrubbing the floor and leaving the 

 room in order. I got up from the supper 

 table shortly after, to go up town on an er- 

 rand. She finished her supper evidently and 

 carried the dishes out to the kitchen table. 

 When T came in, a few minutes later, with 

 an armful of groceries, I found her at full 

 length on the kitchen floor. Her face looked 

 perfectly natural, and there was no evi- 

 dence of any struggle for life, or of any 

 pain. The doctor said she must have died 

 instantly. 



Just one more incident before closing this 

 long Home Paper. Just a few days before 

 her death, we had some discussion in regard 

 to the way to prepare and cook roselle (the 

 Florida cranbei-ry). She objected to my 

 way, and I got a little, say, "vehement." I 

 left hurriedly and started out to my work 

 Something (was it the Holy Spirit?) bid me 

 go back and apologize; but I was still a 

 little contrary, and said to myself it was 

 only a small matter any way, and pushed on. 

 But that "still small voice" whispered, 

 "You may recall this later on." I dropped 

 my tools, hastened back and said, "Sue, 

 please forgive me for being rude and unkind 

 and I will try to do better." 



She put her arm around my neck and, 

 resting her dear head on my shoulder^ re- 

 plied: 



