506 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



JrxE 



onlj^ those can sleep who are tired out with 

 honest, healthful labor ! She reflected how 

 faithful and industrious John had been of 

 late. So absorbed was he with his bees, he 

 had hardly had time to think of going off 

 with any of the wicked boys as he had a few- 

 months previous been somewhat inclined to 

 do. What had made such a difference in her 

 family? She almost started, as it flashed 

 upon her mind that there before her she saw 

 the answer to her prayer of but a few weeks 

 ago. Down she fell on her knees, at the 

 thought, and silently thanked, again and 

 again, that Savior who had indeed been an 

 ever-present help in trouble. Then as she 

 remembered her husband, who was still out 

 of work, she prayed for him too. It was 

 Saturday night ; but as she at length lay 

 down to* rest, it was with a greater feeling of 

 nearness to God than she had ever known 

 before, and with a happy, trustful, restful 

 feeling, that seemed to her almost too much 

 happiness for one who had. almost all her 

 life before this, known so much trouble and 

 trial. 



The next thing she remembered was hear- 

 ing John's voice, calling, " O motherl fath- 

 er! come quick! The queen is laying right 

 next to the glass. Come quick, or she may 

 go round the other side again! "' and off he 

 scampered up stairs. At flrst, the feeling 

 was somewhat of vexation at being awak- 

 ened at such an early hour on Sunday morn- 

 ing ; but as she thought of the events of the 

 evening before, and reflected further that 

 the sun was already up and shining, she 

 hastened to get up, as did her husband also, 

 after he nibbed his eyes until he was quite 

 awake. ^lary was on hand too ; and al- 

 though all of the family looked a little as if 

 they had been scared out by an alarm of fire, 

 they soon began to share John's enthusiasm, 

 at least to some extent. There the queen 

 was with her long tapering body, busily en- 

 gaged at her appointed task, as unconcerned 

 as if she was not the center of an admiring 

 audience. Iler mock gravity as she settled 

 herself in a cell, and remained the center of 

 a caressing circle of bees, was such that John 

 laughed until the tears stood in his eyes. 



"O mother! mother! mayn't I go over 

 and ask Freddie ^Slerrybanks to come over 

 and see her too? Please, mother, it won't be 

 wicked to just come over a minute. You 

 know she will get this side all filled to-day, 

 and won't ever come out this way again. 

 Please, mother, may I goV" 



Silence gave consent, so John thought, 

 and off' he was, like an arrow. Fearing his 

 mother might repent, as it seemed, he 

 jumped almost the whole way from the 

 top of the stairs to the bottom. and was soon 

 out of hearing, if not out of sight. In a very 

 short time, not only Freddie was seen com- 

 ing, but friend ^NleiTybanks too. Johns 

 father Avas a little surprised at this, knowing 

 his strict ideas in regard to the Sabbath; 

 but after all had looked at the queen, and 

 friend M. had given them a little talk in re- 

 gard to the greatness and goodness of God 

 in endowing these little creatures with such 

 a wonderful instinct, Mary apparently, by 

 accident, turned the whole state of affairs in 

 the right direction after all, by coming up 



to her father, and saying, as she took his 

 hand in both of hers,— 



" Now, pa, we have all had such a real 

 good time in looking at the queen, you want 

 to come with iis to Sunday-school, won't 

 youV You just see if we do not have just as 

 good a time there." 



Friend M. joined in with the request too ; 

 and, almost before he had time jto consider, 

 he gave a promise, and then reflected that 

 he had no suitable clothes to go to such a 

 place. In fact, he had not been inside of a 

 meeting-house in so long a time, he hardly 

 knew how folks did dress or act there. 

 John's mother listened, while her heart al- 

 most stood still. Was the time of miracles 

 still hereV Was it really ]iossible that God 

 had heard that prayer of only last night? 

 and was her husband really going with the 

 rest to chiirch or Sabbath-school? He was a 

 man of his word, despite his other failings, 

 and he did go to that very little church, wh.ose 

 stee])le you have so often noticed over among 

 the trees. He did not seem to get interest- 

 ed in the sermon, and finally went to sleep, 

 much to his wife's mortification and sur- 

 prise. After service, during the few mo- 

 ments that intervened before the Sunday- 

 school, the superintendent took him by the 

 band and spoke pleasantly to him, though 

 still in not such a way as to" remind him that 

 it was singular to see him there ; and in the 

 Bible-class, where he sat with his wife, there 

 seemed such a pleasant and friendly feeling, 

 he really, somewhat to his surprise, enjoyed 

 it so that he was actually sorry when it was 

 over. On the way liome" he asked so many 

 questions of his wife in regard to the lesson 

 and people present, that she forgot his sleep- 

 ing during the morning, and was again 

 inwardly thanking God for his great mercies. 

 After sui)per he lighted his pipe, and. in 

 spite of his wife's pleading, sauntered off up 

 to the ■' Corners " as usual. Who shall fath- 

 om the mystery of the human heart? 



Next evening friend JMerrybanks came 

 over, with a number of the British Bee Joiir- 

 nol. All hands gathered eagerly around 

 while he spread it oat upon the table. Mary, 

 too, was interested, for that pail bee-hive 

 seemed especially the property of the chil- 

 dren since the stampede down by the hog- 

 pen ; and as friend M. announced that they 

 had started a round cheap hive in England 

 too, all were eager to see what it Avas like. 

 We will just take a peep over their shoulders 

 at the picture thej^ saw on the bread clean 

 pages of the journal. 



THE CHEESE-BOX BEE-HIVE, 



