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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 



MB. MERBYBANKS AND HIS NEIGH- 

 BO U. 



Not slothful ia business; fervent in spirit; serv- 

 ing the Lord.— Romans 12:11. 



J'OHN'S father thought he had never be- 

 fore in his life tasted any butter like 

 "-^ that he found on the table that Sunday 

 morning. It was because God sent it, and 

 the things that God sends are not to be com- 

 pared with anything else in this world. Per- 

 haps some of our readers may prefer to have 

 me state it in a different way. Well, one 

 reason why he thought the butter so very 

 nice, was that he had been doing his duty, 

 not only in using the Sabbath morning in a 

 way he knew to be right, but that, when he 

 sat down to the table, instead of pitching in 

 and helping himself to the best of every 

 thing, he waited on each of the children, and 

 even passed to his wife the things she could 

 not reach readily. When he saw that they 

 were all lacking nothing, he helped himself. 

 Also, the plate of butter was brought over 

 by Freddie Merrybanks the evening before, 

 saying his mother wished them to try a sam- 

 ple of the butter made from the fine Jersey 

 cow that they had just purchased.- Simple 

 enough, was" it notV Well, John's father 

 thought God sent it, and I entirely agree 

 with him; but you. my friend, may think 

 otherwise if you wish, and we will not feel 

 hard tow^ard'you, either. If you wish to 

 have the butter good, try passing it to every- 

 body else before you take any, and I assui'e 

 you it will improve it amazingly, even if it 

 be not made from a Jersey cow. John's fa- 

 ther had just decided to try to follow Jesus, 

 and so he '-pleased not himself ; " but I do 

 not believe he knew where in the Bible it 

 read so. Do you V 



The whole family went to church, and as 

 it was but a little way they went easily on 

 foot. Our friend was a good deal interested 

 in the sermon, but as there was not very 

 much in it that applied directly to those just 

 taking a start in the new way, he did not en- 

 joy it as much as he did "the ]5ible-class, 

 where he could ask questions. His ques- 

 tions were of such a strange, out-of-the-way 

 kind, that he not only puzzled the teacher, 

 who was the pastor of the church, but called 

 the attention of many curious eyes toward 

 him. I will give just one for a sample. 



" Can a man be a Christian, who does not 

 pay his debts? " 



it may be that it was the money he owed 

 for that horse that lay heavily on his con- 

 science ; but be that as it may, it convinced 

 the good pastor that his pupil was really in 

 earnest, and it stirred him to unusual life 

 and zeal, not only in the answer to that 

 question, but through the whole lesson. 

 AV^ith an inward prayer of thanks to God, 

 that at least one seemed to be inquiring the 

 way, he raised his spectacles, and, with a 

 kindly smile beaming on his face, he replied 

 to his questioner, — 



'• Really, friend Jones, I am not sure that 

 questions of this kind admit of being ans- 

 wered by a simple yes or no. Had you asked 

 if a man could be a Christian, who did not 

 mean or propose to pay his debts, it would 

 have been somewhat different, for all man- 

 kind would then answer alike, skeptics as 



well as Christians. Now, on the other hand, 

 you know there are those who, in spite of all 

 they could do, can not meet thei)' just obli- 

 gations ; one on a bed of sickness, for in- 

 stance. In that case, would it be right to 

 say he could not be a Christian V " 



" Well, how hard ought one to try, who is 

 not sick V-' 



" Why, my friend, I hardly feel competent 

 to say ; but I am pretty sure the harder he 

 triesi the better Christian he will be — the 

 more will he feel God's approval. Y ou know 

 the Bible says, — 



Thou Shalt love the Lord Ihy God with all thy 

 heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, 

 and with all thy mind; and tby neighbor as thyself. 

 —Luke 10:37. 



That last clause seems to indicate that we 

 ought to try pretty hard before deciding we 

 can not give our neighbor that which is just- 

 ly his own, should we not V '' 



" Will you please tell me where that text 

 is V " 



The teacher smiled at his almost boyish 

 eagerness, and said, — 



'• Here ; hand me your Bible, and I will 

 mark it with my pencil." 



It was his wife's little Bible that he hand- 

 ed out, and as he did so he glanced at her 

 naturally. There was a tear glistening in 

 her eye, but with it was a look that told to 

 him what others could not see. When they 

 were first married, she had an eager longing 

 to have him stand well with the best people, 

 and a true wifely prido in thinking he was a 

 man among men. This hope, as it were, had 

 almost died out through the idle and shift- 

 less life he had passed ; but now the hope 

 had sprung u)) afresh, and through the 

 thanksgiving to God for this change that 

 seemed coming, there was, in that look, as 

 she saw how pleased and animated the min- 

 ister liad seemed in this little talk, more 

 than words could well tell to her husband. 

 He saw his wife's hands, worn with toil, and 

 glanced across the little church to where 

 John and Mary were. He took in at a 

 glance the way in which their poor clothing 

 contrasted with the comfortable though 

 ))lain apparel of the rest of the congrega- 

 tion, and it seemed to him that, if (iod 

 would only grant the same health he had en- 

 joyed during those wasted years, he would 

 as"k no greater blessing. What a dear good 

 kind man was their pastor ! Why, it would 

 be almostheaven upon earth to be permitted 

 to live near such a man, and to help him, 

 even only the little that he might do, in his 

 God-appointed work of saving souls. 



On his way home, the text — his text — was 

 running constantly through his mind. As 

 they sat down to dinner, without thinking 

 he read it again from the little Bible, and, as 

 a short silence ensued, it seemed to occur to 

 all tliat this was their first asking of (TOd's 

 blessing, before partaking of their food. It 

 seemed just then to the father that it would 

 be a pleasant, happy thing to repeat this 

 text, or something like it, as they gathered 

 around the table before every meal. 



If I am correct, during their talks and 

 plans for the future during that Sabbath 

 afternoon, there mingled in some plans and 

 suggestions for business. The horse was 

 talked about, and, I believe, nicely fed and 



