162 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 1 



where "we two" could "keep house" once 

 more after our own fashion and tastes. 



As Mr. McAuley, the son-in-law, is a car- 

 penter I engaged him to build it. But before 

 we had really decided, the Phantom (the 

 weekly boat) cast anchor near us, and the 

 captain said if we could give him the order 

 at once he would have all the lumber on 

 hand in a week or less. As he was ready 

 to sail, a bill of materials was made out very 

 hastily. Our carpenter thought a very good 

 temporary Florida cottage could be put up 

 for $75.00 or $85.00; but several things trans- 

 pired very soon to induce us to put more 

 money into it. First, the carpenters neg- 

 lected to specify low-priced lumber for a 

 temporary residence; but he gave the cap- 

 tain verbal instructions not to send No. 1; 

 but he forgot all about it; and, of course, 

 the lumber folks gave us the very best, or 

 at least the price was for the best. Sec- 

 ondly, when we began discussing the matter 

 more thoroughly I said to Mr. Shumard, on 

 whose land we were to build : 



"Look here, friend S. Mrs. Root thinks 

 she, at least, will never come back here. 

 Now, if I don't either, will you take the 

 building off my hands at, say, half cost?" 



Mr. S. has been here only two years, and 

 has a house built only temporarily at first, 

 so he responded at once: 



"Yes, sir, and more too; that is, if you 

 two use it only this one winter." 



At this Mrs. R. took courage, for such 

 hasty investments a good many times can 

 not be turned into cash again for even half 

 cost. As he is a carpenter too, or used to be, 

 we modified the plan so that it might suit 

 him better in case it became his home. As 

 planed lumber ordinarily costs only a little 

 more, we decided to have all planed on both 

 sides and both edges. This not only makes 

 a much better- looking house, but the carpen- 

 ter can work a deal faster by having all 

 stuff dressed to exact dimensions. After 

 Mrs. Root's experience in the cabin with a 

 roof made of cull shingles she was very em- 

 phatic that we should have a good roof over- 

 head; but when that was settled she held 

 down our expense from beginning to end. 

 The lumber for a building 14|x22i with a 

 porch on one end 6J X 14i, cost for materials 

 less than $100. The carpenter work was 

 less than $50.00, and we have so pretty a 

 little cottage that I look forward with much 

 pleasure to the time when I can give you a 

 picture of it. Mrs. Root declares this one 

 shall be "the cottage in the woods," for it 

 is too pretty to be called a cabin. 



Now, friends, if it isn't plain to you it is 

 to me tvhy God called us two to this work. 

 Thousands have homes that are too large 

 and too aristocratic and too costly to be a 

 home in every sense of the word. The home 

 should be where happiness is to be found, 

 more than and above any other place; and 

 new expensive homes often bring unhappi- 

 ness. How many people look back at the 

 first home in early married life, and tell you 

 the happiest hours they ever knew were in 

 that first humble home! Mrs. Root has oft- 



en got so wearied in caring for our home 

 that cost several thousands she has begged 

 to have it sold or given away in order that 

 she might have a little one, that costs only 

 something like this one, say. 



Again, there are other thousands whose 

 homes lack simple and inexpensive comforts, 

 but they don't seem to know how to make 

 a little money go a great way. You know 

 I have been studying this matter of homes 

 for years, and 1 feel sure, therefore, I can 

 give you some helpful suggestions. The 

 carpenters and myself worked together dur- 

 ing the whole two weeks like a lot of broth- 

 ers. There was hardly a board or timber 

 put in place without my eyes on it. The 

 young man worked perhaps more rapidly 

 than Mr. S. and myself, but he always seem- 

 ed pleased at our suggestions from our riper 

 experience. To be exact, / did very little 

 work with may hands; but my mind, and es- 

 pecially my tongue, were very busy. 



"Wouldn't it be better to put that board 

 the other end up, so as to cut out that bad 

 place?" or, "If you will lay down your 

 boards between those two windows you can 

 space them so as to avoid cutting, ' ' etc. 



Some mistakes were made; in fact, I have 

 never seen a house built without mistakes; 

 but I helped to avoid them, and often stud- 

 ied out plans to remedy the results of mis- 

 takes. Some may suggest that a plan should 

 have been made beforehand; but this little 

 structure hardly required it. Besides, I have 

 seen so many expensive blunders with high- 

 priced architects, perhaps I have lost faith 

 in them. The man who builds a home should 

 be on hand with the builders every minute, 

 and he should take his wife along too. She 

 will have more to do with the home than 

 anybody else in the world, and she knows 

 how things should be better than any other 

 one. These two should spend much time in 

 planning beforehand, but they should bear 

 in mind that various things may make it 

 quite necessary to modify these plans. 



We were very anxious to get our high- 

 priced seasoned lumber in out of the weath- 

 er before it got a soaking from the very fre- 

 quent but (at this season) unusual rains 

 along about the first of the year. All hands 

 were at work sometimes before daylight, 

 and kept at it as long as we could see. Dur- 

 ing the building, Mrs. Root and I were cared 

 for by the two families, and the alarm clock 

 went off every morning promptly at 4:30 A. 

 M. (in January, mmd you). The rain held 

 off until just as we were laying the last doz- 

 en shingles, and all of our nice lumber was 

 safe. As there was no other shelter on the 

 island, there was quite a shout of triumph 

 among the shinglers. The boys, Orville and 

 Jesse, helped put on the shingles; and when 

 some one expressed surprise that Mr. Root 

 was so lucky, Mr. McAuley remarked: 



"Well, he ought to be lucky, for he has 

 not only worked hard but he has prayed 

 about it." 



He meant by this, that, when asking the 

 blessing at our morning meal, I alluded to 

 our anxiety to save our property from dam- 



