756 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 1 



one ought to have to take such a step as 

 that. I tried to tell him 1 was sure the kind 

 of feeling he had in mind was not needed. I 

 said something like this: 



" Mr. Wilson, the start these boys have 

 taken during the past year is really a turn- 

 ing-point in their lives. It is going to be to 

 some of them a turning from darkness into 

 light. They are going to grow in wisdom's 

 ways, and make true and honest men. Your 

 sympathy is certainly with them. Let me 

 use an illustration. Young people will get 

 together and have fun. If it is not some 

 sort of religious meeting it is likely to be a 

 dance— such a one as they used to have in 

 the hall over the saloon, or may be such as 

 they have now. Young men often get to- 

 gether and learn gambling. Very likely you 

 yourself have seen a lot of boys get togeth- 

 er, and may be some poor fellow would lose 

 the entire wages he had earned during the 

 week. People around here work hard 

 for their money. Now, sometimes young 

 men who work hard get the gambling craze, 

 and on Saturday night lose all their earn- 

 ings, without leaving enough to pay their 

 boardbill. Have you known such things to 

 happen?" 



He nodded his head, and said he had known 

 just such cases. 



' ' In the same way they get to drinking, 

 and spend their money for drink. Now, 

 these meetings and the revival are all in 

 another direction. The teachings of the Bi- 

 ble are directly opposed to every thing that 

 encourages selfishness or greed. What do 

 you think of a man, young or old, who, just 

 because he could beat his opponent in play- 

 ing cards, would take all his hard earnings? 

 This is supposing it to be a fair and nonest 

 game (if a game at cards can be honest) , to 

 say nothing about cheating and trickery. 

 Now, my good friend, you certainly have 

 feeling and enthusiasm in wanting to see 

 these boys grow in wisdom and righteousness 

 instead of taking the downward path. The 

 gambling, the drinking, the licentiousness, 

 all lead down, down, down. The Bible ex- 

 presses it in this way : ' Her house is the way 

 to hell, going down to the chambers of 

 death. ' But the spirit of these meetings is 

 well exemplified in that little hymn I have 

 been quoting- 

 Lord, lift me up and let me stand 

 By faith on heaven's tableland. 



' ' Mr. Wilson, you have a bright little boy 

 who begins to follow you all over the farm, 

 and even when you go quite a piece to the 

 neighbors'. He is going to keep following. 

 To him, whatever his father does is right; 

 and he is going to follow in his father's foot- 

 steps. ' ' 



In closing I mentioned some of the boys 

 who are making such excellent progress in 

 the Christian graces. I spoke of one we 

 will call .John Brown. "Yes," said he, 

 "John Brown is doing grandly. He is the 

 sort of young man I like, and I am glad to 

 see him get up and read his Bible and take 

 part in the meetings in the manly way he 

 has been doing right along." 



I went home and worked hard to make 

 preparations to get back to Medina the next 

 day. It was just getting dark when this 

 same John Brown came over to bid me good 

 by. Of course, we had to talk over church 

 matters, etc. Finally, just before he went 

 away he said something like this: 



" Mr. Root, it is true I have been attend- 

 ing the meetings right along, and I think 

 they are doing a lot of good; but sometimes 

 it troubles me to think that I have not more 

 feeling or enthusiasm in the matter. Now, 

 to tell the honest truth, I do not believe I 

 get the enjoyment out of the meetings that 

 I used to get in going to other places that I 

 can not go to now because I am a member 

 of the church, and I am afraid there are 

 others who are not honest about the matter. 

 They think it is their duty to get up and 

 read something in the Bible or tell their ex- 

 perience, but do they always really mean 

 just what they say? " 



I replied something like this: 



"John, I am glad to have you come out 

 square and honest in this way. Many a man 

 has had something of the same feeling that 

 you express, but only a few are honest 

 enough to own it as you do. Even away 

 back in old times we read that God's people 

 got tired of well doing. We read in Mala- 

 chi that some of them said, ' What profit is 

 it that we have kept his ordinance, and that 

 we have walked mournfully before the Lord 

 of hosts?' The reply was, 'Prove me now 

 herewith, said the Lord of hosts, if I will 

 not open you the windows of heaven and 

 pour you out a blessing that there shall not 

 be room to receive it.' And again comes 

 the exhortation, ' Be not weary in well do- 

 ing, ' etc. Now, John, you keep right along 

 in the straight and narrow path, whether 

 you feel like it or not. In due time God will 

 give you happiness — all anybody ought to 

 have." 



Then I told him what Mr. Wilson said of 

 his Christian character, which seemed to 

 please him very much. Then I added, 

 ' ' Look here, John, I do not think it will do 

 any harm to tell you that I know all about 

 some of the enjoyments that church people 

 can not consistently participate in. Why, 

 if it would not be wicked, I should greatly 

 enjoy helping to buy a keg of beer and help 

 to drink it. I do not know but I would give 

 a dollar for the fun * I could get out of a 

 keg of beer with a crowd if I could do it 

 with a clear conscience. But it can't be 

 done. Just a short time ago a keg of beer 

 caused the death of two men not far from 

 here. Now, because I still have a hanker- 

 ing occasionally for this same beer that I 

 have not tasted in forty years, suppose when 

 I am off alone in a strange crowd I should 

 indulge, and that nobody should ever hear 

 of it. What would you think of me, and 

 what would I think of myself if I should 

 stand up in your meeting as I have been do- 



* This kind of " fun " reminds one of the fable about 

 the old frog that stood up and said to the boys who were 

 having fun in stoning them,'' Boys, this mar be fun for 

 you- no doubt it is: but please remember that what is 

 fun for yoti is death to us. ' 



