1092 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 15 



common every-day people of our nation; and 

 this can be done by only just such revivals 

 as I have been describing. Every one who 

 is really born into the kingdom goes at once 

 to work to win his neighbors. 



I don't know so much about the "Congress 

 of 400 men, ' ' but I do know of a House and 

 Senate in our own State of Ohio whose unit- 

 ed voices were swept aside by the veto of 

 Gov. Herrick just because of the "Boss" 

 and breweries that stood behind him. 



There may be dogs valued at $15,000, and 

 it isn't particularly my affair; but if there 

 are women in our nation who are "making 

 shirts" at "15 cts. a dozen " it ought to be 

 the affair of every one of us. Can any one 

 tell us if this is true? 



Right near where I write there are schools 

 and churches for the Indians of Northern 

 Michigan, and may God be praised for it; 

 but there is something else also near where 

 I am writing. At Sutton's Bay, eight miles 

 from here, the Leelanau fair was recently 

 held. Mrs. Root was more interested in 

 the Indian men, women, and children, than, 

 perhaps, in any thing else at the fair; but 

 in the afternoon there were drunken Indi- 

 ans reeling about on the grounds, and along 

 the way between the fair and the town. 

 Some could not walk at all, and I saw two 

 intoxicated Indian women. Can some one 

 tell me if there is not a law here in Michi- 

 gan, as there is in California and Arizona, 

 against selling intoxicants to Indians? A 

 prominent business man in Sutton's Bay told 

 me if he should undertake to enforce the 

 law against the saloons, the rough element 

 " runs things " to such an extent he would 

 not be permitted to stay in the town. A 

 bee-keeper who resides near there said to 

 me, "Mr. Root, the saloons could not pay 

 expenses if it were not for their trade with 

 the Indians." There is an Indian village 

 but a few miles away, and Mrs. Root said 

 she thought almost a fourth of the people 

 attending the fair were Indians. This State 

 and our whole nation are laboring to edu- 

 cate and civilize these dusky friends, and I 

 am sure their village with its Indian schools, 

 churches, stores, etc. , sh^ws very commend- 

 able progress; but just think of permitting 

 a few saloon-keepers (just for the sake of 

 the little money they make) to tear down, 

 and send to ruin, all our efforts to educate 

 and build up this people! There is a Con- 

 gregational church in Sutton's Bay, and a 

 small band of Christian women are doing 

 what they can to stem the tide. How long, 

 Lord, shall this thing continue? 



On page 1035 of our last issue I gave the 

 testimony of a middle-aged man who came 

 forward one rainy evening. Within less 

 than a week he was asked to lead the meet- 

 ing; and he told us then that, as soon as he 

 stood up in the anxious-seat, his mind kept 

 running toward three friends of his, and he 

 kept thinking they too must be persuaded to 

 come, and they did come — all three. One of 

 the three was Earl. Is it possible that any 

 of these who are happy in the love of Christ 

 could be guilty of any such work as men- 



tioned in that newspaper clipping? Surely 

 not; for ' ' the blood of Christ cleanseth from 

 all sin." 



As an illustration of the way in which the 

 love of Christ transforms and makes over 

 the individual, I will, with your permission, 

 mention an experience of my own. Mrs. 

 Root was born in England, and came to this 

 country when eight years of age. My an- 

 cestors were " Down-east Yankees." Both 

 of us acquired from our parents certain pe- 

 culiarities of dialect. As Mrs. Root was ed- 

 ucated here she shows very little of the 

 English in her speech; but after our mar- 

 riage, when we both got real well acquaint- 

 ed, I suppose we were less careful about 

 speaking strictly according to grammar and 

 dictionary. At one period in my life (before 

 my conversion), I am sorry to say I used to 

 feel annoyed at her slight accent that only 

 occasionally indicated she was not of Amer- 

 ican birth. I was well aware her speech 

 was much more correct than my own, but 

 at times I felt vexed that she could not 

 learn to speak exactly like the "Yankees." 

 I am sorry to be obliged to make this con- 

 fession; but it well illustrates the attitude 

 of the human heart when the love of Christ 

 has not entered. Too many a husband has 

 got into a way of thinking himself the cen- 

 ter of the (home) universe, and that all 

 should conform to his ways. Now note the 

 contrast. After I learned that the Lord 

 Jesus Christ is "Lord of creation, " and 

 not my poor self, I began to love these 

 few quaint peculiarities that formerly 

 vexed me. They are now to me an attrac- 

 tion, and I love the dear little woman all the 

 more for them. Yes, I can honestly say I 

 love all of her countrymen when their speech 

 betrays their nationality ; and I enjoy telling 

 them Mrs. Root came from Queen Victoria's 

 land. Our own America is now made up of 

 a mixtuve of many nations, and God intend- 

 ed it should be so. It should make us more 

 gentle to those from other shores. Not only 

 should our * ' mother tongue ' ' tell where we 

 came from, but we of the fatherhood of God 

 should be known of all nations because we 

 have "love one to another." 



The man who casts ridicule on one because 

 he speaks another tongue, or speaks our 

 language imperfectly, not only betrays to 

 all men he is not a Christian, but at the 

 same time betrays that he is not even a gen- 

 tleman. When I tried in vain to make my- 

 self understood among the Spanish-speak- 

 ing people in Cuba, I resolved again and 

 again to be more careful hereafter to give 

 all the help I could to any I should meet who 

 do not speak our language. 



Of course, members of the different clubs 

 and secret societies have * * love one to anoth- 

 er," of their own people; but the gospel of 

 Christ Jesus includes all people and all na- 

 tions. The only password is, "All who love 

 the Lord." 



In regard to the different denominations, 

 a very devout and earnest gray-headed Ger- 

 man friend said to me a few days ago, 

 " Brother Root, it makes very little differ- 



