NATURAL HISTORY. 57 



is awful to think of what is then to become 

 of his soul. Ah, my dear boys ! I could not 

 help thinking, when I read my letter, of what 

 that man said to me years ago and I have 

 told you his story, hoping that you will re- 

 member his words, < Beware of the first drink.' 

 The man who does that will never be a 

 drunkard. And when old Uncle Philip is 

 laid in the grave, boys, which must be before 

 many years, remember, as you look upon the 

 place, that he told you the story of Tom 

 Smith, and charged you to ' beware of thejirst 

 drink.' 



" But here come some of the boys, running 

 towards us ; I suppose they have found some- 

 thing." 



"Oh, Uncle Philip! Uncle Philip! Do 

 come with the boys this way. Under that 

 fence yonder there are a great many beautiful 

 wild flowers, and a number of bees are as 

 busy as they can be about them ; pray come 

 and see them." 



" Well, I will ; but not so fast, boys ; you 

 forget that I am an old man, and cannot run 

 as you do. So, here are, indeed, a. great many 

 industrious little workmen." 



" What are they doing, Uncle Philip ?" 



