The Life of the Bee 



or that the secret is monstrous, other duties 

 will then arise that, as yet, perhaps, have 

 no name. Let our heart, if it will, in the 

 meanwhile repeat, " It is sad ; " but let 

 our reason be content to add, " Thus it is." 

 At the present hour the duty before us is 

 to seek out that which perhaps may be hid- 

 ing behind these sorrows ; and, urged on 

 by this endeavour, we must not turn our 

 eyes away, but steadily, fixedly, watch these 

 sorrows and study them, with a courage and 

 interest as keen as though they were joys. 

 It is right that before we judge nature, 

 before we complain, we should at least 

 ask every question that we can possibly 

 ask. 



We have seen that the workers, when 

 free for the moment from the threatening 

 fecundity of the queen, hasten to erect 

 cells for provisions, whose construction is 



