THE COUNTRY HOME [chapter 



thus drawn by his call, to follow where he led. Is 

 there not, after all, some truth in the Pied Piper of 

 Hamelin ? 



Certain I am that the exercise of manly sym- 

 pathy throughout the whole homestead will work 

 a marvelous change in animals, birds, and even in 

 insects. I shall never forget how my father carried 

 a swarm of bees to a neighbor's, living one-eighth 

 of a mile from his home. He cut the limb, on 

 which the bees were hanging, and started up the 

 street, the bees crawling all over his hand until they 

 reached his shoulder, where a large part of them 

 rested. He was entirely unprotected against them, 

 except, with his common clothing. Reaching the 

 house of the friend who had purchased the bees, 

 they were astounded at his appearance, and ex- 

 claimed in terror. My father simply laughed a 

 quiet laugh, and brushed the bees with a gentle 

 touch into a hive. 



Prof. Mason S. Stone, for some time Superin- 

 tendent of Education in Vermont, says that, "Next 

 to the discipline that comes from hand work, the 

 best discipline that comes to a boy is the reflex 

 training that comes to himself from training ani- 

 mals. That which brings out the confidence of 



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