772 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 1 



pertaining to it was getting to be run down 

 and deserted. The young pastor told me 

 there used to be thirty or forty members; 

 but now there are not more than half a doz- 

 en, and these were all women. At the 

 time of our visit he had succeeded in rais- 

 ing money enough to paint the church, and 

 the painter had got the job half done. He 

 had got as high as a short ladder would 

 reach. At this point he plead poverty so 

 effectually, and the need of the money, 

 that the kind-hearted pastor paid him in 

 full for the job, and right at this point the 

 work stopped. The ladders had been lean- 

 ing against the church for three weeks. 

 But the painter was off somewhere else. I 

 am really afraid the money advanced him, 

 at least some of it, had gone into the flour- 

 ishing saloon instead of going to his needy 

 wife and family. 



The Sunday-school at half-past ten con- 

 tained perhaps two dozen people, young and 

 old. The services Sunday evening drew a 

 fair-sized audience for such a community. 

 I think I helped to make the audience a 

 little larger than usual by urging the people 

 around town to go to church. 



The young minister did not preach; but 

 we had a very good sermon from an old 

 grey-headed veteran. It was much too long, 

 however, and with the communion service 

 we were kept in church a plump two hours. 

 Not only did the audience yawn, but the 

 young minister in his chair behind the 

 aged pastor yawned again and again. I 

 thought I discovered right there one reason 

 why so few people attend church. Monday 

 morning 1 talked with the pastor about it. 

 Said I, "Surely you have one or more busi- 

 ness men in this town who are members of 

 your church?" 



"Mr. Root, there is not only not a busi- 

 ness man who belongs to our church, but 

 there is not a man in business in the whole 

 length of the street who ever goes to church 

 at all; and there is not a male member of 

 our church, young or old." 



Saturday afternoon I happened to be in 

 one of the hardware stores making a pur- 

 chase when the church-bell rang. Some- 

 body said it must be a fire. A lot of boys 

 ran out to see where the fire was, and 

 finally the proprietor followed. When I 

 asked where there was a fire, somebody 

 said he guessed the church was on fire, for 

 the church-bell was ringing. After a while 

 the crowd turned back because they learned 

 that it was only a Saturday-afternoon 

 meeting. It was such an unusual thing to 

 have a church meeting during the week the 

 people would have it that it was a fire- 

 bell. 



Let me say to the credit of the town, and 

 to the credit of the man, that the busy agent 

 at the railroad depot had recently been in- 

 stalled superintendent of the Sunday-school. 

 "When I first came into town I was favora- 

 bly impressed with the man's appearance. 

 He seemed quiet, faithful, courteous, and 

 accommodating. In fact, he behaved like a 

 Christian, which is something that all de- 



pot agents do not do. I had quite a little 

 talk with him. His good wife was one of 

 the half-dozen that made up that scanty 

 church-membership. Said I, "Mr. C, I con- 

 gratulate you, the railroad company you' 

 represent, and the people of the town, on 

 the fact that you are superintendent of the 

 Sunday-school. But I wish to ask also why 

 you are not a member of the little strug- 

 gling band of church-members." 



He smiled as he replied, with a shade of 

 sadness in his voice, " Mr. Root, I have oft- 

 en thought of this, and I should like to be 

 enrolled as a member of the church; but 

 how would it look, and what would people 

 say, to see a church-member working at 

 least a great part of every Sunday, as I am 

 obliged to work, to take care of the neces- 

 sary Sunday duties of my office?" 



Now, my reply may not have been strict- 

 ly orthodox. Perhaps the ministers of the 

 gospel who read this ma3' not agree with 

 me, or may think I erred in judgment. I 

 told him to go straight forward in the path 

 of duty as nearly as he could, and pay no 

 attention to what people might say, and es- 

 pecially to listen to no suggestions of Satam 

 in regard to the matter. Said I, " Per- 

 form all necessary duties on Sundaj', welt 

 and faithfully. Ask your cfompany to ex- 

 cuse you as much as possible from Sunday 

 work. Tell them you are a church mem- 

 ber, but that you expect to do necessary 

 Sunday work, exactly as the farmer milks 

 his cows and feeds his stock on Sunday; 

 then stand by your colors, and serve the 

 Lord Jesus Christ as well as you know how, 

 and God will bless and prosper you. Your 

 company will think more of you, and you 

 may be assured they will not let you go if 

 they can help it. Mr. C, will 3'ou please 

 tell me how loner you have been station 

 agent here for this railroad company?" 



His reply came with a modest little smile, 

 "I have been here at this station just 

 about twenty-three years." 



A little inquiry revealed the fact that he 

 had been a little Jiiore than that length of 

 time, I think I may safely say, a faithful 

 servant to the company he represented. I 

 went on: 



" My good friend, this is a drinking town. 

 The greater part of the population patron- 

 ize the saloons. Of course, you do not. 

 Do you know how much the railroad com- 

 panies value a man, when they get hold of 

 him, who never goes near a saloon? And 

 you know, too, what stringent rules almost 

 all the railway companies are making in 

 regard to this matter of intemperance and 

 saloons." 



We were detained two or three days in 

 the town as a matter of business. While 

 we were there, a new saloon was opened. 

 To celebrate the event, the proprietor treat- 

 ed the town. So many tipsy men came 

 around our machine where we had it in 

 pieces making repairs that Huber expressed 

 a fear it would be damaged in spite of us. 

 A big man leaned heavily on a portion of 

 the frame that was unsupported. I expect- 



