1903 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



853 



the pages of Gleanings, like the time of 

 the convention, can not be used to explain 

 personal grievances. 



In Conclusion I vrish to saj' this: If there 

 is nothing' in our constitution whereby one 

 man can be prevented from blocking the 

 way, and standing out against the wishes 

 of a large roomful of bee-keepers, we want 

 to put something into that constitution that 

 luill do the work, and do it quickly. Bee- 

 keepers come long distances at big expense 

 for the purpose of learning things they do 

 not already know about bee culture. This 

 convention is called for that purpose, and it 

 is preposterous to think of allowing the 

 precious hours, we might almost say min- 

 utes, to be occupied at such a time, and 

 with such a crowd, in discussing matters 

 that bee-keepers neither know nor care any 

 thing about. AVhenever anj' speaker gets 

 ofl" the triick, or whenever he is occupying 

 more time than we can allow him, he ought 

 to be called to order by the chairman, with- 

 out fear or favor. I for one should be glad 

 to be made an example of. Whenever the 

 chairman thinks I am talking too long, or 

 even if he does not think so, I wish he 

 would call me down that I may be able to 

 set an example before the rest, by good- 

 naturedlj' breaking oft' or stopping any- 

 where. We are working for the public 

 good, and not to set out our own personal 

 matters. 



Years ago, when I invited bee-keepers to 

 attend conventions, many of them would 

 give as an excuse that thej' would be glad 

 to go if the time could be occupied in dis- 

 cu.-sing bee culture; but thej^ did not want 

 to go and hear quarrels and jangles and 

 discussions in regard to "parliamentary 

 rules," etc. 



It did me good to look once more into the 

 face of Prot. Cook and to hear the tones of 

 his voice, for it brought back the memory 

 of old times. And then I remembered 

 how persistently he has all his life plead 

 for decency and order. Then I looked at 

 Bro. York in the same way. I remembered 

 what a quiet, peaceful man he had always 

 been, and how plainly it seemed written on 

 his face that he loved peace rather than 

 warfare. Now, do not misunderstand me. 

 Bro. York has some claws (turned in out 

 of sight); arid once or twice, when claws 

 and nothing else would hit the spot, he has 

 shown himself ready to use them. Then I 

 might mention W. Z. Hutchinson, Dr. Mil- 

 ler, and a host of others I have known and 

 loved so many years. 



Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.— Ex. 20:8. 

 SELLING HONEY ON SUNDAY 

 Mr. A. I Root: — As I have been reading Gi-e.\n'ings 

 and your Home talks in the same paper, I have ac- 

 quired much confidence in you as a Oirislian friend, 

 and so ask you concerning my spiritual experience of 

 late. I'artly through weakne.ss and partly through 

 neglect of <luty I sold a few pounds of honey to a cus- 

 tomer on Sunday .some time ago. but decided later not 

 to do so again. To day I had another call for honey, 

 and refused. I don't know how it is with you; but 

 with me this is hard to do — not so much for fear of 



losing trade as of making enemies of those men. 

 Could I have more influence with these in making 

 Christians of them by doing so or not? 

 DeL*nd, 111., Aug. 30. F. N. Morgan. 



Friend M., I am exceedingly obliged to 

 3^ou for having brought this matter up; for 

 I feel quite certain that others who wish to 

 remember the Sabbath to keep it holy have 

 passed through similar experiences. I fear 

 it will be very hard, however, to lay down 

 any general rules in regard to the matter. 

 If honey is wanted for sickness, or even if 

 the one who calls for it makes that a plea, 

 I would let him have it. But perhaps I 

 should prefer, under the circumstances, to 

 give it away rather than receive money for 

 it on God's holy day. Then, again, it must 

 depend a great deal on circumstances. 

 While in Cuba, a little colored boy came 

 with a bottle and a dime over to our apiary, 

 and wanted some honey. Mr. Wardell, the 

 manager, told him he could not have any; 

 but as the boy spoke only Spanish, and 

 Mr. W. only English, I hardly think he 

 knew why we refused to give him a dime's 

 worth when we had honey by the carload. 

 So far as Sunday was concerned, very like- 

 ly the boy did not know it was Sunday, or 

 did not know Sunday from any other day. 

 I think I would have taken the dime and 

 given him the honey; but I would have gone 

 to work at once to try to tell not only that 

 boy, but all in that region, something about 

 the day God has set apart. 



Now, I fear that some of the good friends 

 ma}' think I am not very good authority in 

 this matter; but to others who have confi- 

 dence in my judgment and in my interpre- 

 tations of Christ's teachings, I will go a 

 little further. Here in a christian land, 

 where we all speak the same language, if 

 a neighbor has come quite a distance to get 

 some honey on Sunday I would let him have 

 it for fear I should hurt the cause of Christ 

 more by losing his friendship and good will 

 than I would by trading on Sunday. Let 

 him take take the honey along and pay you 

 for it if convenient on some week day. I do 

 not like to handle money on Sunday if it 

 can be avoided. If, however, it is going to 

 be difficult for him to pay it some other 

 time 1 think I would take the money then; 

 but I would have a pleasant talk with him 

 in regard to the matter, explaining why 

 j'ou do not like to buy or sell on Sunday. 



One of the former pastors of our church 

 ordered a chicken sent to him on Saturday 

 night. The meat-man was so rushed with 

 business on Saturday evening that he could 

 not deliver the fowl till Sunday morning. 

 I think the meat-man brought it himself. 

 The pastor declined receiving it, telling 

 him he could not encourage buj'ing and 

 selling on Sunday; that he ordered the 

 chicken Saturday, and it was to be deliver- 

 ed that same night. They missed having 

 chicken for dinner, and the butcher had to 

 carry his prepared chicken back to his 

 shop. But that was not the whole of it. It 

 had been the custom, it seems, for the meat- 

 man to deliver his goods on Sunday morn- 



