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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



J^ov. li. 



way to the bee-keepers' convention in Toronto. This visit 

 was most delightful. Mr. Langstroth was in a happy mood, 

 and enjoyed himself fully. In the afternoon, we went to Wal- 

 bridge Park, on the banks of the river above the city, from 

 which there is an extensive and beautiful view. He was in 

 harmony with all his surroundings. There we talked over 

 matters of mutual interest, and opened up each other's experi- 

 ences, purposes, and feelings. He spoke afterward of how 

 much better he had come to know "Brother McCauley " 

 through this visit. 



He related to me an incident of his tutorship in Yale, and 

 told how he had given personal attention, out of hours, to 

 students in special need of instruction. On one occasion on 

 account of previous illness, he missed the hour for his class. 

 It was a custom in Yale for the students to dismiss themselves 

 when the teacher was late, but one of the members of the 

 class said: " Is this the way to treat Tutor Langstroth, who 

 has been so kind to i^ ?" and they appointed cue of their num- 

 ber to inform the tether that it was time for the recitation. 

 He was found still in his room, but the class waited patiently 

 for him. 



A second time he was late, and a second time the class 

 waited, and then Mr. Langstroth informed his scholars that 

 if he was late again they might dismiss themselves without 

 ceremony. 



On the journey to and from the Park, Mr. Langstroth 

 showed considerable physical vigor, needing no assistance in 

 stepping on and off the cars, saying, "Only give me time." 

 He spoke with great satisfaction of the fact that his memory 

 had brought back to him things at one time forgotten. He 

 quoted favorite passages, and even Homer in the original. I 

 have now a little pocket present which at that time he said he 

 would request to be sent me. The matter, though small, did 

 not escape his attention, but the article came promptly, after 

 the Toronto convention. Be spoke of his recurrent physical 

 infirmity, and said that he thought Shakespeare had written 

 Hamlet out of his own experience, or that of some friend — he 

 had so exactly described the conditions of the case. He quoted 

 from Hamlet'where he says that he had lost all his mirth, 

 "foregone all custom of exercises," that the earth was like a 

 "sterile promontory," and the air and the " majestical roof 

 fretted with golden fire," like a " pestilent congregation of 

 vapors." 



Mr. Langstroth told how a certain scene in New England 

 had seemed all loveliness when he drove through it one day, 

 free from physical depression, and how it possessed not the 

 slightest interest for him on another occasion, when in a state 

 of melancholy. 



The next morning after this conversation, we parted at 

 the Union station in Toledo, not to meet again on earth. 

 Monday forenoon, Oct. 7, I received word from Dayton that 

 Mr. Langstroth was no more, " for God took him." On the 

 previous Sabbath he had gone to the church, to attend the 

 communion service and to assist the pastor in its administra- 

 tion. All the members of Mrs. Cowan's family were at home 

 and attended the service, but one. Among the number was 

 her grandchild, the infant daughter of Lorraine Cowan, of 

 Indianapolis. "Take her," said Mr. Langstroth, "and then, 

 in after years, she can say that the first time she ever went to 

 church she heard her great-graudfather preach." 



At the church, the pulpit was put aside on the rostrum, 

 and a chair placed for Mr. Langstroth, who said that he " did 

 aot feel as well as usual." He sat down and said, in sub- 

 stance, " I want to talk to you of the love of God, and how we 

 ought — " then paused and wavered. The pastor. Rev. Raber, 

 noticed the circumstance, and came to his assistance, and in 

 a moment Aurelius Cowan was at his grandfather's side. Most 

 of the audience remained in their seats, and no one cried out. 

 There were two physicians present, but there was no oppor- 

 tunity for medical skill. 



Thus amid silence and awe the spirit of our friend and 

 brother went swiftly away "in the beauty of holiness." I 

 have thought, again and' again, how significant and beauti- 

 ful was that death. For him was fulfilled the promise, "At 

 evening time it shall be light." After a variety of experiences, 

 and a full share of peculiar affliction, he was enabled to round 

 up his career with satisfaction and triumph. A time of " clear 

 shining after rain '" was given him to journey to the bee-keep- 

 ers' convention of North America, and thus bear, at the very 

 close of life, his well-earned honors, thick upon him. De- 

 prived of the work of the pastorate through so many years, he 

 was permitted to die in the very performance of the minis- 

 terial office, and in the administration of the Lord's supper. 



We gather from his closing years the benefits of his rip- 

 ened character ; and as we pause awhile in the after-glow of 

 his life, we read the lesson of trust in (Jod, who disposes events 

 to his own glory and the final good of his children. 



In closing these reminiscences, I can do better express my 

 feelings than by quoting two stanzas, written and set to the 

 tune by Karl Merz, which was found by and by, and published 

 with a dedication to Bro. Langstroth: 



Sweet peace of God the aged know 



Who walk for him this weary way; 

 With joy they leave the scenes below, 



And mount on wings to youth's fair day ; 

 Earth's highest wisdom they repeat, 



Then on the endless ages roll : 

 Here, sweetest hours at Jesus' feet; 



There, sweeps the pathway of the soul. 



Toledo, Ohio. 

 What Dr. Miller Thinks. 



That Canadian Law. — Has one of the Bee Journal 

 typos been juggling with that Canadian law on page 694? 

 or what does it mean, anyhow? "4. Any unpursued swarm 

 which lodges on any property whatsoever without settling 

 thereon, may be secured by the first comer unless the proprie- 

 tor of the land objects." How can they "lodge" without 

 "settling?" and how can. they be "secured" "without 

 settling ?" 



Sweet Clover. — I am quite interested to know more 

 about the failure of sweet clover mentioned on page 696. 

 Will Mr. Lovesy please tell us whether he knows any reason 

 why it failed ? Were the bees working on nothing else at the 

 time ? I've been used to thinking of sweet clover as one of 

 the things that always yielded honey, although I don't know 

 any reason why it should not fail as well as white clover. 



Size and Shape of Bees. — J. H. Andre mentions some- 

 thing quite new to me, on page 097, that is, deciding that a 

 number of bees all belong to the same colony because they are 

 of the same size and shape. I never tried it, but I have no 

 idea that I could make sure that any two bees taken from my 

 hives belonged to the same colony merely by their size and 

 shape. Just think what a variety there must be in an apiary 

 of a hundred colonies, if no two colonies have bees of the same 

 size and shape. 



Another thing he mentions will probably be new to most 

 bee-keepers, and that is that when two colonies of different 

 localities are working on small pieces of comb, one of them 

 will generally retinj and leave the other in possession of the 

 sweets. 



Taking Honey to Market. — On page 700 the editor 

 favors the plan of taking a carload of honey to market and 

 going with it. Sometimes that might be the best way, but I 

 don't know that it would always be so. If one could be sure 

 of striking a bare market there would be no trouble. But if 

 all were to act on the plan, there would likely be a good many 

 carloads moving at about the same tffce, and there being no 

 concert of action, they might nearly all strike the same mar- 

 ket. The buyers would not be slow to take advantage of the 

 situation. The honey is there — must be disposed of in some 

 way, and buyers can have things their own way. Very likely 

 the editor may ask what is a better way. I don't know. 

 That's a question every fool can't answer. 



Numbering Hives. — That's a good way to number hives, 

 given by R. V. Saner, on page 702. I think, however, I can 

 suggest an improvement, and that is to have a number on 

 each hive, and have the numbers so large that they can be 

 seen from any part of the apiary. In that case I think the 

 average length of time to get where the number will be seen 

 will be less than the time. taken to count along the alphabet 

 and then down the row. And I feel sure I should be less likely 

 to make mistakes. I heartily endorse what he says about the 

 pleasure of sitting down in the house to look over the day's 

 work and map out the next. 



Stopping Robbing.— The plan given on page 707 for 

 stopping robbing — breaking the combs of the robbers — is a 

 very old one, but I think it has not proved reliable. 



Crimson Clover.— E. B. Thomas says on page 702 : "It 

 is useless to sow it in the spring, as it will not thrive." I 

 think all writers agree in that. And yet a small patch that I 

 had sown last spring with oats came up and blossomed, and 

 now, after hard freezing weather, looks quite green. I ex- 

 pected it to die down after blooming, but it kept on as green 



