THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



275 



of his goods, but offers to pay $100 if any 

 prove to be adulterated, and allows the re- 

 turn of any that are not in every way satis- 

 factory. If he did not do wrong, or, if he 

 did, and is now doing better, it is not just 

 the thing to hold aloof the helping hand. 



Perhaps I am all wrong in the above sur- 

 mise ; I hope I am. If I am, then the silence 

 may possibly arise from a personal dislike 

 or disrespect for the man. This, too, I am 

 loth to believe, because it is well known that 

 we are expected to respect the ofi&ce or posi- 

 tion that a man holds, even if we have no re- 

 spect to bestow upon the man. 



The trouble does not arise from any fear 

 that the new paper will take business away 

 from the other journals, because the jour- 

 nals that are noticed by those who ignore Mr. 

 Heddon's are also rivals for business. 



I can think of only one more cause for the 

 silence, and while it may not be the only 

 point in the case, I think it the principle 

 one. I have reference to his continued, se- 

 vere, and harsh criticisms of some of the 

 other journals. Perhaps the adulteration 

 matter caused the other journals to keep 

 silent at first ; this, it seems likely, nettled 

 Mr. Heddon and was largely instrumental 

 in leading him to say the sharp things that 

 he has. Lest some may think that Bro. 

 Heddon is all porcupine, let me say that he 

 isn't. I probably know him as well, have 

 looked as deeply into his heart, as any bee- 

 keeper in this country, and I knoiv that he 

 has a kind and sympathetic nature. Let me 

 give just one little incident that some of my 

 readers, as well as myself, may have wit- 

 nessed. Several years ago, before a crowded 

 convention in Chicago, father Langstroth 

 paid a glowing tribute to the memory of 

 Adam Grimm. When he had finished, 

 George Grimm arose in the audience and in 

 a most heartfelt and touching way thanked 

 father Langstroth for the kind words that he 

 had said of his father. As I felt my own 

 eyes grow moist, I stole a glance at Mr. 

 Heddon, and saw the tears actually rolling 

 down his cheeks. Mr. Heddon has his faults, 

 but he is not a man that we can afford to 

 lose. He has made a great many enemies 

 by his sharp criticisms, but he has also done 

 a great deal of good. He takes opposite 

 views from a great many leading bee-keep- 

 ers, and, for this alone, he ought to be en- 

 couraged. We don't want everything all one 

 way unless that way is best, and to learn if 

 it is the best, comparisons are needed. 



If Bro. Heddon will fill the next number 

 of his journal with good things for bee-keep- 

 ers, telling of plans, methods, and imple- 

 ments, that they are his will be no objection, 

 if he will do this without sneering at the fel- 

 low that does not know so much as he does, 

 if he will criticise fairly and kindly, not 

 necessarily softly, if he will do this, I am 

 surer of nothing than that every journal, 

 without one exception, will have a good word 

 to say for the Quarterly. 



To those who have thus far ignored Mr. 

 Heddon's journal, I would ask, would it not 

 be a kind, graceful, generous, Christian-like 

 act to notice the good things that have ap- 

 peared in his paper ? Even you must admit 

 that it contains much that is good and val- 

 uable — that in this respect it is really worthy 

 of notice, and why not set an example by 

 noticing the Quarterly without waiting to 

 see what its editor will do in another issfle, 

 and thus show how truly you are following 

 Him who taught that we should love our 

 enemies and do good to those who spitefully 

 use us. A few kind and really deserved ap- 

 preciative words now may change the whole 

 course of the Quarterly. Shall they be with- 

 held ? 



The writing of the foregoing has not been 

 a pleasant task, but if it leads to a better un- 

 derstanding between my editorial brothers, 

 I shall be repaid a thousand fold for the pain 

 that it has caused me. 



THE ST. JOSEPH CONVENTION. 



[The following was originally written tor the 

 American Bee Journal, but Bro. York has kindly 

 consented to allow me to use it. and thus save 

 me the trouble of writing for the Review a sep- 

 arate account of the same thing.— Ed.] 



How much watching, planning and con- 

 triving, and how much hard work is required 

 of an editor that he may be absent even for 

 only a few days. Monday morning, Octo- 

 ber 8th, found me at the end of such a prepa- 

 ration for an absence of nearly a week to 

 attend the St. Joseph convention. The Re- 

 view was out and mailed, all possible cor- 

 respondence answered, all queens mailed, 

 Mrs. Hutchinson given numerous instruc- 

 tions as to how this and that was to be look- 

 ed after, and such and such answers made to 

 such and such inquiries, the coal stove was 

 blacked and set up, coal in the bin, wood in 

 the wood shed, care taken that there was a 

 stock of groceries on hand that the good wife 

 might not be obliged to leave home on a 



