TAKING REINS IN HAND. 53 



" A young girl of ray acquaintance was greatly 

 afraid of bees, but was completely cured of her fear 

 by the following incident. A swarm having left a 

 hive, I observed the queen alight by herself, at a 

 little distance from the apiary. I immediately 

 called my little friend, that I might show her this 

 important personage ; she was anxious to have a 

 nearer view of her majesty, and therefore, having 

 first caused her to draw on her gloves, I gave the 

 queen into her hand. Scarcely had I done so, when 

 we were surrounded by the whole bees of the swarm. 

 In this emergency, I encouraged the trembling girl to 

 be steady, and to fear nothing, remaining myself 

 close by her, and covering her head and shoulders 

 with a thin handkerchief. I then made her stretch 

 out the hand that held the queen, and the bees in- 

 stantly alighted on it, and hung from her fingers as 

 from the branch of a tree. The little girl, experien- 

 cing no injury, was delighted above measure at the 

 novel sight, and so entirely freed from all fear, that 

 she bade me uncover her face. The spectators were 

 charmed at the interesting spectacle. I at length 

 brought a hive, and shaking the swarm from the 

 child's hand, it was lodged in safety without inflict- 

 ing a single sting." 



As I begin the story, there is a tear in the eye of 

 the sobbing one, but as I read on, the tear is gone, 



