1876. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



87 



are up with the sun and keep dili^rently by her 

 side, but she seeins the very emblem of perver- 

 sity, mischief and unsightliness if one neglects 

 her for a few weelss ; but she Icindly overlooks 

 it all and straitway commences to smile again, 

 as soon as we come l)ack and really show by 

 our earnestness that we have genuinely repent- 

 ed. Hei'e is fun for the ("hildren again ; take 

 them by the hand and explain to them the 

 wonderful phenomena of vegetable life. Show 

 them the tendrils of the vine and carefully 

 mark its position, then point to them next day 

 the progress it has made, and its way of reach- 

 ing out for something to get hold of. Show 

 them the funny way it has of kinking itself up 

 like a corkscrew as soon as it has a good hold, 

 just to pull the whole vine up where it can get 

 more light and air than its fellows. Now point 

 them to the bee hive and show them that there 

 too is that wonderful thing we call life at 

 work ; explain that it is the province of man 

 to guide and direct these wondrous powers, 

 and that in so doing he really becomes what 

 the great Creator intended he should be— ca- 

 pable of standing at the head of all animated 

 nature. As a reward for all this, show them 

 the ripe grapes or tlie beautiful snow white 

 combs in the tidy sectional boxes. Point to 

 them the great reward that c«mes to the dili- 

 gent, the faithful and industrious, and ou the 

 other hand the awful consequences of leading 

 a slothful, selfish and idle life. Tell them that 

 it is not only our daily bread, but happiness 

 and contentment that we earn by the sweat of 

 our brow. 



CHAPTER XVI, 



Is for the children. 

 .#|AN'T I interest children? We shall see. 

 *^J I have a class of 14 little boys in the Sun- 

 day school and I manage to have them nearly 

 all on hand promptly, every Sabbath. I like 

 them all very much, and am pretty sure they 

 all like me, for when the superintendent ouce 

 said he thought the class v.'ould have to be di- 

 vided they all plead so hard to stay, that we 

 are not going to be divided after all. Now 

 don't you suppose we might have a class here 

 in one corner of Our Homes? True, we could 

 not all have a sugar party out in the woods, 

 as "we boys" did last Saturday, but there is lots 

 of other fun we can have and I will tell you 

 all the funny tricks I know; and I know a big 

 lot of them. I am afraid I haven't taken much 

 notice of the little folks in Gleanings so far, 

 but I have thought of you nevertheless, and if 

 you will just write to me, or tell your father 

 or mother to just say you have read this chap- 

 ter and would like to get acquainted, we may 

 give you a good many chapters iu future. 



Now if you will be very cai'eful to do just 

 what I say, I will show you how to do some- 

 thing that is very wonderful, as well as very 

 funny. All you that are not wearing woolen 

 coats, are to put one on, or if you are quite 

 small, perhaps your father or older brother had 

 better help you a little. Now you are to bor- 

 row of mamma a glass tumbler or iroblet ; 

 please tell her you will be very careful not to 

 break it, and then mind that you arc. You 

 also want a tiu plate— such as your mother 

 bakes pies on — and a sheet of stout brown pa- ( 



per a foot stiuare, or larger. A frosty evening 

 is rather the best time for this "trick," altho' 

 it will work almost any time when yon h.ive 

 a good fire in the stove ; we must have a tin- 

 at all events, and yon are to stand so close to 

 the stove that your woolen coat has become 

 quite warm. Now to be sure and not fail — 1 

 never wish to hear one of my boys say they 

 can't make it work because the.y have forgotten 

 to do just as I told them — you had l)etter take 

 the glass in your hand and get that warm and 

 dry also, then place it on the table and lay the 

 tin plate on ir, upside down. Now comes the 

 most ditRcult part, but it is not hard at all if 

 you do exactly as I say. Take the browu pa- 

 per iu your right hand and hold it so close to 

 the stove that it will get quite hot, almost 

 scorch it in fact; while it is hot put it under 

 your left arm and draw it out quickly, pressing 

 it closely at the time between your left arm 

 and your body. After you have done this sev- 

 eral times, lay the paper on the tin plate. Now 

 hold your knuckle within a half inch or less, of 

 the plate, and you will see a little ball of blue 

 tire leap from the tin to your hand Lift the 

 paper oft", and you can get another ball of fire; 

 put it down ou the plate again and still anoth- 

 er. Isn't it funny ? Now this is not all nor 

 half of it. If you make the room dark, you can 

 see the queer fire better, and you will find these 

 little balls of tire as full of pranks, as a couple 

 of kittens. Cut out some boys and girls of pa- 

 per, stand them on the table under the tin, and 

 they will come to life and hop up and down in 

 a most ludicrous manner. To have them dance 

 nicely, you will need to raise them on a book 

 or something until their heads nearly touch 

 the tin ; but be sure the tin is entirely support- 

 ed by the glass, and touches nothing else. 



When you have done all this and made it 

 work just as I have said, you are ready for the 

 next step. Get four stout glasses and put 

 them on the floor with a large book over them, 

 then have somebody stand on the book and 

 hold the tin plate. Don't let anybody or auy- 

 thing touch them. Now wirm the paper and 

 draw it between the woolens as before. When 

 you can get sparks from the plate you will 

 probably be able to get them from the nose of 

 the person who stands on the glass, and he can 

 also draw fire from your nose, if you have both 

 been careful to do just as 1 have said. If j'ou 

 have a little sister with soft flaxen hair, who 

 will take her stand on the glass stool, you can 

 if the nisht is frosty, get her hair to stand on 

 end. Now although yon may have lots of fun 

 with these experiments, please be kind and 

 lileasant about it, and don't tease or frighten 

 the little ones. You won't will you? You 

 never knew before that this strange tire was 

 all around so near you, did you ? Well 

 God is near you too, and he hears every unkind 

 word. He wishes you to be gentle and obedi- 

 ent, and now if you have got through with the 

 tliiu'.'s will you "not put them all away nicely? 

 When yon do exactly as you know mamma 

 would like to have you do, you are keepiua,- 

 one of God's commandments. If you will send 

 woi'd to rac how you like<l this visit, I will 

 come again soon and tell you more about the 

 blue lire. 



P. S. — I forsot to tell how "we boys" rolled 

 down hill, and jumped across the "wida pla- 



