is::^ 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



IITO 



fi'Mf 



[lu this 'depai-tment I beg to be allowed to lay aside tbe 

 •editorial "we," and havea friendly chat and feeJ "at home.'CJ 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



/?^, UR (coucludiuc: chapter was so lens^lhy 

 ^^ la st moutii, that w€ did not get at the 

 -TOoral we tried to couvey ; aud to get at it 

 briefly, we will suggest that getting out a pat- 

 ent is quite uncertaiu business, so far as profit 

 is concerned. If you doybt this, look over the 

 patent o-Sicf reports, and see how many of the 

 ■countkss thousiinds have «ver haen heaixl of 

 •.since. This is no very great argument it is 

 true, yet most people would prefer to invest 

 their money in something pretty sure of giving 

 .returns, rather than where there is only one 

 chance in thousands, if they knew the real 

 facts of the case beforehand. If it is risky to 

 Invest nK)ney in procuring patents, it is still 

 more risky investing it in. a patent that some 

 one has to sell :, for if there is any one who can 

 /make use of an invention, it is the inventor 

 himself. Was it my duty to purchase the 

 Wagner patent before experimtnlingV Had I 

 nlone so, it would have been only to make it 

 free property. Before .Mr. Wagner's death, he 

 -ind Mr. Langstroth procured a patent on the 

 extractor very much as it is now made ; the 

 patent office granted a patent without a demur, 

 so far as I can learn, but for all that, they mu- 

 tually agreed to abandon it. A visitor ol mine 

 a few summers ago, spent a half day in ques- 

 tioning me in regard to how an extractor 

 s-hould be made, went home, made one aud ap- 

 plied foi.' a patent. He was much disgusted to 

 find that the L. A: W. claim covered the whole 

 ground. People sometimes become incapable 

 of taking a disinterested view of certain things, 

 aud this may be the case with me in regard to 

 patents. I can readily comprehend that a lx)ok, 

 or jar of honey has some intrinsic value, but 

 not so with an individual right. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



^^ LL humanity we believe, without a single 

 ^^ exception, unite in admiring sincerity 

 aud truthfulness i that is, they admire it in 

 others. Is it not a little queer then, that we 

 do not practice what we admire aud prize so 

 ■highly in others? Is it an easy matter to be 

 tnithlul and sincere V I do hope dear friends 

 you find it an easier task than I do, for, strive 

 U.S hard as I know how, on looking back, I fnid 

 very few days or hours even that I can feel sat- 

 isfied with myself in that respect. The con- 

 'dict goes on somewhat in this way: conscience 

 says, the first thing in the morning, 



"Now you are going to try to-day, to be sin- 

 cere and truthful ; to let every word and act, 

 be a faithful representation of your thoughts; 

 to avoid coloring, or making things look the 

 least bit diSereut to others, from what you see 

 them, to avoid saying any thing for effect or 

 convenience, and to be j^erfectly willing your 

 friends should see all your faults and weak- 

 nesses if need be, rather than that you smooth 

 matters over with pleasantly turned sentences, 



"But," say I, "You do not want a body to be 

 silent, and repress the very ambition that is 

 the mainspriua of all activity and enterprise V" 



"Be still! You are prevaricating already:; 

 you know that a pure and truthful aml)itiou, 

 oue that seeks to rise on the solid rock of real 

 and simple facts, and that would scorn to rise 

 the fraction of an inch otherwise, is never to 

 be repressed." 



Like a school boy starting off after receiving 

 his mothers counsels, I give a faithful promise, 

 aud start once more on the "journey of life." 



But a few hours pass before conscience 

 breaks in with : 



"Look here old fellow, you have given your 

 readers to understand that the parffiue without 

 was was a perfect success, whereas you had 

 only succeeded v/ith it on a very small piece ; 

 why not wait until it is well under way before 

 rushing into print with it? In yon r zeal in 

 the patent business you have been thinking 

 mainly of those who 'stood in the way of your 

 own projects; and to come down to small 

 items, you, a few minutes ago coolly meditated 

 telling your wife you had forgotten the um- 

 brella, because it was too much trouble to go 

 back after it, to the amount of pt^rhaps 20 steps. 

 The real truth would have been, 'I did not 

 think of it until I had gone about 20 steps, and 

 then I was too lazy and selfish to go back.' " 



At such a time humanity is very apt to ar- 

 gue the case, and say, "There is no use trying 

 to be so very truthful, nobody is, nor can be so 

 peecise." Is trying of no use ? Sooner or la- 

 ter every body's business responsibilities come 

 to be questioned. Suppose it is a sou of yours, 

 fond mother, and that you overhear a remark 

 like the following: "That young man will do 

 exactly as he agrees ; if he has promised money 

 you may be sure it will be ready promptly ; if 

 he has made a statement you may rest assured 

 that the matter is just so, and that there is no 

 exaggeration about it; and furthermore you 

 may trust him with any amount, aud among 

 any kind of company." 



Is there one among my readers who does not 

 know what a parent's feelings are at such a 

 time ? To the young, I would say, how do you 

 feel when it is your father who is spoken of 

 thus, or it may be a brother V perhaps your 

 sister has been fondly watching and hoping 

 you may develop principles as tirm as the hills, 

 or a whole circle of friends and relatives, have 

 been watching, and are ready to rejoice at the 

 evidences of a firm unshaken truthfulness. 



Are there any among you who have felt 

 j^ourseives weak, and unequal to the task of 

 living such a life as I have described 'i Shall I 

 tell you where to find a mine of strength more 

 wonderful than any mentioned in the fables of 

 old? Commence the v/ork of teaching the 

 youth around you, the importance of the very 

 principles I have been speaking of. In other 

 words go into the Saljbath schools and teach, 

 or be taught the beauties of pure unselfish 

 lives. If our Sabbath schools are not the place 

 to learn truth in its utmost purity, I really do 

 not know what they are for. Does an,y oue 

 feel disposed to say that those who are active 

 in these places are not always the most truth- 

 ful ? Please do then come to our rescue, and if 

 you love truth too, join with us and help to 

 raise our standard of excellence. There is 



