GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURS. 



Sept. 



obliged to be extremely careful that there are 

 no losses ; and should we send goods without 

 pay, we should assuredly lose, for there are 

 many, who with the best inteotiong, are un- 

 able to do as they wish, and have expected. 

 It seems hard to tell one, face to face, that you 

 cannot trust him, yet it is many times a much 

 liinder thing to do, than to evade the matter, I 

 or give something else as an excuse. Be care- I 

 ful how yoa make promises, careful of your i 

 money, careful in regard to your purchases | 

 and more careful of the way in which you treat j 

 your customers. But Ise liberal and ready to 

 do more than your part in settling any diffi- 

 culty. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



Honor thy lather ami thy mother. — Exodus xx : 12. 

 ^^T was half-past 6, Monday morning, and 

 bILi washing was as usual, well along ; break- 

 fast was ready, the children had been called, 

 and your friend, had been summoned from 

 amid the hives where he was in the habit, 

 with comb and towel, of giving the finishing 

 touches to his toilet, while the dew on the 

 grape viue leaves shed a delicious cooluess as 

 it mingled with the refreshing morning air. 

 Who could help raising his heart in thankful- 

 ness while feeling the exhilaration that comes 

 from inhaling the moniiug air, and listening 

 to the joyous hum of the bees as they rub their 

 eye?, and dart olf from under the broatl vine 

 leaves in <juest or the flowers they seem to love 

 so much. 



We are all gathered at the breakf;ist table. 

 Blue Eyes and all, all have been served and 

 mamma has stepped out to the stove for some- 

 thing that has been omitted. 



"See ! papa," says Ernest, "mamma has the 

 poorest ear of corn there is, on her plate ; take 

 it away, and give her the best." 



"But it will do no good," says Maud, "for 

 she will take another poor one." 



We finally played a sharp trick on mamma 

 in her absence, by dividing the iX)or among 

 ourselves, and making a bargain that each one 

 of us was to endeavor to riiaks mamma take 

 the best of every thing by taking the poorest 

 ourselves, whenever there was a choice. 



How many mothers are there in our land 

 who habitually give the children or papa the 

 best, and take that which is indifferent, or less 

 desirable themselves ? Do you say that every 

 mother does it V Perhaps they do, and perhaps 

 it is a pleasure to them to study the happiness 

 of those near and dear. But are we doing our 

 part as well V Mothers are happy in working 

 for their loved ones it is true, but do you uol. 

 know dear reader what a gleam of sunshine 

 you can throw about that mother's path by 

 simply studying 7i^r happiness. Now this very 

 minute see if you can not think of some little 

 plan for lighteuiug her cares. Is she going for 

 a pail of water? Slip before her and take the 

 heavy pail out of her hand. Is she tired and 

 weary V See what are her tasks, and ask her 

 if you can not help. Give her plenty of the 

 very nicest kind of fire wood ; fix the steps .so 

 they are Uvea and convenient, see to the clothes 

 line; have plenty of good kindling wood, and 

 do all these thiua:s as if you were to have a 

 prize at a county fair for the best attempt in 



that particular direction. Study her wants- 

 and wishes, and oh please do not let her get 

 worn out with care and hard work, before she 

 is past the prime of life. Periiaps the rest are- 

 thoughtless and careless in regard to her 

 tastes and wishes, let them know thnti/ou are 

 aot, and ere it be too late, strive to, at least itb 

 part, repay the kind and loving care with, 

 which she has watched your stumbling feet in, 

 years gone by. You know lx>tter than any one 

 else what kind of fruit or berries she is fondest 

 of, and let her feel that you have remembered 

 it by hunting up the first of the seasoii 

 for her. Are you too busy to take the 

 time to attend to these little act&V Do yoi? 

 not know that He who cares for the sparrows, 

 watches over and guards the pathway of each 

 of us. Again, quarrels among brothers au(t 

 sisters, do more to make mother.s prematurely 

 old than almost anything else; who but a. 

 mother, can look upon the children all alike,, 

 having the same pure love for one that she 

 has for all. 



Do you know how it is in yonr power to re- 

 joice her heart by showing her that for her 

 sake yon will give up every thing for peace? 

 Are you in doubt at times as to what is just 

 right and proper? Go to her and she can tell 

 you, for alx>ve -all others on earth, is your 

 mother anxious for your safety andwell doing. 

 Your friends and neighbors might tell you. 

 you were in the right, and your brothers 

 might say your course was well enough, but 

 your mother by that unerring instinct, as we 

 might almost call it, would tell you that she 

 would rather see you on different ground, and; 

 perhaps would be unable to even give the veix- 

 son why, if asked. A man that can always 

 tell his mother honestly all his plans and 

 ambitions, can seldom be a very bad man and 

 a mother's counsels are rarely at fault. I can 

 remember some dark places in my life where 

 the tein-ptation was strong to do as I pleased, 

 and let the world think as they liked ; and I 

 can remember reviewing them one by one, 

 thinking what this and that one would think, 

 or say, and with a feeling of stubborness I 

 was prepared to defy them all, tell them all 

 that I should do as I pleased, and they could 

 do as they pleasrcd, until it came to that moth- 

 er, who I knew would never reproach, but 

 would only with sorrow bow her head in 

 grief and shame. And at the very thought 

 of her I drew back, and began to think with 

 horror, of the abyss I had just I)efore meditat- 

 ed plunging into. It was her voice that first 

 taught me gentleness, purity, truthfulness, 

 courage, and all that was good and noble ; 

 and in after years when T felt that I had stray- 

 ed away from those early lessons, and when I 

 longed again for the peace, purity and in no 

 cence of childhood, it was to her I went feel- 

 ing that I would like once more to be led into 

 those peaceful realms where dwelt that One of 

 whom she had taught us in childhood. Be- 

 ware oh my brothers and sisters, of the time 

 when you begin to think yourself more capa- 

 ble of deciding in regard to right and wrong, 

 than is your mother ; and when you meditate 

 something that would give her pain, let me 

 implore you to consider. 



May I hope that you will to-day dear reader, 

 see U your mother is remembered? 



