254 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Ocr. 



those of my readers who may be iuclined to 

 think I am notioaal, considered the eS'ect that 

 these simple habits might have in deciding 

 your choice. It is possible that one may go 

 to extremes on temperance, but did you ever 

 hear of a person being too careful in regard to 

 using by- words and slang ? Did any one ever 

 get on a hobby of truthfulness, and carry it to 

 too great an extreme ? Was ever one's useful- 

 ness or value to community, marred by his 

 being too careful to avoid engaging in games 

 of skill or chance ? It is not my purpose to 

 discuss croquet, but what would be the ver- 

 dict between two young men, one of whom 

 spends his moments of out-door recreation 

 with some hives of bees, and the other em- 

 ploys them playing some game V As nearly 

 as I can determine, the enjoyment is keener, 

 and more refreshing, with the bees, than with 

 the other. Perhaps it should be added that 

 even with the bees there may be an extreme to 

 be avoided, as with every thing else , and this 

 extreme, is reached when the young man 

 wishes to borrow money to go into business 

 more largely, before his bees have earned it. 

 The charm of any of these rural pastimes is 

 that they be self sustaining, aside from the 

 time given them. So long as we are in the 

 company of the bees and horses, we are at 

 least sure of learning no bad habits, and I am 

 sorry to say such is seldom the case in play- 

 ing games. I dearly love to be in the com- 

 pany of those who are doing a thriving and 

 healthy business without getting into debt ; 

 who use no profane or obscene language ; who 

 respect equally .the truth and the Sabbath ; 

 who are happy and contented with the food 

 that is raised about their own homes and who 

 crave no beverage stronger than milk. Milk 

 and honey ! The product of the toil and la- 

 bor of your own home and its inmates ; harm- 

 less and healthful, it comes a gift direct from 

 that Great Father who knows far better than 

 we, what is for our own good, and as a re- 

 ward of diligence and faithful service. Be 

 kind not only to your fellows, but also to those 

 dumb friends. His creatures, that are all about 

 your pathway ; make their lives pleasant and 

 happy, and you will by no means lose your 

 reward. 



Should we decide to have no associates ex- 

 cept those who were entirely free from object- 

 ionable traits, we would doubtless lead rather 

 a solitary life, for it seems that humanity as 

 we find it, presents no perfect specimens. 

 Again, the temptations that baset one indiv- 

 idual, have no charm for the next one at all, 

 and the fact that I neither smoke nor chew, 

 does not show that I have exercised any self 

 control in avoiding such vices ; yet where we 

 see one who has repeatedly tried to break off, 

 enduring the ordeal, we may see that he is 

 really massing all his energies to escape from 

 slavery and be a free man once more. Men 

 who have conquered bad habits, or unruly 

 passions, and who have turned all their ener- 

 gies toward helping their fellows to get on 

 their feet and do likewise, may be much better 

 companions for oar youth than those who have 

 never sinned because they have never had an 

 inclination to. When I he.ar a person boast- 

 ing that they have never read a novel in their 

 lives, I begin to fear they may i:ot have read 



anything. The heroes, and the ones 

 whom I am sure God smiles on approvingly, 

 are the active "go a.head" people who are all 

 about among humanity, full of life and engag- 

 ed in so many of the stirring events of the day 

 that difficult and different paths are diverging 

 at almost every step, and who are yet ready to 

 drop the dearest project on earth, the very 

 minute they discover it is leading to wrong. 

 If we can join in with the world, catch their 

 enthusiasm, feel vividly that we are one 

 among the many, and burn to do our part and 

 do it well, j^et study to keep ourselves free 

 from the many vices that we shall see all 

 about us, I feel it is far better than to stand 

 aloof and say they are all sinners on the high- 

 way to destruction, and that we cannot have 

 anything to do with or in common with them. 



I have just been reading of a coat of mail 

 designed for firemen, that will enable them to 

 pass safely through the fiercest conflagration 

 without being harmed in the least. To enable 

 them to bid defiance to these elements, a fresh* 

 supply of both air and water is sent through 

 proper tubes constantly, and so well did the 

 device succeed at the experimental trial, that 

 a fireman clothed in his armor walked all 

 through an immense bonfire and finally sat 

 down in the midst of it amid the cheers ot 

 spectators who could not come within several 

 rods of him. Now this is exactly my idea of 

 the way in which we should be daily fortified 

 against the influence of the evil associates 

 with whom we are daily obliged to come in 

 contact, if we mix with the busy throng of 

 workers. An earnest petition before going 

 forth in the morning, and frequent calls for a 

 fresh supply of His Spirit during the day. at 

 times when the fires burn hottest, will I verily 

 believe, enable us to pass unharmed amid the 

 worst scenes of modern corruption, that our 

 country affords, if our motive in going into 

 such places be always a good one. 



When our boy was about 10 years old, he 

 was overheard uttering something that sound- 

 ed strangely like an oath, and when question- 

 ed by his mother, owned up that he had learn- 

 ed to swear, by hearing so much of it all about 

 him among his playmates. "Mother, almos'^ 

 all of them swear when they are at play, and I 

 do it before I think." Now this was a serious 

 matter indeed, and the question at once came 

 up as to whether it were well to allow him to 

 go among such playmates at all; but if he at- 

 tended school, what could be done? He must 

 mix with the rest, more or less. Oa asking 

 him if he were willing his father should be 

 told, he pointed out the course to be taken 

 himself. "Not just yet mother", said he "but 

 wait a little, until I have broken myself ox" it, 

 and then you may tell him." With his moth- 

 er's help, (aud who can help like a mother at 

 such a time "0 he did break himself, aud not 

 only that, he reproved others, and instead of 

 beiu:: injured by going among bad associates, 

 he set before them a better example. Now 

 mind you. this is no easy task, especially for 

 the mother, and woe betide her if she allows 

 other tasks to take the place of this work ; for 

 unless the child's young mind is fortnied with 

 daily cheering and encouraging words, wel- 

 coming smiles on his return from school, and 

 a faithful sitting down by his side aud ques- 



