J.877 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



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iir gcnm. 



Remember tbe Sabbatli day to keep it holy.— 



— Kx. 20; 8. 



M FEW days ago, a fritnd dropped a rc- 

 J^^ mark that seemed to indicate lit had bein 



' examiniug his bees ou Sunday, and wheu 



<(luestioned, frankly admitted that he had, say- 

 ing he only looked at them, just as he looked 

 at the tields and flowers, but did no work 

 with them. I remarked that I did not think it 

 well to open a hive at all on the Sabbath, un- 

 less something transpired making it almost a 

 uecessity, such as swarming, starvation, or 

 something of that kind, and that even then, we 

 should do it as quickly and quietly as possible, 

 and should make it a point to avoid such ne- 

 cessities, as far as in our power, by taking a 

 careful look all around, on the day before. I 

 also remarked, that I found it had a bad effect 

 on others, to be seen working or overhauling 

 hives on the Sabbath, for they, knowing noth- 

 ing of the good reasons the apiarist might 

 have for so doing, are many times almost un- 

 consciously led to have less strict ideas in re- 

 gard to the sacredness of the Sabbath. 



The friend in question was one who had but 

 a few months before, with his wife, come for- 

 ward in one of our revival meetings, and he 

 himself had spoken most earnestly on the im- 

 portance of a sincere, honest and Christian life, 

 shunning even the appearance of evil; and I 

 felt very anxious indeed that he should take a 

 safe view of all these difficult questions. Meet- 

 ing his wife soon afterward, I asked her to as- 

 sist me in persuading her husband that it was 

 uot best to open his hives, even the small nu- 

 clei, to look at his queens and bees ou Surday. 



" But is there really any harm in it? He only 

 looks at them, and does no work," replied she, 

 somewhat to my astonishment. 



"It is a part of the work of an apiary," I re- 

 plied, " to look over hives and see where the 

 queens have commenced to lay, and if queens 

 were to be shipped the next morning, it would 

 be quite a saving of time to know just where 

 to go to get them. Is it not to a certain extent 

 work?" 



" But do not farmers always look over their 

 stock, their crops, and their fields after they 

 get home from church Sabbath afternoons or 

 evenings?" 



I began to feel just about here, that we were 

 drifting into argument, and I know argument 

 is not what is wanted in such matters. I knew 

 his bees had been rather cross, and in spite of 

 the still small voice that was warning me to 

 be careful if I would accomplish real good, I 

 pushed ahead a little farther. 



" You lighted your smoker before you com- 

 menced ? " 



" Yes, of course we had to have a smoker," 

 replied he. 



" And did you not feel while doing this that 

 it was hardly the thing to do on Sunday?" 



I am quite sure he agreed with me, but still 

 something seemed to say I was doing wrong, 

 or at least was somewhat in the wrong. I 

 thought 1 should certainly get into the right 

 track, by repeating what I had heard our min- 



ister say in regard to such matters. It was 

 this. 



" When we start about doing anything of 

 this kind on Sunday, ask ourselves if we can 

 conscientiously ask God to bless us in so do- 

 ing, and if we feel we cannot, do not do it." 



This last is a most excellent guide in such 

 matters, and I know of no better advice that 

 can be givtn ; but fur all that, 1 did not feel 

 th:it ap|)roving voice that is usually wont to 

 guide iiic in <uch matters In meditating over 

 the luatiLi', 1 at length saw, I think, wherein I 

 was wrong. The two friends mentioned, were 

 of course vi ry intimate acquaintances, and we 

 felt almost as though they wtreofour own 

 family. We frequently had talks <in religion, 

 and sometimes 1 fear, got into a way of argu- 

 ing on "doctrinal points." When I get into 

 an argument, ii iven only a little way, I am, if 

 possible, worse than one of the other .-ex in in- 

 sisting that I am right. I need uot stop to 

 tell you how foolish this is. " Truth is mighty 

 and will prevail," and if we cannot present 

 truth in such a way as to have it gladly re- 

 ceived, I think we are in the wrong some- 

 where. My friends, in my talk I had been un- 

 consciously getting into an argument, and I 

 fear the disposition to show these people that I 

 was right and they wrong, took quite a prom- 

 inent position beside my ^illcere wish lo have 

 them set a good example before those around 

 them, in regard to keeping the Sabbath holy. 

 Even my concluding remark about asking if 

 they could ask God to bless them in opening 

 bee hives (even little ones,) was, I fear, given 

 with an inward feeling of "There ! now I have 

 got you; get around that if you can." 



In the talk I wish to have with you now, 

 dear friends, I do pray, that I may have none 

 of the above feeling, and that I may be able to 

 present truth in such a quiet pleasant way, as 

 to awaken no controversy. I do not want to 

 beat, at least I hope I do not, and I do uot 

 want to get ahead, but I do wish to have the 

 spirit of truth and honesty and a sincere wi.<h 

 to do right, take the place of all other actuat- 

 ing motives. In short, I wish the spirit that 

 Christ taught, to prevail, and be exaltetl be- 

 cause it is right, and not because I or anybody 

 else, tried to teach it. 



Building up Christian character, depends 

 upon very little things, and very little things 

 start one in either the right track or the wrong 

 one. Even when you have made up your mind 

 to do right as nearly as you can, almost im- 

 perceptible shades of right and wrong come in, 

 until you hardly know what ^s just the right 

 thing. In discussing these little matters, I 

 have found it an excellent plan to turn the 

 thing about something in this way. Supposing 

 you wish to engage a boy to work for you, and 

 that you want one you can entrust with 

 money. Suppose too, that you have had sev- 

 eral dishonest ones, and feel that you must 

 have one, if it is a possible thing, who is strict- 

 ly /wnesi. If you have had much experience in 

 such things, you will notice every little thing 

 pretty closely, for in such a matter, even 

 straws show which way the wind blows. You 

 perhaps fix your mind on some young man 

 near you, and begin carefully to notice his 

 habits. Almost every action, and almost every 



