GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 



habit down, I shall have a pretty fair char- 

 acter ;" but behold, when they were out| of 

 the way, another loomed up more hideous 

 than any before. But as there was no other 

 way, at it 1 went, trusting that with the help 

 of that Great Friend, I could do something, 

 at least, in the cutting down of those fearful 

 hills. 



lu regard to the falsehoods, after some 

 bitter experiences in which I did not get off 

 as easily as in the one I have mentioned, I 

 became afraid of telling anything but the 

 truth, or rather, perhaps, I became afraid of 

 telling anything that it was very probable 

 would be found out. Perhaps I am censur- 

 ing myself here pretty strongly, for I did go 

 to Sabbath school, and for several years, 

 tried in a sort of a feeble childish way to 

 have the fear of God before my mind, rather 

 than that of man. But after I had done a 

 wrong, I liad a sort of way of very easily get- 

 ting over it, without making any substantial 

 atonement for the wrong I had done, more 

 than I did to the man for his licorice. It was 

 only a few days ago, that I remembered sub- 

 scribing for the Scientific American for 6 

 months, when I was 16 years old. They 

 made a mistake, and sent it for a whole year. 

 It took me just 22 years, to come to the con-, 

 elusion that I owed them a dollar, but I did 

 send it as soon as I saw the matter clearly. 

 I did not send them any interest because 

 the mistake was of their own making and 

 not mine. 



Twenty years ago, while in Wood Co. in 

 this State, a young man of about my own 

 age, very kindly loaned (or what amounted 

 to the same thing) me 50c. I somehow got 

 into a ''saving"' mood, and slipped out of 

 town without paying liim. After my con- 

 version, I wrote the P. M. there, inquiring 

 for him, but had to give up the search. We 

 have now, subscribers there, and possibly 

 some one may know him. If so, it would 

 afford me great pleasure to return that half 

 dollar with compound interest. I am not 

 really sure after all, that it is a pure motive 

 that prompts all this vehement desire to 

 straighten up these things, for I have often 

 feared somebody would get hold of the story, 

 and tell how I went off without paying my 

 just debts. A very few days afterward, I 

 helped to rob a strawberry patch in a quiet 

 cottage garden, and let all the boys who 

 went with me, out and back again, through 

 the window of my room at the hotel where I 

 was stopping. We succeeded in this so nice- 

 ly, that I almost decided to get out through 

 the same window, and go off with a board 

 bill unpaid. I presume I shoiild have done 

 this, but the landlady was a Christian and 

 had been very kjnd to me, and although I 

 had on one of my '"saving" fits, there was a 

 little left of conscience away down some- 

 where ; and besides, I happened to think of 

 wliat my mother would say. if she ever heard 

 of my doing such a thing. You see 1 had 

 robbery in my heart, but I was rather afraid 

 to do it, I should be glad to repay the man 

 for liis strawberries too, but I fe'ar I shall 

 never be able to do it. Perluips I am pick- 

 ing u]) small and unimportant items, and 

 making a great fuss about them, when there 

 are hundreds of doU^irs left out of sight and 



unadjusted. I have thought of this, but I 

 believe I am honestly doing the best I can, 

 and though it were a sudden streak, or a 

 new hobby of mine, I do not believe it would 

 do any harm if we should all get a mania of 

 paying up all the little debts we honestly 

 owe, no matter of how long standing. As it 

 is very difficult for us to see our own faults 

 as others see them, it is quite likely that I 

 have shown this "saving" disposition at 

 times, scarcely knowing it; and my friends, 

 please do not judge me too harshly, if you 

 have seen it at times in your business rela- 

 tions with me. I have told you once before, 

 my streaks of honesty are very apt to come 

 by sudden impulses ; well, I fear that streaks 

 of selfishness come by impulses also, but I 

 thank God, that he has pointed out a clear 

 way for us to go pretty safely in all these 

 matters. To illustrate : during our revival 

 season last winter, a methodist brother pro- 

 claimed pretty loudly in one of the meetings, 

 that if he had wronged any one, he would 

 restore seven-fold. Some of the skeptics 

 took this up pretty vehemently, because, as 

 they said, the speaker had wronged a great 

 many, and obstinately refused to set the 

 matter right. I went to him, and remon- 

 strated gently, on such public statement in 

 such strong language. 



"Why brother Root, I will restore seven- 

 fold to any one I have wronged. Just point 

 him out to meV" 



I mused a moment pondering what would 

 be the best course to take, when a bright 

 thought struck me. 



'•Brother T.,who is to be judge as to wheth- 

 er you have wronged anybody or not ?" 



''Why I am of course ; you do not suppose 

 I am going to let any man help himself out 

 of my pocket do you ?" 



I was obliged to indulge in a hearty laugh, 

 for the sentence so completely showed up 

 poor fallen humanity, and gave a view (if 

 both sides of the picture at once. 



I did not scrape up wit enough just tlieu 

 to point out the directions the Bible gives 

 for such cases, but inasmuch as both parties 

 to all these troul)les liave their eyes more or 

 less blinded by selfish interests," I think it a 

 Christian duty, to call in some good man or 

 woman who is a friend of both, and a friend 

 of all humanity; one who is a consistent 

 Christian, and of course an earnest peac? 

 maker. I would advise you to take all sucli^ 

 troubles if you can, to your minister; and 

 then comes the test of yowr Christianity, if 

 you have any. If you are a Christian, or 

 even a reasonable man, you can find some 

 mutual friend ; and now let me entreat you, 

 if you have any respect whatever for your 

 word, after you have agreed to abide by his 

 decision, do just exactly as he says, no mat- 

 ter what it may be, and after it is over, do 

 not let one single word in the way of a mur- 

 mer, escape your lijis ; no, not even to your 

 wife or family. If your opponent will" not 

 agree to any kind of arbitration, it may be 

 best to liave recourse to the law, if the mat- 

 ter is of sufiicient moment. 



I have often been pained at the harsh 

 words and comi)laints we so often hear 

 against tiie railroads and express compa- 

 nies. I know there is corruption among 



