166 



GLEANLNGS IK BEE CULTUKE. 



Mat 



much smarter and quicker than I was, in 

 almost every thine?, I really began to feel, 

 from the bottom of my heart, that perhaps I 

 really was not as— well, to come right clown 

 to the point, that perhaps I was not quite 

 bright. None but one who has had the ex- 

 perience can understand how one feels, to 

 be thumped on all sides for being a "dum- 

 my,'' when they are doing the very best 

 Uiey honestly can. I presume I was unusu- 

 ally sensitive, for I have seen other boys 

 seem to mind nothing about things that 

 would have mortified me almost to death. 

 Now, to come back to my storv, I believe I 

 can say that I thank GJod for all those child- 

 hood griefs and sufferings, if it has had the 

 effect of making me feel for others who 

 have had similar trials, and who feel as I 

 did then. This boy, during his first week, 

 in his ambitioQ to please, I presume, lifted 

 a board too heavy for his strength, and the 

 wind blew it against a large window. A look 

 at his face showed he had been punished 

 enough, and wheii he came and told me he 

 would pay all the expense of fixing it as soon 

 as Saturday night came, I — well, I would be 

 veiy glad indee<l, if everybody would do as 

 much under similar circumstimces. It final- 

 ly became oonveniej^t for me to ask him to 

 work in the wax room with the girls ; for a 

 few days all went well. Then I heard that 

 he had been swearing so badly in the pres- 

 ence of the girls, that they could not stand 

 it. I was indignant, and came very near 

 getting somelxxly to take his place, without 

 even giving him a hearing. I, however, as 

 usual, thought over the matter l>efore say- 

 ing anything, and then spoke to him mildly, 

 of his conduct. Somewhat to my surprise, 

 he attempted no excuse. 



"Mr. Root," said he, "you do not know 

 how badly I have felt about that. I can not 

 blame you for discharging me, and I expect- 

 ed you would, but I have got an awful tem- 

 per, and I got very angry. If you would 

 only try me once more, I would not say a 

 word." 



"I will try you." 



"JSTow, may I ask one favor ?" 



"Yes." 



"Can you not give me something to do 

 about the machinery where you are around 

 oftener V" 



I granted liis request, and he is now at 

 work with the saws, even if it is late in the 

 evening, and I have never had any 

 fault to find since. I pass him often, and 

 sometimes speak a word of encouragement, 

 but I fear I oftener speak slr.a-ply to him, 

 when he does not hold liis stuff' up to the 

 gauges so as to cut it accurately. It whs 

 but a couple of luuirs ago, tliat some of the 

 hands were putting up some heavy plank. 

 While one of his comrades was lifting with 

 all his might, and in a iw:)sition where it was 

 really dangerous, our friend stood calmly 

 looking on, as if it was nothing to him 

 whether the plank slipped and fell on the 

 man or not. lie must move instantly, to be 

 of any assistance, and I could tliiiik of 

 but one way of making liim move ; it was 

 to speak loud and sharply to him. I did 

 this, and he took holil just in the nick of 

 time. Why will some i)eople stand idly 



looking on, when not only property, but life 

 even, is at stake ? Perhaps it is just the way 

 I used to do, when I got so many raps for 

 not moving quicker. There seems to be a 

 sort of inertia about humanity ; it takes a 

 certain amount of time to get intelligence 

 to the brain, and then, with some, it seems 

 to take a great while, to get their bones and 

 muscles under way. Although naturally 

 one of the slowest of mortals, I have ac- 

 quired considerable of a reputation jvs a rap- 

 id worker in some kinds of work, but it has 

 all come by making the matter a study. A 

 sharp tone will sometimes make a body 

 move, when nothing else will, but after all, 

 is it well ? 



I remember being in a shop a few years 

 ago where several hands were emploj^ed, 

 and the foreman was constantly stirring the 

 boys up Avith loud oaths. I looked to see if 

 their feelings were not hurt by such lan- 

 guage, but to my surprise they seemed to 

 take it as a matter of common occurrence, 

 and some of them even replied in the same 

 strain. I am inclined to think not only that 

 "he that ruleth his spirit is greater than he 

 that taketh a city," but that such an one is 

 capable of ruling those about him, should 

 they desire him so to do. I once thought it 

 was a great thing to be able to take charge 

 of a hundred or a thousand hives of bees, 

 but to take charge of the same number of 

 human beings, and to encourage in eacli one 

 a spirit of ruling himself, I feel would be a 

 far grander work. 



And now, my friend, comes the work in 

 hand, for you, and for me. 1 have no doubt 

 at all, but that, if we are faithful in these few 

 things, God will make us both rulers over 

 greater things here on this earth than we 

 liave ever dreamed of; but alas for tJie stub- 

 bornness of the human heart. You spoke 

 of being angry ; you acknowledged the fact, 

 that you had'a bad temper to contend with. 

 I feel from just this, that you have gained 

 a victory, for the greatest sinners never ac- 

 knowledge that they are sinners at all. 

 When one becomes conscious that he is the 

 victim of an evil temper, he has commenced 

 to reform. Still farther; it is often the case, 

 when one is very angry, that like the inebri- 

 ate, he stoutly insists lie is not an;:-ry at all. 

 I am very apt to insist that I have not been 

 angry, and I will sometimes tliink so for a 

 day or two, but the time comes, wiien I, in 

 a softened mood, look back, and I'eel sorrow, 

 for what I have done or said. If you can 

 say while angry, "I am angry now, and am 

 unfit to talk," and can stop there, and utter 

 not another word, you are very near con- 

 tjueror. Even if your face be fiushed, and 

 the breath coming with diliiculty, if you can 

 smile through it all, and reply quietly and 

 gently, you are saying in actions, if not in 

 M'ords, "get thee behind me, Satan." sit 

 down an(l cry, if you wish, it may do you 

 good, but resolve, no matter what transpires, 

 that you irHl think gently and kindly, or 

 every thing, and everybody ; that you will 

 not blame and censure, for it is the way 

 things have been since the world began, and 

 will be, in all probability, until the end of 

 time; and that you have no more to contend 

 with thai! people in general. 



