The Bee-Master of Warrilow. 



a bee-keeper suffering from rheumatism. And if every 

 one kept bees, and got stung occasionally, the doctors 

 would soon have one ailment the less to trouble about. 



" But," he went on, " there is something much 

 pleasanter and more valuable to humanity, ill or well, to be 

 got from the hives. And that is the honey itself. Honey 

 is good for old and young. If mothers were wise they 

 would never give their children any other sweet food. Pure 

 ripe honey is sugar with the most difficult and most impor- 

 tant part of digestion already accomplished by the bees. 

 Moreover, it is a safe and very gentle laxative; and before 

 each comb-cell is sealed up the bee injects a drop of acid 

 from her sting, and so gives to the honey an aseptic pro- 

 perty. That is why it is so good for sore throats or chafed 

 skins." 



We had got back to the extracting house, where the 

 great caldron of metheglin was still bubbling over the fire. 

 The old bee-keeper relieved himself of his stiff Sunday coat, 

 donned his white linen over-alls, and fell to skimming 

 the pot. 



" There is another use," said he, after a ruminative 

 pause, " to which honey might be put, if only doctors could 

 be induced to seek curative power in ancient homely things, 

 as they do with the latest new poisons from Germany. That 

 is in the treatment of obesity. Fat people, who are order ed 

 to give up sugar, ought to use honey mstead . In my time 

 1 have persuaded many a one to try it, and the result has 

 always been the same^ — a steady reduction in weight, and 

 better health all round. Then, again, dyspeptic folk would 

 find most of their troubles vanish if they substituted the 

 already half-digested honey wherever ordinary sugar forms 

 part of their diet. And did you ever try honey to sweeten 

 tea or coffee? Of course, it must be pure, and without 

 any strongly-marked flavour; but no one would ever return 

 to sugar if once good honey had been tried in this way, or 

 in any kind of cookery where sugar is used." 



The bee-master ran his fingers through his hair, of 

 which he had a magnificent iron-grey crop. The fingers 

 were undeniably sticky; but it was an old habit of his, when 

 in thoughtful mood, and the action seemed to remind him 

 of something. His eyes twinkled merrily. 



" Now," said he, " you are a writer for the papers, and 

 58 



