ANGER OP BEES. 4H 



annoyance, and they can be induced to sting, only when they 

 are compressed, either by accident or design. 



Let none of my readers imagine that they have even a 

 slight encouragement, from this conduct of the bee, to 

 reserve all their sweet smiles and honied words, for the 

 world abroad, while they give free vent, in the sacred pre- 

 cincts of home, to cross looks and ill-tempered language ; 

 for towards the occupants of its honied dome, the bee is all 

 kindness and aifection. In the experience of many years I 

 never saw an instance in which two bees, members of the 

 same family, ever seemed to be actuated by any but the 

 very kindest feelings towards each other. In their busy 

 haste they often jostle against each other, but as every thing 

 is well meant, so every thing is well received ; tens of thou- 

 sands all living together in the sweetest harmony and peace, 

 when often where there are only two or three children in a 

 family, the whole household is tormented by their constant 

 bickerings and contentions. Among the bees, the good mother- 

 is the honored queen of her happy family ; all waiting upon 

 her steps with unbounded reverence and affection, making 

 way for her as she moves over the com,bs, smoothing and 

 brushing her beautiful plumes, offering her food from time 

 to time, and in short doing all that they possibly can to make 

 her perfectly happy ; while too oftea children treat their 

 mothers with irreverence or neglect, and instead of striving 

 with loving zeal to lighten their labors, and save their steps, 

 they treat them more as though they were servants hired 

 only to wait upon their whims, and humor their caprices. 



I am aware that bees show no mercy to any, even of their 

 own colony, who from sickness or injury, become unfit tO' 

 perform their proper share of labor. All such are remorse- 

 lessly seized and hurried out of the hive, being often carried 

 to a distance- to die- alone, that the stench of their deadi 



