26 THE BLESSED BEES. 



that bees had usually wintered best in good, dry- 

 cellars, perfectly dark, kept at a temperature of 40 

 to 45 degrees. I prepared our cellar, and at the 

 proper time put the seventeen swarms into it. Then 

 other preparations were made for winter. Wood 

 was to be hauled and cut. Will and I soon hauled 

 from the woods along the creek, an abundant supply. 

 It had been corded there the winter before, and was 

 now in good condition. A man, who ran a horse- 

 power saw, was engaged for a day, and a tremendous 

 pile of wood was sawed. Barns, stables, corn-cribs, 

 cellar, wood-pile were now ready for the severe 

 weather which winter always brings in this latitude. 

 I had engaged to teach the school in an adjacent 

 district for four months, at forty-two dollars per 

 month. It was three miles from home, and I should 

 need to remain in my district from Monday morning 

 to Friday night. Lucy, it was determined, should 

 board near the school-house in my district, and at- 

 tend my school. As this would leave the family at 

 home rather small, mother decided to take the 

 teacher in our own district to board for the winter. 

 This teacher was a warm friend of mother's, and 

 would be good company for her during the winter. 

 She was in everyway a competent teacher, and Will 

 would be one of her pupils. He would look after 

 the stock nights and mornings, and be " man of the 

 house." 



