44 THE BLESSED BEES. 



well. After dinner, mother and Lucy came to the 

 shop to look on for an hour, for the whole family 

 partook of my enthusiasm, and all gave cordial 

 sympathy. It was one of those charming days that 

 sometimes come as harbingers of spring. The door 

 of the shop was open and the bright sunshine 

 streamed across the floor. The pungent fragrance 

 of the pine lumber filled the air with a stimulating 

 odor. Our hammers kept up an industrious clatter. 

 Mother sat upon a finished hive, her busy fingers 

 engaged in knitting. Lucy played among the hives 

 and materials in happy, girlish ways. It was a glad 

 hour, only saddened by memories of him who 

 would have been our leader and inspirer, now, 

 alas, in bodily presence, to give us help no more. 



When night came Will had nailed thirteen hives 

 and I fifteen. Having acquired some deftness in 

 handling the pieces we thought we could do better 

 in future, and probably finish the lot in about four 

 days. My school closed the next Friday, March 

 16th, then my whole time was given to the hives, 

 and the work went on rapidly. When they were 

 all nailed, painting was begun. The paint which 

 had been procured was of three colors, pure white, a 

 dark blue, and a brilliant red. The different colors 

 would aid the bees in marking their hives, and 

 would have a more picturesque effect when grouped 

 in the orchard than if all were one color. Besides 



