THE STING. 
41 
The most delicate workmanship of man, when 
examined by the microscope, appears rough and 
uncouth ; the finest and most highly polished 
needle seems but a rough bar of steel with a 
blunt point ; but the sting of a bee thus exam- 
ined is found to be a beautifully polished shaft, 
gradually tapering to a point so small as to be 
scarcely visible, almost too minute for even the 
magnifying-glass to catch its proportions. Such 
always is the difference between the works of 
God and of man. In one, the closer the scru- 
tiny the more manifest are the imperfections; 
in the other, we find continual cause for ever- 
increasing wonder and admiration. 
The sting of the bee is seldom or never used 
except in self-defense. Contrary to the common 
impression, bees are among the most harmless 
of insects ; and their gentleness, when properly 
managed or treated, renders them remarkably 
subject to human control. Those most conver- 
sant with bees and their habits say that they 
issue from their hives in the most peaceable 
mood imaginable, and unless abused allow them- 
selves to be treated with the greatest familiarity. 
