IN COLD WEATHER. 
307 
“ Night does not injure the bee, but cold is extremely harmful. 
Such is her conscientiousness, that, in order to avoid losing a day’s 
labour in our brief summers, she takes too little heed of the sudden 
returns of winter, of the sharp caprices of the north wind, which some¬ 
times visit us on the finest days. Insects of inferior intelligence, but 
also less industrious, perfectly understand the secret of escaping its 
influence. In their prudent idleness they say to one another, ‘ To¬ 
morrow ! Let us keep holiday ! ’ And they patiently wait for one, 
or two, or more days, until the wicked spirit of the north has aban¬ 
doned its evil mood. But those who have charge of others, who have 
a large family to maintain,—those who know that a mild winter may 
chance to keep their offering awake, and, accordingly, famished, will 
hesitate before they take a single day’s repose. 
“And, therefore, on the cold mornings of a June not less bleak than 
March, they do not fear to rush boldly into the fields. But they are 
more valiant than robust; the cold catches them, and I have known them 
drag their limbs to my windows, faltering and half-paralyzed. They 
have made no attempt to escape; they have suffered themselves to be 
taken prisoners. They were in a scared condition; still bearing the signs 
of their courageous and indefatigable work, impregnated with the dust 
of flowers, and their little baskets loaded and overloaded with pollen. 
They seemed to say:—AVe are no sluggards. On the contrary, in the 
cold hours of morning, when many are still asleep, we have already 
completed a day’s work. But, alas, the times are so hard, and the north 
wind is so keen ! Behold us half-frozen. A moment’s hospitality, I 
pray you.’ 
“ Who would not respect the misfortune of such blameless and over- 
eager workers ? I lent them not only a roof, and the warmth of an 
apartment closed to the wind and open to the sun, but immediately 
improvised for them a friendly repast. Where ? At the bottom of a 
sugar-basin. 
“ The chilly creatures, having revived at a genial beam their lost 
warmth, and restored to a good condition all the little electric world of 
hairs with which they bristle, began the exploration of their temporary 
prison, and were agreeably surprised to find the crystal a dining-hall 
