THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
243 
1 December 26. 
thus allude to the all-absorbing subject of martial pro¬ 
ceedings, without a fervent blessing upon our incomparable 
troops, who are shedding their blood with heroism never 
equalled. In this, I am sure, every reader will join me. 
May “the Captain of the Lord’s host” lead them on, and 
may His “ drawn sword ” prevail! ] 
Lydia waited on her husband, and nursed him, hand and 
foot, and bought things he needed out of the trilie she 
possessed, for he would buy nothing. Her unthriftiness 
had involved them, and what he did with his earnings did 
not appear; but they were getting deeper and deeper into 
the mire, and his land was mortgaged, and there was 
sad work among them. Then Lydia went off again to her 
own friends, who would receive her , but would have nothing 
to do with him, aud she left her daughter Emma to take care 
of her father. Her elder girl had come home before this last 
step, had been seized with a dangerous illness, and after 
some months of extreme suffering, great expence, and 
immense fatigue to her mother, died. Then it was Lydia 
went, for a few days, to see her family, and stayed many 
weeks. Miss Emma took to dress very gaily (which, indeed, 
her mother had always done, and permitted her to do); she 
went flaunting about in her finery, became extremely light 
in her conduct, and when Lydia at last returned, she found 
her daughter’s character gone. 
This was a terrible blow to the mother. Poor, half- 
starved, and miserable, as she was with Davis, the state of her 
daughter’s goings-on was worse than all. Bitterly, bitterly 
did she reproach herself then for going away, and leaving a 
thoughtless girl to her own devices, with only an old, sour, 
indifferent father. She saw, when too late, that her place was 
at home. "When man or woman undertakes an office, they 
must fulfil it, “though briars and thorns be with them.” 
Just when Lydia was at the point of despair, a way of 
escape was placed before her. Old Davis’s affairs were at 
an end; his land was to be sold for the creditors, and 
nothing but the Union was left for them all. Miss Emma 
declared she would never go there. Lydia was distracted 
at her obstinacy, aud dreaded the consequences. She herself 
could get a situation still; but she dared not again leave her 
daughter; and her own friends, who would take her in, would 
have nothing to do with Emma. At this very instant, a 
long-delayed visit of her former mistress took place; who, 
when acquainted with the state of matters, offered to pay 
Emma’s journey to her married sister, at N-, who had 
proposed to take her; give her an opportunity of redeeming 
her character, and then look out for a situation for her. 
Lydia demurred at first, with her usual feather-headedness ; 
but her mistress was not to he turned. She would frank her 
to N-■ ; but would give her nothing towards dress and 
nonsense; and, at last, after almost losing the advantageous 
offer, from folly and pride, the matter ended in Emma’s 
receiving arailway ticket to London, and another to N-; 
so that no money was placed in her hands, but she was 
sent safely to her sister. Lydia, by this move, is enabled to 
look out for another situation. She proposes to put her 
husband into a lodging, pay his rent out of her wages, and 
do what she can for him ; otherwise, they must both go to the 
Union. This she proposes; and this will be just and right, 
under the circumstances. It is, perhaps, the only right step 
she has ever taken; but what will the event be! Readers, I 
have filled my allotted space, and can say but a few words 
more. Mark the course of feather-headedness, and re¬ 
member the words with which I closed my first portion of 
Lydia’s story; cultivate sober-mindedness, and remember 
how needful it is, that our ignorance and folly should l>e 
bitted and bridled by the Word of God! 
THE APIARIAN’S CALENDAR.— January. 
By J. II. Payne, Esq., Author of “The Bee-Keeper's 
Guide," Ac. 
The Seasons. —“ Such have been the last two seasons, as 
to drive every amateur apiarian from the culture of bees, 
and to make most of the cottagers destitute.” So writes an 
old correspondent to me within the last few weeks, and one 
that is well versed in the management of bees. Another 
; writes to me, requesting me, if I can, to sell for him his w hole 
stock of boxes, glasses, &e., at something loss than half 
their original cost, consisting of a quantity of “ Taylor’s 
Improved Bar Hives,” some quite new, others that have 
been used one year, and some two years, “ Milton’s Prize 
Hives,” “Huislies Hives,” &c.; and a third friend, quite 
disheartened by the last two or three had seasons, applies 
to me to recommend him a customer for all his stocks, six 
' or seven in number, chiefly in improved cottage hives. I 
i am not myself, however, come to this determination, but am 
doing all in my power to save the few remaining stocks that 
i I have, hoping, that after such a succession of bad seasons, 
I good ones next may follow. 
1 Enemies. —The Titmouse must be sharply looked after and 
■ destroyed, as winter approaches, either by trapping, shooting, 
or bird-lime. I find the birds have already commenced 
their visits to my hives. Mice are also very apt to take up 
their winter abode inside the hives, where the single 
pedestal is not used; hence the necessity of a frequent 
examination of the hives. 
Ventilation. —Where boxes are used, vetilation cannot 
be too much insisted upon, and a frequent examination of 
the floor-boards ; and where dampness and mouldiness is 
observed, they should be exchanged for clean and dry ones. 
Snoiv. —While snow lies on the ground the entrances to 
all the hives should bo stopped, but not allowed to remain 
so for a day longer, on any account; and immediately upon 
the breaking up of a frost, every floor-board should be 
cleaned, or exchanged for a dry one. 
The Coming Season. —By the time our next calendar 
meets the eye of its readers, our little pets will have begun 
their labours for another year, in collecting pollen from the 
winter Aconites, and the early kinds of Crocus, and if the 
weather is not very severe, from the Elms also. Some 
years since, I W'as curious to learn from what a grey or ash- 
coloured pollen was obtained, which the bees brought home 
in rather large quantities very early in the season, at a 
time when the Aconites only could be seen in flower, but 
happening to pass beneath some Elm trees on a bright day, 
to my surprise, I heard the hum of bees, and on looking 
closely, I observed several very busily employed, which in¬ 
duced me to take a branch home, and by comparing under 
the microscope the pollen, w'hich it shed abundantly on 
being placed in a warm room, with that brought by the 
bees, I found them to be alike, which fully satisfied me in 
this matter. 
FINDING SPRINGS OF WATER WITH 
HAZEL-RODS. 
A curious attribute seems to appertain to the persons of 
some individuals, i.e., the power of ascertaining, with the 
aid of the above-mentioned assistance, a knowledge of the 
proximity of water, and of being able to form an estimate 
of its probable depth from the surface, through the influence 
felt in passing over it. 
The “ modus operandi ” I have witnessed practiced has 
been, for the finder to divest himself and clothing of all 
metal, in whatever shape or form, whether coins, watch, 
knives, pencil-case, buttons, etc.; to take a hazel stick, which 
is forked, and clasping the two limbs in his hands, with the 
pointed end, or juncture, of the fork upwards; to walk 
: steadily and stealthily over the ground, stopping at such 
1 places as the point turns downward (as the indication of the 
1 presence of water), and pronouncing the supposed depth 
! from the strength of the shock felt. I do not write to 
inform the readers of The Cottage Gardener that I have 
j heard of this; I have had “ ocular demonstration ” of the 
j facts; and should any of them be able to give me any 
i information which will lead to the definition of the subject, 
\ or the discovery of the agency which communicates ‘twixt 
| solid and liquid, so as to elucidate the matter, and make it 
more clear, I shall be fully obliged. Is it electricity ? Is it 
■ magnetism ? May it be Satanic ? as was ascribed to the 
! “ table-turning movement,” some time since, by some of our 
prosaical friends, who thought it impossible for anything to 
: be learnt that they were not acquainted with beforehand. 
I feel bold in staying this last impression, should it take 
possession of any individul’s mind, by stating, that I can 
I produce the testimony of two respectable gentlemen, 
