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"THE LITTLE BUSY BEE."

her comfort and happiness. How ought such a beautiful example to put to the blush those undutiThe following is a part of a lecture on the "Hab-ful children who treat their mothers with irreverits and Instincts of Bees," delivered before the ence and neglect, and who, instead of striving with Philadelphia Spring Garden Institute, during the loving zeal to lighten their labors and save their steps, early part of December, 1854, by the Rev. L. L. treat them more as though they were servants hired LANGSTROTH, of Greenfield, Mass. Mr. L. is the only to wait upon every whim, and humor every caprice. author of a most interesting work on Bees, from If the queen is taken from the bees, as soon as which we have occasionally quoted. We do not be- they ascertain their loss, the whole colony is thrown lieve that the Curators of our Lyceums could offer into a state of the most intense agitation; all the a more attractive and pleasing subject to their au- labors of the hive are at once abandoned; the bees diences than one or two lectures from Mr. L. on whole of them rush forth from the hive in anxious run over the comb in wild despair, and often the this topic. His work, while highly instructive, has search for their beloved mother. When they return at the same time the fascination of a well-wrought to their now desolate home, by their mournful tones novel; and his lectures, delivered in an easy, con- they manifest the deepest sense of their deplorable versational style, would not fail to be gratifying to calamity. Their note at such times is of a peculiarly sorrowful character; sounding something like a succession of wailings on the minor key, and can no The honey bee belongs to the class of insects more be mistaken by the experienced apiarian or which live in a perfect community; indeed, bees can bee manager for their ordinary happy hum, than flourish only when associated in large numbers as a the piteous moanings of a sick child can be confoundcolony. In a solitary state, a single bee would be ed by an anxious mother with its joyous crowings, almost as helpless as a new-born child, and would when overflowing with health and happiness. Even be unable to endure even the ordinary chill of an after the bees have recovered from their first disautumnal night. If a family of bees is examined traction of grief, they plainly manifest that some before it sends off a new colony in the spring, three overwhelming calamity has befallen them. Often different kinds of bees will be found in the hive:- those that have visited the fields, instead of enter1. One bee of peculiar shape, commonly called the ing the hive with that dispatchful haste so characqueen bee. 2. A number of large bees, called teristic of a bee returning to a happy home, linger drones. 3. Many thousands of a smaller kind, about the entrance with a dissatisfied look. Their called workers, and similar to those which are seen home, like that of a man who is cursed rather than on the blossoms. A large number of the cells will blessed in his domestic relations, is such a melanbe found filled with honey and bee-bread, while vast choly place that they enter it only with reluctant numbers contain eggs and immature young-a few and slow moving steps.

any class of hearers.

cells of unusual size and shape being devoted to the The defence of the colony against numerous enerearing of the young queens. mies, the construction of the combs, the providing The queen bee is the only perfect female in the of stores, the rearing of the young, and in short,, hive, and all the eggs are laid by her. The drones the whole work of the hive-the laying of eggs exare the males, and so imperfectly developed that cepted-is carried on by the industrious workers. they are incapable of laying eggs, and retain the There may be gentlemen of leisure in the commoninstinct only so far as to give the most devoted at-wealth of bees; but most assuredly, there are no tention to feeding and rearing the young. The such ladies, either of high or low degree. The queen-bee or, as she ought more properly to be queen herself has her full share of duties; for it called, the mother bee, is the common mother of the must be admitted that the royal office is no sinecure, whole colony. She reigns, therefore, most unques- when the mother who fills it must superintend daily tionably, by a divine right, as every good mother is, the proper disposition of some two or three thouor at least ought to be, in the bosom of her own sand eggs. It is very true that the drones family. The fertility of the queen bee is very great. She will often lay as many as three thousand eggs in a single day.

"On others' toils in pampered leisure thrive,
The lazy fathers of the industrious hive."

As the common bees never attain the age of a sin- But then, as a penalty for this exemption from gle year, a constant succession of young bees must labor, at the close of the summer they are all ignobe added to the hive; and therefore, no colony can miniously put to death.

long exist without the presence of this important Bees sometimes act the part of highway robbers; insect. She is as absolutely necessary to its welfare a number of them will waylay and attack a humble as the soul is to the body. The queen bee is treat- bee, which like an honest trader jogging home with ed by the bees as every mother ought to be by her a well-filled purse, is returning with a sack full of children, with the most unbounded respect and honey to his nest. They seize the poor fellow and affection. A circle of her loving offspring constantly give him at once to understand that they are detersurrounds her, testifying in different ways their du- mined to have his hard-earned sweets. They do tiful regard-offering her honey from time to time, not kill him, for they are much too selfish to enmost affectionately embracing her with their anten- danger their own precious persons; and even if næ, and carefully smoothing her beautiful plumage. they could take his life without losing their stings In the frontispiece of my treatise on bees I have -a loss which is always fatal-they would still given an exact representation of the attitude in which be unable to extract his treasures from the deep they gather around her. If she wishes to travel recesses of his honey bag.

over the combs, they not only make way for her, They, therefore, begin to bite and tease him after but most politely back out of her presence, and ever the most approved fashion, all the time singing in seem intent on doing all that they can to promote his ears, not your money, but "your honey or your

life," till utterly worn out, he delivers up his purse seeming evils. If the sun is obscured, wild winds by disgorging his honey from its spacious receptacle. sweep the earth, and gloom rests upon the hills, The graceless creatures release him at once, while how these increase the comforts of the warm hearth, they lick up his spoil and carry off to their homes.

the cheerful fire, the gathered household, and all the dear delights of domestic love! He who has THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR. faithfully discharged the duties of the fleeting year, Another of the distinctly marked periods of our whose mind is established on the principles of truth, existence has now passed away-another of those will not find the winter one of discontent, but will twelvemonth circles, so filled with alternating hope be able to declare with the poet—

and fear, and joy, and sorrow, and so diversified in the cares and duties which it has presented as it rolled along, is now numbered with those which

"My minde to me a kingdom is,
Such perfect joy therein I finde."

All the phenomena of nature, with such a mind,

have for ages successively gone before it. Many may be converted into so many sources of pleasure who kindly listened to our suggestions at the close to us; and if we attend to her procedure it will be of the last year, can listen now no longer; the ear found that her most common things and appearis dull, the tongue dumb; the eye hath lost its fire, ances are the most agreeable. So that by contrast, the hand its power. Their Spring, and Summer, and by investigation, we shall always find enjoyand Autumn, and Winter, have come to them, and ment in the world about us.

passed, and they are numbered with that great con- Gracefully and gently has waned the dying year, gregation, which has been called to an existence, and brought us to the close of those Months, where times and seasons are not known. Such is through which we have travelled so peacefully and the fiat of Him who has called us and all this great profitably together. We trust the recollections world into existence, and who knows all our emo- of them will be pleasant to all, and that they will tions, and without whose knowledge a sparrow, even, inspire us to future usefulness in the new duties cannot fall to the ground. which will cluster around us, with the in-coming of

He has ordered all things aright, and acquiescence the new year. in His will becomes us all. "Though, at the ap- Farewell, then, Year Eighteen Hundred and proach of winter, the country is desolate, and Fifty-five. Though thou didst bring gray hairs stripped of its most beautiful ornaments, it still pre- to some, to youth some sorrows,-to manhood sents, to a properly organized mind, the image of some sharp trials,—and to all, didst mingle some happiness. We may say with gratitude, Here we bitterness with the sweet cup of life, yet we will have seen the corn grow, and these dry fields cherish thee as a period of great practical improvecrowned with an abundant harvest; and notwith-ment,-a period of success to the tiller of the so standing the orchards and gardens are now de- and we trust of progress towards higher and holiserted, the remembrance of the presents we have er purposes in all. received from them, inspires us with joy, though we are exposed to the influence of the north wind."

CAUSES OF INDIGESTION.-Doctor Wieting, when Nearly all the duties of the Farmer are emblem- the manner in which persons destroy their stomachs, lecturing at the Brooklyn Institute, lately, described atic of our condition in life. The Spring is full of and produce indigestion and dyspepsia. A gentleHope-Summer of Activity-Autumn of Fruition, man sits down to dinner, and partakes of a multiand Winter of calm Contentment, and contempla- tude of dishes, each seemingly prepared for the tion of a Year or a Life well-spent. "The fruit trees than it can digest. Being completely loaded, it sets purpose of coaxing the stomach to accept more have now shed their leaves; the snows or rains fall to work to agitate the heap, and put it through the in heavy showers; the roads are impaired, and process of digestion. The gentleman then starts walking abroad is almost impracticable. The man for home and sees some seductive looking apples who has no resources in himself murmurs at this on a stand, which he thinks he should like to eat. change; but the considerate, thinking man contem-down. "Halloo!" says the stomach, looking up in He purchases a few and commences to gulp them plates it with satisfaction. The sere leaves and alarm, "what are you about there? I have more withered grass, moistened by the autumnal rains, work than I can attend to already." However, reform a rich manure to fertilize the land. This con- monstrance is in vain, and with a gripe or two, the sideration, and the sweet expectation of Spring, stomach goes to work as before. The gentleman naturally ought to excite our gratitude for the ten- smash. or some other liquid compound is gulped next meets with a friend; a glass of wine, a brandy der cares of our Creator, and inspire us with a per- down, aided by some tobacco fumes. Supplies are fect confidence in Him. Whilst the earth has lost lowered into the stomach like bales of cotton into its beauty and external charms, and is exposed to the hold of a Mississippi steamer, until the organ, the murmurs of those it has nourished and de- wearied and overburdened, gives up in disgust, and lighted, it has commenced its labors anew, and is leaves the mass to indigestion, dyspepsia, and its train of accompanying evils. Thus the harmony busily employed in secret working for future good." of the system is destroyed, which might have been There are rich compensations, then, for these prevented by a little prudence and self-denial.

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