The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-06-02
Re wfsc-The STORY Of the Dsscon-
tented Bee.

There was terrible commotion In the
beehive. The sentinels at the doorway
ceased to fan with their wings, THAT they
might listen the drones murmured With
hoarse voices the bees run in and out
in great onfusioG the work all stop
ped in the honey kingdom. What was
the matter? After great deal of noise
and clamor it was discovered that the
bees had criminal before the queen,
to know what they should do with her.
The queen turned around slowly and
pIajestieally. as queens should do, and
then inquired:
..What is the matter?" Why hSve
you brought this young bee before me ?"
please your majesty, she won't
work"
Wont work? A bee won't work 2"
NO, your majesty; and she is not
only idle, but all the time complaining
and finding fault with everyb body, aud
everything, and thus s!'e makes tine
whole hive unhappy ..
"Hebe, is this so: What have you to
say?r
"Please your majesty" said poor
Hebe, Il am the most unfortunate of all
your subjects. The fact is, I'm not
handsome My face is small, and one
of my eyes seems to squint, and though
am an Italian bee, yet my dress is net
gold, but has 4 dim leadcn look, and
my feet are large, and arms are hairy,
and my ears are too big. In short. I'm
so plain that nobody ever notices me.
and have no admirers, and | actually
heard gentleman say, 'ilOw homely
Hebe grows!' Those who are pretty,
and have admirers, can afford to work;
but to me there is nothing but chagrin
and grief" u
"Foolish one" cried the queen. Now
hear your sentence. You will, | hope,
have long life. even nine moons long.
You have already wasted four bright
days. | condemn you to rise ut early
dawn, to go out and wash your face in
the dew that gathers in the clematis.
TIen You are to go from flower to flow-
er, and bring in honey sufficient to feed
ten young bees 1t will take you but
twenty five journeys every day, and re-
quire the honey OF one hundred flowers
each journey"
20, dear" cried Hebe, to think of
sucking twenty-five hundred flowers
each days.
~ es, and you must nurse ten Young
bees, and thus mature one every day on
an average, and yvu must do this during
three moons. This is my sentence. and
you are not TO appear before me till at
the end of that period"
The queen turned sway, and the sister
bees led poor Hebe to the door of the
hive, and pushed her ont. At frat she
was bewildered ana cast down. But the
sun shOne bright, and birds sang, and
the air was filled with her sisters COM
ing and going. flying and singing.
So she spread her wings and away she
went, over fences and trees, till she
found patch of white clover. Then
she came down. and 10 her amazement
found it easy TO work. In a short time
she had dra gn from the hu,nared clover
heads, and then weIt straight to her
hive. In che came singing. and begaG
to feed her young charge.
And then off again-morning noon
AMI night she was coming ar.i going.
Her young bees lOved her, and sang
with her, and we1t oat in company "a
fast rs grown. S. netimes she bathed in
the dews of the e2 anti; : OF sweet jesa-
mine; sometimes sAe S'TI.nS IN the r3sp-
berry blossom, sometimes white fow-
ers, and sometimes on the crest Of the
mountain upon the linden, or the locust
or of lofty tulip tIce, or rushed into
the woods fragrant with the honey
suckle.
But every day she grew happier. Her
songs were now cheerful and loud. She
laughed at her former dread to work,
and what was curious, just in proper
tiOn is she worked, she grew handsom-
er, The bands that encircled her body
grew wide and bright, like leaves of
silver. Her eye grew bright, and lost its
sCptint, if it ever had any. Her feet,
kept clean by the morning dew, were in
beautiful proportion. In short, there
was not happier or more beautiful
bee in the whole hive. Then the lazy
drones bowed and hummed admiration
rs she passed. AT the end of her sem
tence she stood once more before the
queer, 'TIebe the beautiful as she was
then called,
"Ah.' said the queen. Il sec how it is.
Ii is law of God that she who is will
ing to do good to Others shall be happy
and grow beautiful BY the process.
Beauty casts her mantle on the indus
trious and good.