The Osceola times., 1883-09-29


swaying about and bobbing up and
down on the blossom; wings, like
coat-tails, wildly tapping in the
breeze, steadying himself until he
can get his sampler in good working
order. The wind whistles around
him, the stem of the blossom bends,
and is shaken and almost Aattened
to the ground, and yet, without ex-
cltement, without cussin' and d--m-
ing his luck, or giving himself up to
drinking and loafng, and whining
that life amt worth living, he cody
and in the most business-like way,
digs his fingers, fore and aft, deep
into the heart CT the subject, and
goes to work, as who should say,
"blow on! mind ye not! Nothing
less than cyclone shall cause me
to forego my dues. Honey ! must
have. The winter approacheth, bios
som time will soon be past, | am out
of supplies, and I've got no store
account, and ye winds that make me
your sport, when "you blow me
away, the blossom goes with me-"
And then, strengthening his hold in
exact proportion to the bullying and
clustering opposition he meets with,
he bumbs and bounces from one BIOS
som to another, until late in the eve
ming, he goes home to his domestic
circle with fair days wages for an
honest days work. A bumble- bee
don't know as much as a college
professor, but what little he does
know, he works for all it is worth.
While we have him in hand, and
before we turn him loose, we will
call attention to another fine trait in
his character. The most careful and
minute investigation has proved, that
no matter how hard up, or low down
a bumble-bce may get, he won't
steal, swindle, or dead-beat for his
living. They all mind their own
business, and hence tale-bearing and
back biting is unknown among them.
Wholly devoted to business, and
putting their whole minds on it, so
to speak, they never hear anything
to tell, and are too free from guile
to make up lie. Fighting is un-
known among them, which has caused
some to believe that they incline to
the quaker faith. You may go into
any clover patch, and if you stay all
day, you won't see one of them try
ing to get OH another's blossom; but
if, IN the pride of your wisdom and
strength, You think you can inter-
fere with one, and slap HIM around,
and knock him off his bl,ssom, in
self defense, and as a matter of bu-
sincss, and without making any fuss
about it, he will give you an urgent
to let him alone. Many
small boy has gone out, switch in
hand, to have some fun dcviling
bumble-bees, and has come back in
a hurry, bawling and crying for his
mother to get out her Ready Relief
quick! He is small, hum
BILE, poor, peaeeable and standing
candidate only for living chance;
but he knows what the knife in his
after pocket was given him for by his
great king, and in defense of life,
blossom and business, is quick and
handy to use it. One of them in
particular, who early and late does
business in our yard, has won our
attachment, and we fatter ourself
the feeling is reciprOcated. Sympa-
thising with his humble, honest, toll
ing life, we sprinkled few drops of
molasscs on the blossoms in his
range, and it was affecting to see
with what Joy he took in the situa-
tion. We call him Uncle Peter, it
making us feel more familiar and
sociable. One day-the day we
sweetened the biossoms-while Un-
Gle Peter was boring and sampling,
fierce, proud, military-looking Hor-
net, dressed TO kill, in stripped
clothes, and putting on as many war
airs as an army lieutenant, lit on the
blossom right opposite Uncle Peter,
and seemed to say plainly enough:
" What are you doing here on MY
blossom? Empty out my honey and
leave here before you meet with
railroad accidenti" We felt sorry
for poor old uncle Peter, and but for
the risk of hurting him, we would
have knocked the stulling out of the