The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-06-14
Beckl toms Fees.

MI. DtChlclou DcCS SW III lllCu tuC
other day, and the new generation, leav-
ing the hive, went over to an adjoining
block, and settled in cone-shape on a
peach tree. Hiving bees, when not
managed skillfully, is painful perform
ance The bee does not know that the
human family admires his proverbial
industry, and often stings the man who
seeks to establish home for the bill
collector of sweets. The entire neigh
borhood was aroused when Mr.. Beckle-
tons bees swarmed, and children, both
white and black, assembled to see the
fun. Mr.. Beckleton was not at home
when the insect muster occurred, and
the management of the affair was taken
in hand by the hired gentleman. A
spring wagon with an impromptu hive
was brought around The unsuspecting
horse, lashing the flies with his tail,
soon attracted scouting party of bees.
The poor animal. stung to desperation,
kicked and snorted, and breaking from
his fastenings, ran out into the street
and paved the ground A member of
the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
10 Animals, came along, and seeing the
horse tangled in his harness, but not
observing the bees, approached with
kind solicitude.
Its shame" said he to the hired
gentleman and other persons who stood
near, "that you allow this horse to
tangle himself in his gear. Whoa!
Good Lord!' and waving his hands in
the air he struck trot, while swarm
of bees lowered around his devoted
Uranium. He ran to the street crossing.
thrashng himself with his hat, reach
ing there Just as car came along
Some of the bees clipped" the mule,
and with lunge the animal jerked the
car from the track and ran against a
fence. The only passengers were fat
man who sat reading pamphlet on
the Banting System, and an old maid
who carried little porte-monnaie
sachel. A prominent bee went into the
car and drilled cavity into the fat
man jowl, and companion buzzed in
and saluted the maiden lady on the
neck. Banting's book flew out of the
window and the beads on the porte
monnaie receptacle ratified as the old
maid lifted her skirts and rushed from
the car. The pain that a lean man can
endure without striking demonstration
will bring intensified fits to fat man,
and on this occasion Mr.. Banting wad-
died from the car and fell over tree
box blown down by recent storm.
No sooner had he left the car than a
dozen bees followed him. They crawled
around his collar, leaving tracks of fire,
and delighted themselves by dance on
his bald head He bawled like steer,
broke down a garden fence, and when
last seen, he was travelling towards the
equator. The old maid had consider
able trouble with her skirts, and her
high-keyed shrieks must have rent the
neighborhood like the wailings of the
equinoctial wind.
When Mr.. Beckleton reached home
and learned that his bees had swarmed,
he went over TO assist the hired gentle
man.
Hold on there" he cried, Don't
fight 'em. Let 'em buzz around. They
won't hurt you. See?' as the bees be-
gan to buzz around his ears. ''Wait a
few moments and they'll be quiet" A
bee lit on his moustache. "All you've
got to do is-Gee whiz! whoop!' He
ran against the fence and knocked off
his plug hat, and in trying to fight off a
bee that showed disposition to settle
on his eye, he trod upon the hat and
mashed its crown through the brim into
the ground. Everybody ran away and
left him and, as he wandered around,
he struck the peach tree and Jared the
buzzing cone to the ground. Then he
knew that man was made to moan; that
life is full Of sudden pain and cries.
That bravery which would prompt q
man to rush forward and rescue fell
low-mortal from a swarm of angry bees
has not vet been discovered. Man has
many virtues but this self-sacritice is not
one Of them.
When Mr. Beckleton reached home,
after the bees grew weary of his society,
he looked like bloated bondholder,
and that evening, as he lay on the floor
of his front gallery, man who saw him
said: BLAMED if | don't believe old
Thingembobem will swell up and bust y"
Oh, no; bees will not sting you unless
YOU modest them. --ArkanSdtO Traveller.