Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-03-28
THE CURES BEES.

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The most delightful garden which I
have ever known was that of the village
cure, with whom as little boy at school
/ used to spend my vacations. Such fine
cabbage beds, bordered with crisp, green
lettuce, and all so carefully weeded, raked
and swept! They were watered morning
and evening before sunrise and after sun
set from an old sandstone fountain, green
with MOSES and water cress, from which
escaped by a thousand little holes threads
of crystal and tiny singing rivulets. Sar-
rasin, the gravedigger, held the Office Of
gardener. At first this idea was offensive
to my childish mind. The grass seemed to
smell of death and the currant bushes to
taste of the cemetery. But in short time
forgot about this, as there was rarely
death in the village. Sarrasin often re-
marked that his title of gravedigger was
more joke than anything else.
At the top of the garden, back of the old
fountain, was narrow strip of land, rath-
er lonely sort of place, where M. le Cure
used to pass every moment not occupied
with the duties Of his sacred Office. From
a distance could watch him, in company
with the gravedigger, always moving
about IN an excited manner and making
the most remarkable gestures. They for
babe my approach.
I'M. lie Cure does not want you," Sara
sin said. "There are only beehives there.
In truth, these mysterious hives filed
tne garden WIN Duzzlng pees' dartlng mere
ana there the hveiong DAY, intoxicated
apparently with pollen from the heart OF
the hoilyhocks. But why was forbidden
10 look al the nlVes' AT What strange
work were tne nees engaged IN the COM
pany OF prlest ana agraVedlggerf One art
ernoon NJ ie cure ana oarrasln were called
qolte ulsoance away 70 pury an old WON,
an. mus ielC alone' could not control
my curiosity another moment with
oeaIlng hearC went stralght TO the 1or-
plaaen grouhu pack ol one lountaih. mere
iouno pioC OF ory, sandy SOIL planned
WIN rosemary lavender ana every variety
Oh hero, all having graylsn TINT and CIV
ing Iortn dellclous odor as they cracked
under foot. A thick cloud of bees, shining
like gold in the sunlight, indicated the
corner where the hives were located, for
Sarrasin had not lied to me-hives there
were indeed, but what hives y
They bore not the slightest resenl blance
to the elegant little pointed houses made
OF straw in which the bourgeois bees lived,
nor yet to the hollow trunk of tree, with
bit OF broken tile over the entrance to
serve as roof, the ordinary habitation OF
wild swarms. Picture to yourself an odd
array OF boxes, propped up one against an
other and only held in their places by a
miracle OF equilibrium; long boxes, arched
boxes, boxes looking like fabulous mon
sters with arms and beaks! They were all
pierced with holes, through which the bets
went in and out as TRANQUILITY as though
their homes were ordinary hives, but this
fact did not reassure me, and terrified by
the unnatural appearance of it all fed
back to the peaceful vegetable garden.
That evening, my vacation over, / was
taken back to school. As tinle went OH I
almost forgot this incident. Sometimes if
l happened to think Of it l asked myself if
it was not the hallucination of childish
brain.
Ten years later chance walk took HE
again to the village. l found the cure
broken IN health ana much older in ap-
pearance. Inc gravedlgger was dead. The
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herbs, but in the distance heard, as in
former days, the hum OF bees. This re-
called my adventure, and resolved to
make clean breast OF 1t.
On Questioning the old cure he began to
laugh and insisted upon showing me his
hives. There they were In the same lonely
little stripof land behind the fountain, all
having the same odd shapes which had
startled my childish eyes years before.
1T Is an idea OF mlne," said the cure.
IL have worked over 1t Tor ~ years. 1t has
cost me quite sum OF money and great
deal OF time, but still hope for success. "
Can you guess what the old man was
working for and what had turned his hair
prematurely winter
will bet ten to one that you must give
1T up!
He was determined to make his bees
write in letters OF honey "Vive rEmper-
eur!' 1t was for this end they had slipped
the dew of aorning, darting hither and
thither in tl,a green valley. gorging them
selves with pollen and gathering liquid
amber. All, If the bees had known! But
the bees did not know.
In his office OF cure the old priest had
always had certain amount of ambition,
and in the evolution of what he called his
idea had nourished the most chimerical
hopes. The 10 letters once completed, he
intended to nail them, yellow as the sun