The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-07-27
The SCribbling Bees

The most delightful garden which
have ever known was that OF the VII
lage cure with whom as a little boy Al
school l used 10 spend my vacations.
Such nne cabbage beds, bOrdered
with crisp green lettuce. and all 50
carefully weeded. rakcd and swept
They were watercd morning and
evening before sunrise and after sun
set from an old sandstone fountain
green with mosses and water cress
from which escaped by a thousand llt
lie holes threads OF crystal and tiny
singing rivuletS
Sarrasin. the gravedlgger. held the
ofice OF gardener AZ first this idea
was offensive to my childish mind The
grass seemed TO smell OF death and TIT
eurrant bushes to taste OF the Gene
terry.
But in a short time l forgot about
this. as there was rarely a death In
the village Sarrasln often remarked
that his title OF gravcdigger was more
a joke than anything else.
At the top OF the garden. back OF th'
old fountain, was a narrow strip Of
land. rather a lonely sort OF place
where NJ. le Cure used 20 pass every
moment not occupied with the duties
Of his sacred ofiice.
From a distance I could watch hin
IN company with the gravedlgger, al
ways moving about In an excited man
ner and making the most remarkable
gestures. They forbade my approach
IN. lie Cure does not want you.
sarrasin said. There are only bee
hives there"
In truth these mysterious hives allied
the garden with buzzlng bees, darling
here and there the liyelong day, intox
icated apparently with pollen from the
heart OF the hollyhocks.
But why was forbidden to look Al
the hivesi
At what strange work we're the bee.
engaged In the company OF priest
and a gravedlggcr1
One afternoon NJ. lie Cure and Sara
sin were called quite a distance owaJ
TO bury an old woman. Thus lei
alone, could not control my curiosity
another moment. With q beating
heart went straight TO the forbiddeJ
ground back OF the fountain. There
found a plot OF dry. sandy SOIL plant
Cd with rosemary. lavender and every
variety OF herb. all giving n grayisf
tint and giving forth a delicious odoi
as they cracked underfoot A thich
cloud OF bees, shining Ike gold In the
sunlight. indicated the corner where
the hives were located. Tor Sarraslu
had not lied to me-hivcs there were
udced. but what hivesl
Picture 10 yourself an odd array Of
boxes. propped up one against another
and only held In their places by mir
aclc OF equilibrium; long boxes, archet
boxes, boxes looking Ike fabulous
monsters with arms and beaks! They
were all pierced with holes through
which the bees went In and out as
TRANQUILITY as though their homes were
ordinary hives. but this fact did not
reassure me, and, terrified by the un'
natural appearance OF Il all ! 6ed
back to the peaceful vegetable garden
Ten years later a chance walk tool
me again 10 the village. I found The
cure broken In health and much Older
In appearance. The gravedlgger was
dead The little garden was almost
a wilderness OF herbs. but In the dis
lance / heard, as In former days, the
hum OF bees. This recalled my ad
venture. and l resolved to make .
clean breast OF H.
On questioning the old cure he began
TO laugh and insisted upon showing
me his hives. There they were In the
same lonely little strip OF land behind
the fountain. all having the same odd
shapes which had startled my childish
eyes years before.
1T is an idea OF NINE" said the
cure. Il have worked over II foI
twenty years. II has cost me quite a
sum OF money and a great deal OF time
but / still hope for success"
Can you guess what the old man was
working for and what bad turned bis
hair prematurely whittier
1 win bet ten to one that you must
give Il up.
He was determined 20 make his bees
write IN letters OF honey. "Ylve Fem
pereurP II was FOR this end they had
slipped tie dew OF morning, dartlng
hither and thither In the green valley,
gorglng the nselves with pollen and
gathering liquid amber. An. II the
bees had knownl But the bees did not
know.
In his Office OF cure the old priest had
always had a certain amount OF am.
billion and In the evolution OF what he
called his ldea had nourlshed the most
chimerlcal hopes. The thirteen letters
once completed. be intended to nail
them. yellow as the sunshine and en-
broldered In the lne hexagonal cells,
on a board. the front OF which should
be carved to represent the Arc de Trl'
omphe. This achievement Rhould be
exhibited IN Parts. and the emperor
eould not do less than accord him a
medal and make him an honorary can
on.
But what endless trouble be had 70
arrive at this result These impish