The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-07-17
The SCribbling Bees

Tho most delightful garden which have ever known was that of the VII lage cure with whom as a httlc boy at school used to spend my vacations
 Such nne cabbage beds bordored with crisp green lettuce. and an SO carefully weeded raked and swept
 They were watcrrd morning and evening beforr sunrise and after sun set from an old sandstone fountain. green with mOsscs and water crcss, from which escaped hy thousand llt- tle holes threads of crystal and tiny singing rivulets.
 Sarrasln. the Eruvrdlgger, held the office of gardener At first thls Idea was offensive Co my childish mind. The grass seemed Co smell ot death and the currant bushes Co taste Of the cemc- tery.
 But In a short time forgot about this. as there was rarely a death ln the village. Sarrasln often remarked that his titlo of gruycdiggcr was more a joke thnn anything else.
 At the top oi the garden. back Of tho old fountain, was a harrow strip of land. rather a lonely sort of place, whera M. le Cure used Co pass every moment not otcup,rd with the duties of his sacred office
 From a distuncc [ could watch hlm tn company with the gravrdlggcr, al ways moving abort in an excited man ner and making the most rvmarkanie gestures. They forbade my approach
 "M. 10 CurC does not want you Sarrasln said. "Thcw nre only bee hives there"
 In truth these mysterious hives ulird the garden with buzzlug bees. dartng hcrc and thcrc the llyclong day. intoX lcatcd apparently with pollen from thc heart of the hollyhocks.
 But why was forbidden Co look " the hivesf
 At what strange work were the bees engaged In the company Of a priest and a gravcdIggcri
 One afternoon M. le Cure and Sarra. sin were called quite distance away Co bury an old woman. Thus lctt alone. ! could not control my curioSlty another moment With beating heart I went straight to the forbidden ground back of the fountain. There found a plot of dry. sandy soil, plant. cd with rosemary. lavender and every sarlcty of herb. an giving a graylsh tnt and giving forth a delicious odor qs they cracklcd undprfoot. A thick cloud of bees. shining like gold ln the ' sunlight, indicated Che corner where the hives were located. for Sarrasiu had not lied Co mc-hIycs there were indeed. but what hives!
 Picture to yourself an odd array Of boxes. proppcd up one against another and only held in their places by a mir aclc of equilibrium; long boxes. archcd boxes, boxes looking like fabulous monsters with arms and hcaks. They werc an pierced with holes through which the bees went In and out as uanquIuy as though their homes were ordinary hives. but thls fact did no, rcassure me. and. terrified by the uu- natural appearance of lt all lcd back Co the peaceful vegetable garden
 Ten years later a chance walk took me again Co Che village. ] found che cure broken ln health and much older In appcnsancc The graycdiggcr was dad. Tho little garden was almost a wilderness of herbs, but Iu thC dls- tancc l heard. as In former days thc hum of bees. This recalled my ud venture, and resolved Co make a elean breast Of lt.
 On questioning the old cure hc began Co laugh and Insisted upon showing me bis hives There they were in thc same lonely little strip or land behind Che fountain. an having the same odd shapes which had startled my childish eyes years before.
 "It Is an Idea of mIne," said Che cure. "I have worked over it for twenty years. It has cost me quite a sum of money and a great deal ot umr but l still hope for success"
 Cun you guess what the old man was working for and what bad turned hIs huir prcmaturcly whitcI
 will bet ten Co one that you must give lt up
 He was determined to make hls bees write In letters of honey. "vlvc rem pcrcurw It was for this end they had sippcd the dew of morning. dartlug hlther and thltbcr In the green valley gorglng thcms Ives with pollen uni gathering liquid amber An. lf thc bees had known. But thc bccs did uot know.
 In his office of cure thc old priest bad nlways had a certain amount Of am bltion and In the evolution of what he called his ldca had naurlshcd the most chlmerical hopes. The thirteen letters once completed. be Intended to ual them. yellow as the sunshine aud em broldered 10 the lno hexagonal cells on board. the front of which should be carved to represent the Arc de Fri omphe. This achievement Chould be exhibited lu Paris. and the emperor could not do less than accord hlm mcdal and make him an honorary can on.
 But what endless trouble be bad to arrive at this result These implsh bros were so caprlclousi Certain lpt