wenty
feet, without branch or twig. "What is to be done?" said I, appealing
to two or three neighbors. At last, at the recommendation of one of
them, a ladder was raised against the tree, and, equipped with a shirt
outside of my clothes, a green veil over my head, and a pair of
leather gloves on my hands, I went up with a saw at my girdle to saw
off the branch on which they had settled, and lower it by a rope to a
neighbor, similarly equipped, who stood below with the hive.

As a result of this manoeuvre the fastidious little insects were at
length fairly installed at housekeeping in my new patent hive, and,
rejoicing in my success, I again sat down to my article.

That evening my wife and I took tea in our honeysuckle arbor, with our
little ones and a friend or two, to whom I showed my treasures, and
expatiated at large on the comforts and conveniences of the new patent
hive.

But alas for the hopes of man! The little ungrateful wretches--what
must they do but take advantage of my oversleeping myself, the next
morning, to clear out for new quarters without so much as leaving me a
P. P. C.! Such was the fact; at eight o'clock I found the new patent
hive as good as ever; but the bees I have never seen from that day to
this!

"The rascally little conservatives!" said I; "I believe they have
never had a new idea from the days of Virgil down, and are entirely
unprepared to appreciate improvements."

Meanwhile the seeds began to germinate in our garden, when we found,
to our chagrin, that, between John Bull and Paddy, there had occurred
sundry confusions in the several departments. Radishes had been
planted broadcast, carrots and beets arranged in hills, and here and
there a whole paper of seed appeared to have been planted bodily. My
good old uncle, who, somewhat to my confusion, made me a call at this
time, was greatly distressed and scandalized by the appearance of our
garden. But by a deal of fussing, transplanting, and replanting, it
was got into some shape and order. My uncle was rather troublesome, as
careful old people are apt to be--annoying us by perpetual inquiries
of what we gave for this and that, and running up provoking
calculations on the final cost of matters; and we began to wish that
his visits might be as short as would be convenient.

But when, on taking leave, he promised to send us a fine young cow of
his own raising, our hearts rather smote us for our impatience.

"'Tain't any of your new bre