ts high. I looked despairingly upon the
smooth-bark tree, which rose, like a column, full twenty 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 over-sleeping 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
h