" TELLLN' FRIENDS."
(To THE EDITOR, Or THE " SPECTILT011."3 Sur,-4 propos of Dr. Habberton Lulham's delightful poem in the Spectator of May 24th, I was chatting with a shrewd Yorkshirewoman the other day about bees. She had lived in the country and kept them for years, as her mother and grand- mother had done before her. "Did you follow the okl custom of telling them when there was a death in the family I" I asked. She looked very grave. "No, I wouldn't give in to it, because I didn't believe in it; I thought it was nonsense. The way to do is to pin a bit of crape on each hive, you know." "You had good luck with them?" "Yes; till—" and she hesitated. "Well, what happened ? " " There. were three deaths in the family, quite near together. I wouldn't tell the bees, and they all died." "Soon 2" "Within the year." "Had your mother and grandmother always told them things 2" "Always." "If you were to keep bees again what would you do ?" There was a twinkle in my old friend's eye as she answered : "I'd put them into
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