This story needs a little introduction: In the era it was written, Beehives were not 12- and 13-year-old girls in MIA or Young Women. The Beehive program was distinct from the regular MIA classes and was open to any girl in MIA, and sometimes even their mothers. It was more like the Scouting program is today, which coordinates with the Young Men’s work but is separate from the priesthood program and sort of overlays all the young men’s program.

Beehive work was new to the British Mission, having been started only in 1933. The story’s author, Katherine Horner, was the Mission’s first local woman (she was a Londoner), rather than an American missionary, to serve as the mission’s Bee Keeper (the leader or president of the organization).

Finally, in the British Mission as well as in several missions in the United States, it was common to invite neighborhood young people, non-Mormons, to become part of a Primary or Beehive program, partly as a missionary measure but also to have enough people involved to make the programs work well. That seems to be what is meant by the reference early in the story to “tracting for Bee-Hive girls” – Nancy had gone out to deliver invitations or perhaps explanatory tracts to all the houses in the neighborhood, seeking to interest local girls.

From the Millennial Star, 8 August 1935

Three Surprises

By Katherine L. M. Horner

“It’s no use, President Dakin. I can’t stand them any longer. Either I’ll tell those three girls to stop coming or you will have to find a new Beekeeper.” Those words fell from the twisted lips of young Nancy May, whose pretty brown eyes had become dampened with tears.

The branch president paused, and then smiled kindly, “You asked these girls to come. You can’t turn them away now.”

“But I never thought when I went out tracting for Bee-Hive girls that this would be the result,” dark-haired Nancy retorted. “For six weeks those girls have attended and for six weeks we have not been able to accomplish a thing. You can’t realize what a disappointment it has been to Rintha Naylor, my assistant, and me. You see, these girls come from the milling section of town.”

“You must be patient. Things will be better in a little while,” President Dakin encouraged her.

“We were far better off with our swarm of four girls,” Nancy replied. “If the other girls would only improve — but they don’t! They are rude and noisy and haven’t a bit of refinement. All they do is laugh and giggle and tease one another. And what is worse, they are influencing Beth, Margery and Ann. I have tried to restore order in the meetings. I have tried to be kind to them, but it always results in an outburst of temper from those three — Florence Bates, Violet Benson and Ruth Layson.”

“Still, you can’t turn them away, Nancy,” President Dakin answered. “If you do, you will probably embitter them toward the Gospel forever. They are your responsibility. Remember the words of the Master, ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.'”

“But what can I do?” Nancy insisted. “They don’t take the slightest notice of me.”

“Go home and pray about it,” President Dakin counselled her.

“The Lord will show you a way to reach their hearts if you will but do your part.”

Nancy thanked the branch president, and, leaving the branch hall, joined Rintha. As they walked home that night they talked of methods for making the work more worthwhile. But somehow they couldn’t seem to think of a solution.

Before retiring to bed that night Nancy offered a fervent prayer to her Heavenly Father. She asked Him for strength to meet her task and for wisdom in dealing with her Bee-Hive girls.

Refreshed, Nancy arose from bed in the morning with renewed vigour. Breakfast time came, and as she sat at the table with her mother, she asked her for advice regarding her problem.

Her mother remained silent for a moment, and then an idea struck her. “I’ll tell you. Why not invite those three girls here to supper next Saturday ? You can probably get nearer to them here, and we shall find some way of making them realize what joy can come through the Bee-Hive work.”

Saturday morning found Nancy up early making arrangements for the evening. She must finish her preparations before breakfast, for she had a long day ahead at the shop.

Evening came, and at 6: 30 p.m. Ruth, Violet and Florence arrived at the pretty May cottage. They were given a hearty welcome by Nancy. But the visitors seemed somewhat uneasy. They seemed aware of their untidy clothes and soiled shoes in the spotlessly clean dining room.

But Nancy did not give them much time to think of their predicament. “I do hope you will have a good time, girls,” she said to them, taking them upstairs to remove their rain coats. “It was certainly good of you to come.”

“We don’t often get invited out anywhere,” Violet was brave enough to reply. “We were glad to come.”

As Nancy opened her bedroom door there was a chorus of “Ohs!”

“Isn’t it pretty,” exclaimed Ruth admiringly. “It must have cost a lot of money. Look at those lovely blue curtains. Don’t they look expensive?”

“Oh, they were quite cheap,” responded Nancy cheerily. “I bought the muslin at a sale — and the ribbon, too.”

“And look at this blue cover on the bed, will you?” chimed in Violet. “And the — What are they worked on it? Snowdrops? You didn’t do that did you? ”

“Guilty again, “admitted Nancy. “It’s just made of blue sateen and I worked the snowdrops on because they are what I chose for my Bee-Hive symbol. You see, they symbolize Hope.”

“How did you get everything to match?” enquired Florence. “Oh, look at this ? What do you call it?”

“That’s a Duchesse set,” Nancy answered. “I crocheted that and saved a piece of my blue sateen for a background for it. That’s why it looks so nice. I managed to get everything to match because I did everything in here myself. It was so much fun.”

“But the door and this chair and this stuff on the walls — why it matches as well,” remarked Florence. “You couldn’t have done that yourself?”

“But I did,” replied Nancy. “And it cost so little. This was just an old wooden chair and I bought some paint and decorated it myself. I also put the paint brush to this door, and lined the bordering panels with blue paint. Doing the walls was the hardest part of all, but, as you can see, it was worth it.”

“I’d never thought of doing such a thing,” Ruth exclaimed.

“I suppose I wouldn’t have either,” explained Nancy, “if it hadn’t been for the Bee-Hive.”

“Bee-Hive? What do you mean?” asked Violet, rather startled.

“Why, I learned to do all this through the Bee-Hive. I gained quite a few seals toward rank through doing this. That’s the best of Bee-Hive. You not only learn how to do things but you get awards for doing them. It makes one ambitious.”

“We didn’t know that you learned things like this in the Bee-Hive,” Ruth asserted. “It must be interesting.”

“Well, girls, let’s go down and see my garden box,” laughed Nancy.

“What’s that?” asked Ruth as they descended the stairs.

“You come and see!”

AS they walked outside the back doorway, Mrs. May came in and Nancy introduced her to the girls. After she had gone inside all the girls remarked how sweet she looked.

“She is the sweetest little mother in all the world,” Nancy agreed.

Extremely small, the yard at the back of the house was neatly tiled. It was clearly impossible to grow anything there and so Nancy had made what she called a garden box.

“Those flowers — aren’t they beautiful,” Ruth broke the temporary silence. “I just love pansies.”

” You do have some good ideas,” Florence said. “I suppose you are going to tell us that you learned to do this in Bee-Hive?”

“Well, as a matter of fact I did,” Nancy answered. “I was always sorry not to have a garden because I do love flowers. Then one day at Bee-Hive we were told that if we didn’t have a garden, we could still have flowers, and this is the result.” She picked some of the pansies and formed a buttonhole for each girl.

“Pansies are for Thoughts, girls,” Nancy continued, “so when you look at these tomorrow remember I am thinking of you.”

They walked back into the house and Nancy called to her mother to tell her that they were ready for “tea.” She escorted the girls into the front room and told them to make themselves at home while she made some chocolate for them. The cover had been daintily placed on the table with a vase of pansies in the center.

Florence looked at her two girl friends and then exclaimed, “You know, I feel mean. There must be something in that Bee-Hive after all. There must be something in that religion to make these people so nice and clean. They aren’t any better off than we are. I’m going to tell Nancy I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” Violet added.

“And me,” echoed Ruth. “I thought it was a huge joke to disturb their meeting. I didn’t realize they learned things like this. I’m going to try to learn in the future. Maybe she will tell us all about it tonight if we ask.”

Nancy and her mother brought in the refreshments, and led a merry conversation over the table, despite such minor accidents as Ruth’s upsetting her chocolate on the clean cloth and Florence’s knocking her cake on the floor. The guests seemed to admire the polite manner in which their hostesses acted at the table.

“I wish you would tell us more about the Bee-Hive,” Violet requested after the dishes had been cleared away. Her face coloured slightly, and then she continued, “We would all like to say we are sorry for what we have done. We will try to do better if you will help us.”

Nancy’s mother left the room, leaving her to talk with her girls alone. Then Nancy proceeded to explain all about the different things to be learned in the class. She told them that the purpose of the organization was to perfect womanhood. She also explained what fun they could have on picnics, at socials and especially at swarm days, when they showed others what “honey” they had gathered and stored in their “cells.”

As the girls proceeded homeward, there was a look of rejuvenation written upon their faces. They discussed with each other the methods they might use in making each other better Bee-Hive girls.

Meanwhile Nancy knelt down upon her knees and thanked her Heavenly Father for the joy of the day.

There was a feeling of joy and expectancy in the air. More than a hundred persons sat quietly in the hall in which twelve months previous Beekeeper Nancy May stood asking her branch president for her release. The hall was decorated with festoons of blue, brown and gold — the Bee-Hive colours. It was the Swarm Day of the Honey Bee swarm.

The curtain was drawn, and the group of smiling Bee-Hive girls stood in formation singing one of their songs — “The Call of Womanhood.” The swarm had grown. There were ten girls now instead of the original four.

Then Beekeeper Nancy May stepped out in front to announce the programme. “The first number on the programme,” she said, ” will be a play entitled ‘The Spirit of the Hive.'”

After the play, the next number was announced: “And now we shall have a recitation of a poem from Florence Bates, who composed it herself.”

Then the first aid contest was conducted and Violet Benson was declared the winner. A talk on “What the Bee-Hive Has Done for Me ” was given by Ann Geddes, and the girls staged another play, “Feel Joy,” composed by Rintha Naylor, who some day aspired to be a playwright. Beth Hoggan told a story describing the wonders of nature, and then the girls went through their swarm exercises.

Climaxing the programme, Beekeeper Nancy May presented the awards, and in so doing did not forget to tell the audience that the hall had been decorated by Ruth Layson, who had also painted the Bee-Hive with the Queen Bee resting on top.

Nearly every one lingered alter the programme was completed, congratulating the girls and their Beekeeper.

Ann rushed up to Violet. “Can you imagine? Isn’t there a Wonderful crowd here tonight. It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”

“Yes, and my mother came, too,” replied Violet. ” It is the first time she has been here to the hall.”

“But I think I’m the happiest of all,” Ruth joined in. “My mother and dad and I are going to be baptized in two weeks.” She turned to Sister May, ” Yes, and it’s all through you and the Bee-Hive.”

“Thank yon all so much, girls,” Nancy choked out the words. Tears of joy welled in her eyes. “We must not forget to thank Rintha, too, for she has always been ready to help and support me. But most of all we must thank our Heavenly Father. You have all grown in grace and intelligence, and I feel sure that the Lord is pleased with yon.”