The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-06-20
ROMANCE OF INSECT LIFE.

ROMANCE OF INSECT LIFE.
We take the following beautiful ex-
tract from Historical lecture by Judge
Charlton of Georgia.:
"The earth teens with mysteries
the sky shines with them--they float in
the air--they swim in the deep--they
flash from the dark robed clouds-they
whisper in the gentle tones of the
summer wind-they speak in the trum-
pet tongues. in the voice of the tempest
and the thunder-Cease thy longings
for the ancient days, oh dreamer!
Close thy book and look about thee up
on the volume of nature. See there,
before thee, is tiny insect that thou
canst scarce distinguish from the grains
of sand that surround it--watch tit
moves on with an energy and an in
stinct that enables it to overcome or
avoid all obstacles. Sect has seized
some object larger than itself, and still
it goes bravcly on--nothing daunts it;
nothing stops it--tread it under foot, if
thou canst have the heart to attempt
such murder and it will rise up again
beneath the ocean of sand and turn
once more to its labor. Dost thou
know it? 1t is the ant, thatlion-hearted
ant, toiling amid the heat of summer;
and though the seasons brightness and
its warmth are bringing up and produc-
ing ten thousand enjoyments for the
little traveller, he is busy gathering to-
gether his provender for the long win
ter time, when frost and snow and cold
shall have locked up the granaries Of
nature.
Thou wilt tell me, that am mocking
thee, that thou canst see this daily and
hourly; and is this a mystery therefore9
If thou hadst read in those ancient le-
gends before thee, Of an insect so cour-
ageous, that it would attack an animal
of ten thousand times its magnitude; of
industry so indefatigable. that it would
climb house tops and mountains to pur-
sue its course; of perseverance so un-
tagging, that though repulsed thous-
and times, it would still return and
overcome the obstacle that impeded it;
thy eyes would have spa1kled with in
terest and amazement; it is because it
is constantly before thee because it
belongs to the present time-that thou
lookest so disdainfully upon it. When
did the knight Grants of thy heart do
half so much? When did their bosoms
beat as high with valor and determina-
ton as this poor insect! "But it has
no loves-no burning jealousies-no
blood-stained victories!'' How know
est thou that? | warrant thee, even
that tiny breast has grown gentler for
some fond one that lived within its lit
tie world; that is blood has flown quick.
er when some Adonis ant has firted
around the little coquette; that its path
has been stained by the trophies Of its
mimic battles.
But thou wilt say why dost thou lure
me from my glowing page, to point me
to this moving atom? Why not show
me the majestic mysteries of nature?
Why waste my time with a topic so
insignificant? l answer because it is
insignificant. lpont thee there TO one
of the smallest OF earth's creatures, to
ask thee if the atoms contain such Won
ders, how much more the noble and
lofty works of Nature? Follow me,
if thou wilt. Let us dive into the ca
verns of The earth, and mark the sculp-
tured halIs-the rocky avenues stretch
ing miles below the busy haunts ofmen.
Let US plunge into the deep, and see
the huge leviathan sporting amid the
waters, or, the rainbw-hued dolphin, as
she filings back bright rays Of the glo-
rious sun. Let US climb into the air,
and behold the eagle with his untiring
wing, and his unflinching eyes, the no
bic image of indomitable perseverance,
and of brilliant genius, soaring proudly
and gazing fixedly towards Heavens
brightest luninary! Oh, dreamer! if
the moments thy life were multiplied
by the sands of the desert, they would
be all TOO short TO unrayel these nys.
teries that are around and above thee