The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-08-08
A Word for the Flies.

AT this time when so many good house
wives have their patience tried while trying
to drive the flies from their dwellings, to
Supply them with cobalt or annihate them
in Ay-traps, the sensible and humane old
Hartford COurant thus comes to the rescue
of the intrusive .ormentors. Read it, and
bless the goodness of the Creator of all
things for sending swarms of flies over the
land:
Tempus .fugit-or, as the Latin scholar
translated it, "a time for fies." Those little
pests of social comfort are now upon us in
swarms. They come up, like the frogs of
Egypt, into our houses, and into our bed-cham-
bers, and into our ovens, and into our kneading
troughs. The very air is full of them, and
they multiply with astonishing rapidity. In
the morning, they disturb our sumbers by
crawling up our nostrils or whizzing and buzz
zing or fussing in our ears. At meal time they
must taste every dish that we do, but their
prelibations would be forgiven, if their bodies
were not left, too frequently, as token of their
greediness.
But let US not fret too strongly against even
this pest. 1t is q we'll known fact that flies
always seek in greater numbcss, the irritable
and fretful. They have curious instinct in
that particular. The more we notice their ir-
ritations, and the more peevish we are in driv-
ing them of, the more numerous are! the
throngs around US. Let us not fret them
Nothing was made in vain, and even flies an
swer some important part in the economy of
the world. We can certainly see that they
were intended as trials to our patience, and
therefore serve useful purpose in the forma-
tion Of character. J - ss
The more triAing the cause that calls forth
our irritability, the more deeterious its effect
on our dispositions To overcome this pro-
pensity to fretfulness, and to permit patience
to have her perfect work, may be one benefit
to be derived from the plague of flies. He
who rules his spirit in little things will be bet
ter prepared for greater and more important
contests for life. ... ~ a...I .eIsalLp.
Flies act an important part in our social
condition. They consume in and around the
house, the extra moisture which might other
wise contaminate the air. They seldom touch
pure water. The fluids they feed upon are of
animal or vegetable origin, which, by mingling
with the water, vitiate the air in dwelling
In the larva or maggot state, they are the
great scaVengers OF nature, and soon consume
that which would otherwise poison the air
and create sickness. A small number of flies
and other insects is an indubitable sign of a
sickly season.
When flies or other animals of O like class
become too numerous, they become the prey
of other animals in turn, the whole apparent
object of whose creation is to feed on the in
sects and keep their numbers within the limits
of usefulness. There is in all the arrangements
of the Creator this compensation of purpose in
the existence of all animals, all being in SUBJ
serviency to the well being of man on this earth,
and all intending to point out to him that this
world is only stage of trial. 5
Did you ever, fretful reader, examine fly
through large microscope? That sight
ought to cure you of your loathing and irrita-
blilty and teach how beautiful are all the
WORKS OF God, and how wonderfully adapted to
the purposes designed - -
Even the despised fly is clothed in beauty
even this ephemeral pest, so much abhorred
Is dressed in gay robes of gauze and poldl
which art would in vain attempt to initiate. II
1t IL perfect wonder--its continuance for suc-
non-its eyes immovable, ewes so contriyed
with numerous distinct lenses as to receive i'm
pressions from all directions without change ofI
piace.the nicely balanced gauze- form winos
with the little mallet that strikes mon than
to produce the bu1ing noise flor M ;nsoo. |
has voice. the power of exRanst;na th ,a'e ~
possessed by the mechanism of the hotton, Of
the foot, by which the fly can suspend ;t.eIf
from the ceiling and thus overcome erav;t~~
all these repay the investigator into the con.
struction Of the common fly, and manifest the
wisdom of the Creator. j. ,ia,5. 80 az -