Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-12-03
An Excursion Into Another World.
I ron TIE Population OF an Old Pear Tree,

r sixteen, | took it into my head to produce
1 masterpiece. Sixteen Is the era of sue
'. plans : but they are more easily conceive
r than executed. although they may be iai
in the germ. They generally come into tb
world with such grave faults of construc
. ton, that they are at last found to he hard
iy substantial enough to arrive at lull age
!. AT any rate | seized my pen at once, for
had no doubts OF mys6 II nor of others. ant
t | wrote very iancifu poem. in which el
, created beings ilung Themselves intO a Bac
ehanalan ecstacy. In it represented tn,
animals holding festival and frolic, dane
, ing and gamboling from morning to night
and man among them all. their master ana
their king, the only worker, weary will
the noise OF their everlasting merriment
The moral to be deduced from such an
idea can he easily perceived. On the one
hand, life but day. Joys of a moment, fleet
ing pleasures soon interrupted by death
on the other. deep meditation, cousldera
ton OF the future, heriic sacrifices, indeii-
mite periectibility purchased at the price OF
great sufeIings.
had just put the finishing stroke to my
composition. and 1t had assumed a suth-
clenty presentabie shape, with the slight
drawbacks OF few bad rhymes. a few halt
ing lines, several Inflated passages OF bad
taste, great many redundant. adjectiye~.
and thousand more details neglected IL
thc manufacture. when all at once | per
ceived that the beasts-these poor beasts
whom | had - mali aiigned-themselye too
had t. undergo severe labor. and whare
Obliged to toll As YEARLY for their liyeli-
hood a. ourselves.
tirsi, the mole, pru lent creature. not
withstanding her supposed blindness show
/ cd me that she had - burrow III the earth
to md her food. Then | remembered that
! the beaver isa clever engineer, and that the
/ spider has nothing to learn from ourweavers.
/ Besides, | called TO mind the green wood
! pecSer, that has to pierce the trees with
hundreds of blows with It's bea1 before il
can obtain is food 4; AMI delberated wiki
fear on tho quantity of kicks, bites. and
blows endured bY an Individual Of the
feline race before the close Of her exist
ence.
Certainly had set GU; on wrong track.
and was jas; about 10 make myself yerv
ridiculous with foolish poem under my
arm. Yet let 1t not be supposed that va.
totally discouraged by this discovery. 1t
sixteen cle j. not east dJwn b. such
trlle. and my resolution was soon taken.
| instantly commenced another work. not
less remarkable than the frs. in which
showed that man tar from being superior o.
tue other animals. owes + them all his III
Fehtol7
lid not thcn Know my meadow OF
What iiAeneS7 could nave traced. between
the D'ack anu taWnY ants c1ntenlin. Tor
the hunting grounds of which nv old Pear
Tree forms the centre. and certain tribes OF
Indians
Lonely expeditions in the forest. the di>-
covery OF trail. attacks, surprises, prudent
retreats. furious comblts. capture Of pris-
oners-what adventures t. decrIbe Hap
pliv i1r the reader am pa: sixteen. aud
auu Will 20 straight to my facts.
Tie iawny ants are divided into tW0 great
nations. distinguished by their color. v hich
: IN greater or les proportions 0i black or
rec. Inc ms. iahahit by choice the large
woods, and make their home am3ng the
ferns the others csiab.i-h them selves iu f.
hedges and meaiJ.s Otherwise their
hahlts ire alike.
The dive llIr1s oi tLCsc aLfs ere T.. n,r.-si .
,9li pieces oi >;uoblc, mIrse.- ot wood. pe5- .
b.e'. halt broken shells. auI OF all sub .
stances Of easy transport tina. they can lty .
their hands on. lheY even pick up grain, .
oi wheat. hrr'0v. luI oai~. a. building
material, aLd -l4I- ..- given the notion ui
their making III 9sL.ncs OF provisions for
winter use. Their architects areyery skufll.
aud invest their city with the form of "a liz
Tie mountain or dome, with buttro-sts above F.
the ground. 30 that the rain-vate. NAV the
easier run of, and not cause irrcyarablo
camageS. Our insects are prudent, and
wish To protect themselves from oycE-sddien
changes OF temperature. The greatest por-
tion ol The nest = hidden. ana cz,end- mlIc
or less under ground. Avenue-. az funnel
~aape' hlt irregular, lead from the top u: '
the hul!ding u the interior 10 number
they are proporn1nei TO the population ot
the colony, and they are also la-rcr or
'hA'.eT at the opening Occasionally
great street. the ceAir.! artery rt daily
movement. pas>e, IRON one end 90 the other
o.! the mi many roads OF nearly equal
-i@t are often iouud there, and narrow pas
AGES al AROUND them conducting 7 ths
Inherent quarters OF the city.
Light l. agreeable to the ;awny aut-, ami
,neS caro- hot Iur the presence Of man
lacy flu aJ0at all day II the SKY rs clear.
ind ~ home at the approach of bad weatt-
sr' or at nisatiall They may then he seen
AIRY ins uiilc stake watch they plant N
.he rampars OF ehsh N order t. close ap
ne entrance Of their galleries. aite- which
hey ietch some more smaller ones. which
heY pace cross" iSe against the first. The
'lrIicaie~ thu- formed arc strere th 2nei
'ith covering ot dried leaves. and tue ants
ire Al home rs soon a. the city Eatc-
IRE shut, sentrles arc placed there t.
'atch over the general security. anI the
est oi The tribe take thesr re9Jsc When
lawn returns animation re-c1umca ces tie
entries are relie'et. the galleries reopen
d. aud the general thorous shtAres restored. I
hese Work are done regularly morning Z
nd evening through the summer season, a
'niess- 1t l. decidedly rainy weather. In this I
ase Inc lahthitant oi the ant mil ID O.
i2t pnrs De their usua! course, ant thelr
OOrS rcuaiu CLOSED