Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-28
FLIES.
Their Total Deprarity, and General Loose
ness of Denaeanor.
IT.. 4 :.
enera1 Looae.

ness of Demeanor.
New York Times.
Every body will remember the old lady of
blessed memory who expressed the convic-
ton that total deprayity was very good
doctrine, if people would only I've up to it.
It is evident that the common house-hy is
an earnest believer in this doctrine, and that
it lives up to its faith with the utmost zeal
and fidelity. The man does not live who
has ever discovered a single virtue in these
pestjferous creatures, while there is not a
vice known to the moral code to which they
are not recklessly and hopelessly addicted.
It is case of original sin working out its
results unchecked, and no scheme of re-
generation has ever been introduced among
them. The ant is industrious, the bee is
skiilful and useful to man, the flea may be
taught amusing tricks, spiders have, ere
now, become pets and relieved the tedlum of
solitary prisoners, and even bugs and worms
have their modest merits, and at least serve
as food for nobler forms of creation; but the
fly was never known to perform meritori-
Gus act, and all his energies are devoted to
making an unmitigated nuisance of himself.
Perhaps his most CONSPICUOUS trait is his
colossal impudence. Albeit diminutiye in
clerks and railroad officers in the display of
arrogance and impertinence. He is more
penetrating than love, and stony limits can
not keep him out. No privacy is SO sacred
| that this pestilent intruder does not make
| his way to its inner depths, without even
offering an apology. He never waits for an
| invitation, but comes everywhere as a dead
head,' without as much as remarking, "by
your leaye.'' The most enterprising and
persistent of special commissioners is diff
fident in comparison. In august assemblies
of state he invades the seat of honor, and
does not forbear to perch upon the nose of
the grandest plenipotentiary, or to explore
the nostrills of the prime minister. Even
kings and; queens are not exempt from his
prying curiosity, and he will walk boldly
into their royal ears, if carelessly left open,
without the smallest conjunction. AT
banquets he evades the most vigilant door
keeper and makes himself at home-an un3
welcome but inevitable guest. He pounces
upon the choicest viands and takes taste
from every dish, and does not scruple to use
the frills and laces of the company as his
napkin. He HES him to my lady's chamber,
and unblushingly explores its most guarded
secrets. What he does not know about these
things is not worth knowing, and he prizes
into them from sheer depravity. Thence he
ranges through all the habitations of high
and low, and makes himself acquainted with
eyery department. of every household. He
is found at every resort of fashion or of
pleasure, and is thoroughly cosmopolitan in
; his tastes Sea-shore and mountain are alike
to him, If he can find human beings to tor
, ment and annoy.
!, Not only is the fly an intolerable bore,
through his persistent presence where he Is
\ L. &C., Fny ropII nrIfv
? but his habits are every way bad. AS a
.sdead beat he has no rival in animated
: nature He keeps all manner of late hours,
: and utterly disregards the laws of health
: and decency He loafs about bar-rooms,
). and partakes of free lunches without the
: least sense of shame or degradation. He
, eats and drinks of everything that can be
eaten or drunken, and always at the ex-
pense of somebody else, and without the
slightest show of gratitude. Filth is as
attractive to him as elegance and luxury,
. and he has most repulsive habit of explor-
ing every accessible mass of pollution and
= straightway betaking himself to the unpro-
= tected cheek of beauty or the delicious Gates
of the fastidious epicure. He delights In
. tormenting man, from whose labors he de-
rives his chief sustenance, and will take any
y mean advantage to give him annoyance II
g his victim has the misfortune OF having to
:. part his hair with towel, he will rally bis
g forces and make the sensitive expanse OF
= the bald Uranium regular parade ground
IS He will pounce upon man while he is help
: less in a BARRIERS chair, with his arms
:. swathed beneath half dozen yards of calico
.e and the perilous edge of the razor at his
:. throat and will harry him almost to dlstrac
= ton. He will catch his victim IN the act OF
taking or trying to take nap, whether II
- the morning as fringe to the disturbed
~ slumbers of the night, or after dinner as I
10 restoration from the cares of the day, ant
- with maddening ingenuity will keep bin
y. y, from the desired boon, and bring him to
~ state where he is ready to accept the coun
80 sci of Jobs wicked wife.
~ And what are the consequences OF the lit
~ ~ of iniquity pursued by this depraved insect
~ Is there retribution adequate to his ofense
no prepared for him either in this world or tn
ny world to come? On the theological branc
of this inquiry we shall not presume toNotfe
=. an opinion, but we are sure that he neve
Nv comes by his full deserts here. he IS ldl'
~ dissolute, gluttonous, pestiferous, and to-
menting, and yet he seem to pass his III
=, gayly free from care or trouble, and detia1
~ Of all laws, human and divine. He eve
ue de6es the law of gravitation, and travels wit
o equal ease in any direction or on any surfat
" not smeared with some treacherous stickines
~ Apparently, he enjoys complete immunl1
~ ~ from the retribution which his conduct d
,ea serves, except when he is entrapped throue
as his Unsuitable appetite into sloughs OF poiso
10, ra or intricate traps from which he never e
~ capes alive. We believe it is fact that
4ha never dies natural death. No one ev
.ne knew fly to be stricken down by dlsea
, ,ag or to llnger out painful existence und
u: :ee medical treatment. Fevers and headach
lns are to him unknown, and he breathes Co
sel tagion with perfect impunity. He som
" times falls victim to his invincible cur1o
.n ity or Unsuitable appetite, and is scalded
GOV tea, drowned in milk, or smothered IN NJ
- lasses, and occasionally he is crushed
~ slaughtered as penalty for his temerit
~ ~ but he never dies of sickness or old az
0ns Barring accident or violence, the fly is pra
10 tically immortal, perennial nuisance,
~ standing example of total depravity, wit
,no out, 80 far as we know, the eternal punis
!, ,'se ment which is its proper corollary.
EN- The Weather To-Day.
III wAsu1NcroN Jnly 28-IndicationS for Il