The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-07-07
STORY OF A BEETLE.
How 1t Secured Freedom and Life to IN
Eminent French Scientist.

How 1t Secured Freedom and Life to IN
Eminent French Scientist.
One day, nearly hundred years ago,
in the old French seaport town of Bor-
dcauX, there was little stir in GER
tain dark corner, and beetle walked
out to take its first look at the world.
1t was not specially handsome or re-
markable beetle in appearance, and
yet it had quite work to do. Not the
ordinary work of such insects, howev-
er; though that is an important one,
the beetles of this family being scav-
engers, but the principal life-work of
this beetle was to save man from
death. Perhaps when King David in
his Psalm called upon all creeping
things" ito praise the Lord from the
EARTH" he may not have thought espe-
cially of beetles. yet this little insect
was to be the cause of much thanksgiv-
ing.
The house under which this beetle
had Its home was prison, known as
the Grande Seminaire, and in one OF
the cells Of the prison was the man that
was to be rescued by the beetle. His
name was Pierre Latreille. Little
had he dreamed, as the cart that
bore him and his companions to
prison crcakcd along the road TO Bor-
deauX, that he should ever live to be
free again in his native land. For
those were evil days in France. Even
the good-natured, honest King himself.
poor Louis XVI, was powerless to
shield his wife and children from the
fury of the French people. The royal
family were already in danger, and the
iniquitics of the two previous Louis
were being visited on their compare
lively innocent descendants. All OF
the nobility and clergy who refused to
take their oath on the new constitution
were thrown into prison, and it was
for this reason that Pierre Latreille and
his companions had been imprisoned
at Bordeaux.
1t is small wonder that Pierre was
sad as he sat in his prison cell with nc
one to keep him company but an old
sick Bishop. No doubt Latreille otter
thought, during the dreary prison days
of his past life, his young boyhood ir
his native town of Drive, in the rich
plain by the river Correze. His family
had been poor, though distinguished
and Pierre himself owed his education
to the kindness of friends. One O
these, merchant, lent him some
books on natural history, and it was
from reading these that Pierre frs
came to love the study of insects
When he was sixteen he was sent t
Paris, and there studied theology, bu
upon his return to his native town h,
began the study of insects again will
great zeal. He had even published
some of his discoveries about insects
and now, to all appearance, this stud,
must come to an end.
Out in the harbur of Bordeaux ships
were making ready to take the prison
,ers away from France. They wer'
condemned to exile in South America
Still the prisons were emptied slowly
and although it was June when La
treble was first taken to Bordeaux, We
the days and months crept by and still
he lived within the Grande Seminaire
The little beetle lived there, too, al
though the prisoners did not know it
One day surgeon came to see tn,
old Bishop in Latreille's cell. Tn,
prison authorities had allowed the sur
geon to come daily and dress tn,
wounds of this aged man. This par
ticular day, while the surgeon was il
the cell, the little beetle came out of
crack in the boards and crawled int,
the room. Latreille, looking around
spied the beetle, caught it and began
to examine it. He seemed so happ,
over his discovery that the surgeon
looked up and said: as it rare in
sectp"
Yes" said Latreille, who knew
from his previous studies, that it mus
be so.
"ln that case you should give it +
me-" said the surgeon; and he went o.
to explain to Latrcille that he had
friend who had fine collection of in
sects, and who would probably be nue.
pleased TO receive rare one.
So Latreille gave up his beetle to tn
surgeon, and told him to carry it to hi
friend, and to be sure and ask him tn
name OF it.
But when, the next day, the surgeo
made his visit to the cell. he brough
the news that his friend had looked q
the beetle, and had given it as hi
opinion that this was new kind of in
sect that had never been described
Latrelle rejoiced at this answer, not S
much because of the discovery of ne,
beetle. as because the word brough
back showed that the surgeons frien
was indeed a learned man.
I'm that CASE" thought Latreille t
himself. che has probably read m
book, AMI will be friendly toward me.
So, as Latreille had neither pen nc
, paper to write a note, he begged tn