The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-07-02
STORY OF 4 seErLE

STORY Or 4 BEETLE
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Eninsnt Frsaon ssisstass.
One day, nearly ahundred years ago,
In the old French seaport town Of Bor-
deaux, there was . little stir In . GER
tain dark corner, and . beetle walked
out to take is first look 1t the world.
Il was mol . specially handsome or re-
markable beetle in appearance. and
yet IL 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
engers. but the principal life-work Of
this beetle was 70 save a mar from
death. Perhaps when King David in
his Psalm called upon all creeping
things Ito praise the Lord from the
earth" he may nothave thought espe-
cially Of beetles, yet this little insect
was 70 be the cause Of much thanksgiy-
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 70 be rescued by the beetle. His
name was Pierre Latrei1lak Little
had he dreamed. - Tie cart that
bore him and his companions TO
prison creaked along the road 10 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
iniquities 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
ax bordeaux.
II is small wonder that Pierre was
sad as he sat in his prison cell with no
one to keep him company but an old
sick Bishop. No doubt Latreille often
thought, during the dreary prison days,
Of his past life. his young boyhood in
his native town OF Brive. in the rich
plain by theriver Correze. His family
had been poor, though distinguished.
and Pierre himself owed his education
to the kindness Of friends. One OF
these, . merchant. lent him some
books on natural history, and Il was
from reading these that Pierre first
came to love the study Of insects.
When be was sixteen he was sent to
Paris. and there studied theology, but
upon his return to his native town he
began the study Of insects again with
great zeal. He had even published
some Of his discoveries about insects,
and now, 10 all appearance, this study
must come to an end.
Out in the harbur Of Bordeaux ships
were making ready to take the prison
ers away from France. They were
condemned to exile in South America
Still the prisons were emptied slowly,
and although it was June when La
trrille was first taken to Bordeaux, vet
the days and months crcpt By and still
he lived within the Grands Seminaire.
The little beetle lived there. too. a.
though The prisoners did not know II.
One day : surgeon came TO zee the
old Bishop in Latreille's cell The
prison authorities had allowed the sur
geon to come daily and dress the
wounds OF this aged man. This par
ticular day, while the surgeon was in
The cell. the little beetle came out Of .
crack in the boards and crawlcd into
the room. Latreille, looking around,
spied the beetle. caught il and began
to examine IL He seemed 30 happy
over his discovery that the surgeon
looked up and said: Is It : rare in
s.Yes." said Latreille, Who knew,
from his previous studies, that It must
be so.
In that ease you should give it 70
me-" said the surgeon; and he went on
to explain 70 Latreille that be had .
friend who had . fine collection Of in
sects, and who would probably bemuch
pleased 20 receive q rare one.
So Latreille gavenp his beetle 70 she
surgeon, and told him to carry il TO his
friend, and 70 Be sure and AK him the
name Of IL
But when, the next day. the surgeon
made his visit TO the cell. he brought
the news that his friend had looked at
the beetle, and had given il IS his
opinion that this was . new kind Of in
scct that had never been described.
Latreillc rejoiccd at this answer, not 50
much because Of the discovery Of q new
beetle. rs because the word brought
back showed that the surgeons friend
was indeed . learned man.
book, and will BE- friendly toward me-
paper 20 write = note. he begged the
surgeon to 70 once moro 70 his friend.
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