New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-31
THE AUTHORS READING.
WOMEN READ FROM THEIR OwN WORKS
THE PROCEEDS TO co TO CHARITY.
ELIZABETH E CUSTER MRS. CREEvEg. MISS
OTHERS G1vF SELECTIONS.


HALL. OH f THORNE MILLER AND
OTHERS GIvF SELECTIONS.
! r,enten reading consisting Of songs. sketches
ard stories read by their authors was given yes
terdav morning at Memorial Han Brooklyn. under
the auspices Of the Brooklyn Association OF Work
ing Girls Societies. Tho entertain M % was eX-
ceedingly interesting. and az apprecatvo audience
SLED the hall Mr. Franklin W. Hooper presided
and introduced each reader The frs was Mrs.
Caroline 4 Creevey who sav" short sketch Of
insect life and instinct" which she called A hld'
den Tragedy.
Size said: These tragedies are going on al
around US in a world as real own. vet. for
the most part unsupported. because attended by
no cry OF suffering that can reach our ears nap
pened 10 see one the other day. | VAS passing
along a dirt sidewalk a place carefully dug up.
rolled hard and kept free from weeds. \ motion
less grasshopper lay on the walk and TWO parai-.,
zgzag tracks extended from it 10 the edge o. the
path The grasshopper was breathing bu- eNhin-
tied no other sign Of life. Lest some one should
step on the hapless insect ! pOked u Of the walk
with my umbrella and walked on, giving the incl
dent no further thought. Returning half an hour
later ! was struck by observing the sick grass
hopper back in the middle OF the pa "A still motion
less. but breathing. another double. irregular IRAN
reaching from IL the grass on the edge. whliher
7 had pushed H. This Is curious 1 said 4 must
solve this riddle sat down on the grass TO
watch Presently discovered about TWO feet away
from the grasshoDper hole IN the dirt which d
blue digger-wasp was excavating. The situation
began 10 dawn me and 10 increase IN interest
Here g one OF those insect tragedies. said
Tie wasp was most industrious. and ! could no.
help contrasting her tireless movements with those
Of q man who works around my place. Evidently
this Is a job worker. and not dav laDorer. ] said
She brought up little balls OF earth with her TWO
short forelegs and backed out Of the hole and
tossed the pellets under her body. So lightly and
,IgFf hat sD-
an atom Of EARN fell back into the cavity. Suddenly
the wasp stopped rs II thought had struck her.
She into Inc air HOOK i~=| f'ifrS cir los and
fixed her cruel eyes me benumbed a-Shoppcr.
She few II, st astride of IT, and -ezin- as
head with her TWO forefcet. walked with beer Other
legs TWO on each size. Here was Il manifest adj
vantage in having many legs TWO Of them could
hands. and still one could be quadrupod.
Having brought her burden few inches nearer
the hole the wasp left it and went on with h,l
digging. At length the hole W. deep enough. be-
ing TWO and a half inches down and about the size
Of my thumb. The wasp dragged The grasshoppeT
until rs head overhung the hole. when she backed
down seized the big insect by its head and dragged
& after her until both hidden from view for
perhaps TWO minutes. There Wa a significant
silence above I knew that the wasp was laying an
egg in the other Insects body. Presently she
emerged and began filling the grave. packing the
earth down with her head and keeping up a cui-
GUS buzzng sound she had not made before. l fan
ced II fierce song Of triumph end eXultation.
For long time she packed and tossed the earth.
till tho hole existed no more and The earth around
was smoothed and leveed Captain Kidd's treas
ure was not more securely buried than was that
Nv.as grasshooner. destined 10 serve as food FOR
the wasp larYa when IL should emerge from the
egg and until its perfect growth being attained
and Us wings formed. IL could dig itself of the
ground. Every dgger-wasp comes into being by
The sacrifice OF another creatures life IL was but
4flrr-s .tVfr 81 49,
anothers dcatt-the struggle for existence the
stronger overcoming the weaker OF which enlight-
ened man himself has ever presented the saddest
eXemple"