The Van Buren press., 1898-10-08
BILL ARP SEES SIGNS
Butterflies Are Moving Earlier Than
They Did Last Year.
Betokens an Early Frost--Speaks of
the Instinct In General-That
of the Insects 7and the
Human Being.

early frost if the insects know any
thing.
Providence may acquaint them with
the times and seasons for their own
preservation, for not a sparrow falls
to the ground without His notice.
Every Gay these canary-colored but
tertlies skip along through the grove
not in focks nor in pairs, but singly
and at their leisure, perhaps one in
minute on an average, and would never
attract any notice if attention was not
called to it. They are all alike-the
same mature size with wings about
one and a half inches of triangular
shape, and they move southwark in
graceful leisurely flight and never stop
TO rest or to suck flower. A friend
wrote me from Milledgeyille last year
that he supposed they wintered In
south Georgia or Florida, but my opin-
ion is that they not only winter but
die, for they never come back. Prob
ably they lay their eggs before they
leave home, and so we have a success
siye flight every year.
The instinct of birds and insects is
science to be studied. Neither the
birds nor the butterflies have any set
days for their migration. Some in
stinct tells them when to start and
guides them in their fight. Even the
little spider weaves his web in the
night, knowing there will be no rain
in the morning. The Lord answered
Job out of the whirlwind and made
him ashamed of his lack of knowledge.
"Who causeth it to rain upon the earth
and the bud of the tender herb to
spring forth? Who can stay the bot
ties of Heaven when the dust groweth
into hardness and the elods cleaye fast
together? Who provideth for the
raven his food when his young ones
cry unto God? Doth the hawk fly by
thy wisdom and the eagle mount up a.
thy commandP
Speaking of insects, I tell you, my
brethren, there are some hide0as kinds
in this sublunary world. l have long
been friendly with the tomato plant
because it was insect proof, but this
rainy season has developed some hor-
rible worms upon the stems. Big,
long, bull-headed, green worms with
a sting in the tail can be seen all about
among the vines. These green worms
are covered with white pustules that
are about one-eighth of an inch long
and stand up thick and stiff and seem
to be eggs or embryo or germs or
something that is devilish. These
white robes are so visible that they
warn you where the worms are. The
worm itself is not unlike a tobacco
worm. but has diamond back and
division cords to match. | have seen
pack saddles on green corn stalks that
were horrible but beautiful, and this
provokes me to remark that most all
the devils contrivances are beautiful.
Just what such insects are made for
passeth comprehension. So many
harmless and lovely things abound in
nature that we are sure our Creator
loves us or He would not have made
the birds TO sing, the flowers to bloom,
the stars to shine and the air to be
filled with music. We have use for the
horse and the COW, the dog and the cat,
and for the sheep and fowls, and even
fer honey bees, but what possible ben
eft can these hideous insects be to
anybody. 1t looks as though the good
God made all the good and beautiful
things and then the devil got priv
ilege and put in his handiwork in the
shape of venemous serpents, wild
beasts, tarantulas and finished up with
showers of mosquitoes. Cobe says
that all these pisen and stingin' things
were made to keep poor folks humble
and make 'em enjoy their religion.
That rich folks don't know nothin'
about bull nettles and pisen oak and
pack saddles in fodder pullin' time and
these devils ridin' horses that chaw
tobacco like a gentleman and If they
spit in your eyes it will put 'em out. He
saws that some folks love riches so
good that the Lord had to make poor
folks to keep the rich ones in money,
but in the long run the rich ones VIII
come out at the little end of the horn.
Webster says that instinct is nat
ural impulse implanted by the Creator
for the preservation of life whether II
be animal or vegetable life. l was
ruminating about this because it is
said these butterflies lay their eggs
somewhere before they leave home
and never see them or their offspring
afterwards. Instinct tells them where
TO lay them. Then there is higher
order of instinct which animates
bipher order of animals and causes the
parent to stay by the offspring and
nourish and protect it. Birds and
beasts will do this and will lay down
their lives for ther young.
Then there is the maternal instinct
that when applied to the human race
becomes maternal love and is the most
effectual protection of little children
believe that were it not for this moth
erly care a majority of little children
would die-yes, die for Lack of mater
nal attention. Fathers do not love in
farts as mothers do. They do not have
time 10 nurse them, and would not If
they did have time. The truth IS that
nursing a little helpless child IS the
hardest work in the world and nobody
Int n mother or a woman is willing II
do It. A good, faithful nurse IS en-
ti;led to higher wages than a cook or
cbamhermaid. l say faithful and l
mean IL. The last time / was in At
lanta was sitting on the south side OF
he Kimban house in George Adair 3
office when a grown negro girl came
along rolling a white child in a paoy
carriage. The evening was intensely