The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1901-05-03

&COpyfiBhts tSVis py Louis fiopSCiis ~. l1
Washington. April 2S.-In this dis
course Dr. Taimage draws his illustra-
tons from realm seldom utilized for
moral and religious purposes; text,
Proverbs. vi, 6-S. Go to the ant, thou
sluggard. consider her ways and be
wise. which. having no guide, overseer
or ruler. provideth her meat In the
summer and gathereth her food In the
harvest"
The most OF Solomon's writings have
persisted. They have gone out of exist
ence as thoroughly as the 20 books of
Pliny and most OF the books OF Aes-
chylus and Euripides and Varro and
Quintiiian. Solomon's Song and Ec-
clesiastes and Proverbs. preserved by
inspiration. are small part of his
voluminous productions. He was a
great scientist One verse in the Bible
suggests that ne was botanist, 200
logist. an ornlthologlst. an ichthyolo-
gist, and knew all about reptilia. l..
Kings, w.. 33. "He spake of trees. from
the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even
unto the hyssop that sprlngeth out OF
the walls he spake also OF beasts and
of fowl and or creeping things and Of
fishes" Besides all these scientific
works. he composed 5000 proverbs
and i.005 songs.
Although Solomon lived long before
the microscope was constructed. he
was also an insectologist and watched
and described the spider build its sus-
pension bridge of silk from tree to
tree, calling II the spiders web, and
he notices It's skillful foothold In
climbing the smooth wall OF the throne
room in Jerusalem. saying. 1.-THE spi-
der taketh hold with her hands and
Is in kings palaces" But he is espe-
cially interested in the ant and recon-
mends its habits as worthy of study
and imitation. saying. GO to the ant.
thou sluggard, consider her ways and
be wise. which, having no guide. over
seer or ruler, provideth her meat in
the summer and gathereth her food in
the harvest"
Not Altogether Commendab'e.
But Solomon would not commend all
the habits Of the ant for some of them
are as bad as some Of the habits of the
human race. Some Of these small crea-
lures are desperadoes and murderers.
Now and then they marshal themselves
into hosts and march in straight line
and come upon an encampment OF their
own race and destroy its occupants, ex-
cept the young, whom they carry into
captivity, and IL the army come back
without any such captives they are not
permitted to enter, but are sent forth
TO make more successful conquest. Sol
ONION gives no commentator to such
sanguinary behavior among insects,
any more than he would have COM
mended sanguinary behavior among
men. These little creatures have some
times wrought fearful damage, and
they have undermined a town in New
Granada. which in time may drop into
the abyss they have dug for 1t.
But what are the habits which Solo
mon would enjoin when he says, Con
slider her ways and be WISE" First OF
all, providence. forethought. anticipa-
ton OF coming necessities. am sorry
to say these qualities are not charac-
teristic Of all the ants. These crea-
lures of God are divided into graniv-
oorous and carnivorous. The latter are
not frugal, but the former are frugal.
While the air Is warm and moving
about is not hindered by ice or snow
bank they import their cargoes of food.
They bring In their caravan OF provi-
sions; they haul in their long train OF
wheat or corn or oats. The farmers
are DOT more busy in July and August
IN reaping their harvest than are the
ants busy in July and August reaping
their harvest. They stack them away;
they pile them up. They question when
they have enough. They aggregate a
next warm season. When winter opens
they are ready. Blow. ye wintry blasts!
Hang your icicles from the tree
branchesi Imbed all the highways un-
der snowdrifts! Enough for all the
denizens of the hills. Hunger shut out
plCilty bilo Wllulns NOu, WIN lttu-
eth every living thing. has blessed the
ant hill.
Wrecked by Extravaganoe.
There are women who at the first
increase of their husbands resources
wreck all on an extravagant wardrobe
There are men who at the prospect Of
larger prosperity build houses they
will never be able to pay for. There
are people with $4,000 year income
who have not one dollar laid up for a
rainy day. 1t is a CHASTITY dishonesty
practiced on the next generation. Such
men deserve bankruptcy and impover-
tshment. In almost every mans life
there comes winter OF cold misfor-
time. Prepare for 1t while you may.
Whose thermometer has not sometimes
stood below zero? What ship has
never been caught in storm? What
regiment at the front never got into a
battle? Have at least as much fore
sight as the insectlle world. Examine
the pantries OF the ant hills in this
April weather. and you will find that