Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-05-03

w NcaNOAVN, Aptu %o.-Au luis us
course DIR. Talmage draws his il.ustra-
lions from a realm seldom utilized for
moral and religious purposes: text.
Proverbs vi. 6-S: Go 20 the ant. thou
sluggard. Consider her ways and be
wise, which, having no guide. overseer
summer and gathcretb her food in the
harvest"
The most OF Solomons writings have
persisted. They have gone out of ex-
istence as thoroughly as the 20 books
of Pliny aud most of tie books of
Eschylus ,ad Euripidcs and Narro
aud Quintiiian SolomOn's Song and
Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. preserved
by Inspiration. are a small part of his
voluminous productions. Ne was a
great scientist. Ore verse IN the Bible
suggests that he was hotanist. 20.
ologist, an Ornithoiogisl. an ichthyolo-
gist and knew all about reptilia.
Kings iv, 80. HE spake of trees. from
the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even
unto the hyssop that sprlngeth out OF
the wall; he spake also OF beasts and
OF fowl and of creeping things and of
fishes" Besides all these scientific
works, be composed 5000 proverbs aud
1.o05 songs.
Although Solomon lived long before
,lie microscope was constructed. he was
also an iusectologist and watched and
describes the spider build its suspen.
sion bridge OF silk from tree to tree,
calling IL the spiders web, and he no
tees its ssillful foothold in climbing
the smooth wall of the throneroom i'm
Jerusalem, saying. "rbe spider taketh
hold with her hands and is in kings
palaces" But he IS especially interest.
cd i'm the ant and recommends its hab.
its rs worthy OF study and imitation,
saying. Go TO the ant. thou sluggard.
consider her ways and be wise. which,
having no guide. overseer or ruler, pro.
videth her meat IN the summer and
Sathereth her food in the harvest"
But 1t was not until about 300 years
ago, when Jan Swammerdarn. the son
OF an apothecary at Amsterdam. uol.
land. began the study of the ant under
powerful lens, that the full force of
Sclomon's Injunction was understood.
The great Dutch scientist i'm his exam
NATION OF the insect in my text discov-
cred as great display of the wisdom of
God in its anatomy as astronomers dis
cover in the heavens and was so alb
sorbed and wrought upon by the won
ders he discovered in the ant and other
insects that body and mind gave way.
and he expired nj 43 years of age. n
martyr or the great science of insectol-
ogy.
No one hut God.
No one but God could have fashion
cd the insect spoken OF I'm the text or
given II such genius OF inStinct-its
wisdom for harvesting at the right
time. its wonders OF antennsp. 10y which
1t gathers food. and or mandibles
which. Instead of the motion of the
human jaw up and down I'm mastica-
ton. move FROM side 20 side: it's nory-
Gus system. its charging doors I'm hot
weather for more sweep OF breeze. its
mode OF attack and defense. closing
the gate ut i,ht against bandit In.
vadcrs: It's publication OF the earth for
human residence It's social life, its re-
publican government with the consent
or the governed. it's maternal fidr.itIes
the habit OF these creatures of gather
ing now and then under the dome of
the ant hliIock seemingly in consulta.
ton and then departing To execute
their different missions.
But Solomon would not commend all
the habits OF the ant. for some of tbem
are as bad us some OF the habits of the
human race. Some OF these small
creatures are dcsperadoes aud murder
ers. Now and then they marshal them
selves into hosts and march In straight
iine and come upon an encnnipment of
their own race and destroy its oc-
cupants. except the young. whom they
carry Into captivity. aud " the army
come back without any such capt!ves
they are not permitted TO enter. but
are sent forth 10 make more successful
conquest. Solomon gives no com.
mendation TO such sanguinary he
havior among Insects any more than he
would have commended sanguinary be.
havior among men.
But what are the habits which Solo
mon would enjoin when he says. "con-
slider her ways and be wiser" First OF
oil, providence. forethought. anticipa.
hon or coming necessities. am sorry
10 say these qualities are not charac.
Ieristic OF all the ants. These crea.
lures OF God are divided into granIyor-
Gus 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
Arf lsNf.
Iood. They bring in their caravan OF
provision: they haul In their long train
sf wheat or corn or oats. The farmers
IRE not more busy In July and August
q rcanlng their harvest than are the
ints busy In July and August reapinr
heir harvest. They stack them away.
hey Pile them up. They question
when they have enough They aggre-
gate n sufficient amount TO last them
until the next warm season. When
winter opens they are ready. Blow
&c wintry blasts! Hang your icIcles |
rom the tree branches. Imbed all the |
highways under snowdrifts. Enough |
or all the denizpns of the hills. Hun. |
ger shut out. aud plenty sits within. |
sod. WHO fce,lcih every living thing,
has blessed The ant hill.
Provide For the Future.
In contrast with that insertiie be-
lavior what 10 YOU think of that large
lumber of prosperous men and women
no live up to every dollar that they
lake, raising their families i'm luxu-
Gus habits and at death expecting
ome kind friend to give their daugh.
RS employment as music teachers or
'pewriters or government employees?
UGH parents have no right to children.
very neiShborhood has specimens of
ich improvidence. The two words
lat most strike me i'm the text are
summer" and winter" Some people
ave no summer in their lives. FROM
lie rocking cradle to the still grave. il
relentless January. Invalid infancy
allowed by some crippling accident CT
mness OF eyesight or dullness of
caring or privation or disaster or I'M
'rtInate environment makes lifea per.