Marshall County independent., 1901-05-03

tons from a 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
perished. 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
Quintilian. Solomon's Song and Ec-
elesiastes and Proverbs, preserved by
inspiration. are a small part of his
voluminous productions. He was a
great scientist. One verse in the Bible
suggests that he was botanist, ZOO
logist, an ornithOlogist, an ichthyOlo-
gist, and knew all about reptilia. 1.
Kings, iv., SO, ''He spake of trees, from
che cedar tree that is in Lebanon even
unto the hyssop that springeth out of
the wall; he spake also OF beasts and
OF fowl and of creeping things and of
fishes" Besides all these scientific
works, he composed 5000 proverbs
and 1.005 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 it the spiders web, and
ne notices its skillful foothold in
climbing the smooth wall of the throne
room in Jerusalem, saying. 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 CommendabIe.
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 if the army come back
without any such captives they are not
permitted to enter. but are sent forth
to make more successful conquest. Sol
omon gives no commendation 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 it.
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. l am sorry
to say these qualities are not charac-
teristic of all the ants. These crea-
lures of God are divided into graniv-
orous 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 not 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 nave enough. They aggregate a
sufficient amount to last them until the
next warm season. When winter opens
they are ready. Blow. We wintry blasts,
Hang your icicles from the tree
branches. Imbed all the highways un-
der snowdrifts, Enough for all the
denizens of the hills. Hunger shut out
and plenty sits within. God, who feed
eth every living thing, has blessed the
ant hill
Wrecked by Extravaganza.
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 a year income
who have not one dollar laid up for q
rainy day. 1t is ghastly dishonesty
practiced on the next generation. Such
men deserve bankruptcy and impover-
ishment. In almost every mans life
there comes a winter of cold misfor-
tune. Prepare for it while you may.
Whose thermometer has not sometimes
stood below zero? What ship has
never been caught in a storm? What
regiment at the front never got into
battle? Have at least as much fore
sight as the insectile world. Examine
the pantries of the ant hills in this
April weather, and you will find that
last summers supply is not yet ex-
hausted. Examine them next July. and
you will find them being replenished.
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"
This is no argument for miserliness.
Avarice and penuriousness destroy a
man about as soon as any OF the other