Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1903-03-27


useless as Curly Locks old basque
pattern. His acrobatic fiounderings
for \ stable position made his organs
Of propulsion ache to the marrow. His
back was chafed and shiny ransacking
around the glary plane on which he
struggled, for the terra firma on which
he lay was a polished oaken window
sill. The artisan and the fnisher had
done their work well; there was no
crack or kopje in which he might
catch his toes or wiggle up against
and tip over to his natural poiBe. He
was upside down to a fragile. Ever
and anon he would begin again. spas
medically, to save himself from rush
OF blood to the head. He would get
propped up on one leg bent over back
wards and then his foot would slip.
Every time his foot slipped he bumped
his anatomy until he saw stars. Once
he almost stood on his head, intending
to keel an end-for-end somersauit, but
just at the vital moment the fatal foot
slip interfered and he came down
like bod Of brisk from a seyen-story
Y. M. c. A. building.
Finally when the box-eder bug was
almost gone. wavering between life
and the huzzing of the bug-angeI. .
friendly Fate softened the heart Of
an onlooker At first the observer
was merely observant OF the topsy-
turvy trangression from Natures law
as exemplified by the box-elder bug.
Curiosity to see if the struggler could
win against odds was the next motive
that held his attention. Then pity, like
white dove. sailed into the situation,
and was about to influence the power
behind the throne to turn his bugship
upright
It's only a box-elder bug" said the
devil, looking over his shoulder. "A
box-elder bug is of no account There
are millions of box-elder bugs. It's
none of your business; let him die"
Il know there are myriads Of the lit
tie pests here" answered the man.
zone of them crawled into my ear this
morning and spoiled my beauty sleep
but this bug is alive, it is one Of
Gods creatures and it suffers"
wait a minute" interjected the
devil, you are too kindhearted. much
like woman. This bug had just as
good pair of legs as the other bugs,
his wings were as strong and his bal
last as well arranged as those Of his
fellow bugs. 1t is his own fault that
he Numbered. He transgressed the
law of self-preservation; he Is an in
iquitous sinner against the divine pow
er that formed him a thing Of beauty
and put red on his wings What he il,
where he is, is his own fault.
Give him bit of lift" suggested
Fair Play, who arrived at this mo-
ment
I'll do it," broke in the man. for
it may be the bug will profit by exper-
fence and after all, his father may
have been drunkard." So saying the
observant man tossed a slip of paper
beside the box-elder bug. Bugs think
Of course they do That box-elder bug
and twisted toward that pa
per, put his foot against it and with
me superhuman effort threw his body
rom this brace to an upright position.
FOR a moment he seemed dazed. then
ng from his limbs and antennae.
oiuming his wings he flew away joy
ully, once more upright before the
world.
Man is like this box-elder bug OF
en- he gets on his back by the trans
,ression of the physical or moral law.
naccuracy, oversight, over confidence,
elf assumption, desire for that which
5 not his, may throw him, like the box
lder bug, fiat on his back. Unless he
wins in the struggle to right himself
e dies and men look upon his memory
riefly in pity. Then he is forgotten.
t is not necessary to compare the fig
re. Its suggestions are many. Man
J as much Fate as Fate is abstract
'hough low and repulsive every man
i whom the heart beats is a living
hing worth helping. To speak a word,
} lend a hand, to smile instead OF
own at the box-elder bug man is the
-ue spirit of doing unto others as we
.ould be done by. "All men are
From Adam and Eve we
orang. They were our common par
ats and although they monkeyed with
lie apple, we should revere their
anne. Honor thy father and thy
other that thy days may be hong In
10 land which the Lord thy God CIV
h thee" Rescue the perishing;
re for the dyingi"