Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1903-03-28
A box-elder bug get nat OF his back

"A DOx-elder Dug get nat OF MS DacB
by mistake. His feet waved frantic
ally in the air and his legs were as
useless as Curly Locks old basque
pattern His acrnbatic founderings
for g. ST able 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 polished oaken window
SILL The artisan and the finfsher had
done their work well; there was 10
crack or kopje in which he might
catch his toes or wiggle up against
and tip over to his natural poise. 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 somersault, but
just at the vital moment the fatal foot
slip interfered and he came down
like bod of brisk from a seven-story
Y M. c. A. building. This made him
dizzy and he remained PROSTATE in
woe resting. Perhaps he was think
ing of his wife's folks. When he got
to his mother-in-law he tried again,
but his strength was waning and his
efforts were futile spasms of endeavor.
Finally when the box-elder bug was
almost gone, wavering between life
and the huzzing of the bug-angel, a
friendly Fate softened the heart of
an onlooker. At first the observer
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
a white dove, sailed into the situation,
and was about to influence the power
behind the throne to turn his bugship
upright.
Its 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"
81 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 a 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 thing of beauty
and put red on his wings. What he is,
where he is, is his own fault; let him
work out his own salvation. What
manner Of use is a box-elder bug?"
Give him bit of a lift suggested
Fair Play, who arrived at this mo-
ment.
III 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 slip of paper
beside the box-elder bug Bugs think,
OF course they do. That box-elder bug
wriggled ard twisted toward that pa
per, put his foot against it and with
one superhuman effort threw his body
from this brace to an. upright position.
For a moment he seemed daZed, then
he began rubbing the benumbed feel
ing from his limbs and antennae.
Pluming his wings he flew away joy
fully, once more upright before the
world.
Man is like this box-elder bug. Of
ten he gets on his back by the trans
erosion of the physical or moral law.
Iraccuracy, oversight, over confidence,
self assumption, desire for that which
is rot his, may throw him, like the box
elder bug. fiat on his back. Unless he
wins in the struggle to right himself
he dies AID men look upon his memory
briefly in pity. Then he is forgotten.
1t is not necessary to compare the fig
ure. Its suggestions are many. Man
is as much Fate as Fate is abstract.
Though low and repulsive every man
in whom the heart beats is a living
thing worth helping. To speak a word,
to lend a hand, to smile instead Of
frown at the box-elder bug man is the
true spirit of doing unto others as We
would be done by. "All men are
brothers, From Adam and Eve we
sprarg. They were our common par
ents and although they monkeyed with
the apple, we should revere their
name Horror thy father and thy
mother that thy days may be long in
the land which the Lord thy God Civ
eth thee" Rescue the perishing;
care for the dying."