Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-06-08


ants fall into line. They tramp along
in companies, In regiments. In bri.
gades, IN great divisions. They have
their officers, their advance guards and
their soldiers to protect the rear. When
they bivouac for the night they seem
to throw out their picket lines, 40 did
William T. Sherman ON his march from
Atlanta to the sea. The ant. Of Mica
rasua always march In .phalanxss of
from four 70 six yards square. When
these great armies of invasion or MI
grafton cease their marching and go TO
building houses they disband as quiet
y and WORK ct the 'vooatons Of peaee
% sealously % dtd the soldiers OF the
late civil war when they dtsbanded
after tho famous Washington review.
When these ants are living at the. home
hive each individual member ofsthe ant
community seems to have her appoint
ed place. Some ants are detailed to
work upon tho roof; some go foraging,
while others take care Of the ditches
some hunt food. while others stay at
home and clean the eggs. Each ant is
q small atom, but each ant is part Of a
great army or community. which moves
and works In concert. And because
these ants do work and march In con-
cert they can devastate whole forests
They can make the lions and the ele-
phantine monsters turn and fee for
their lives: they can build towns and
cities; they can be the uncrowned
kings Of the fields. Every living crea-
ture stands in fear and dread Of them.
value OF Cooperation.
Every Industrious human life that Is
successful always co-operates with
other lives. Every ideal human or
gariizat1on on large scale must be n
perfect human ant hive. Everywhere
human talent should be specialized
What especial niche are you going
to fill In the great human beehive2
When go and closely examine the
wonderful mosaic floors and walls
and ceilings Of the Alhambra, Of the
old Spanish Moors do not find these
individual stones very vaDuable In
themselves. Many Of them are only
common pebbles that we might spurn
with our feet in the street gutter. But
when these common pebbles, as in
dividuals. are cut and polished and
placed side by side in contrast with
other stones they form the beautiful
mosaics Of the Alhambra. which are
one Of the marvels of this century.
You as an individual may not amount
to much, but II cut and polished and
fitted into the right niche for which
you were intended by God you can be-
come part Of the perfect walls Of the
Temple Beautiful Like the ant, will
you be a worker. living under au-
thority? Will you be a cooperative
worker? Will you serve the commu-
nifty in which you live by doing the
work for which you are especially fit
ted by brain and body, as faithfully
and willingly and wisely as the single
ant performs her allotted task in a
great busy home hive?
The ant teaches man more than les
sons Of activity and wisdom and CO.
operation. Some men may be active
and worldly wise and yet have heart
| as dead to all kindness and love as Is Il
stone The ant Is essentially a spirit
ual as we'll as a temporal teacher. She
teaches man the laws Of love and mer
cy and gentleness. She teaches these
spiritual lessons more powerfully. be-
lieve than any insect or reptile found
In the studies of the biologists. Some
years ago, to prove whether ants knew
each other and cared for their own. a
naturalist took two bottles and covered
their mouths with muslin. In one of
these bottles be placed two strange
ants. In the second he placed two
friendly ants. Then the naturalist
placed these two bottles in front Of the
entrance Of an ant hive At once the
ants swarmed forth by the hundreds.
With their mandibles they tried to
break through the muslin covering OF
the strange ants and destroy them. but
for their friends they had not a stroke
nor blow.
An Ants Tenderness.
Not only will ants refuse to attack
one of the members of their own hive,
but II they find one Of their own kind
wounded or in trouble or blinded or
crippled. then will the ants Of some
species, though perhaps not Of all ten
derby care for that sick sister ant, as
though 1t were a blessing SO to do.
Cripple an ant In q country road. and
her sisters will ind her and tsnderly
carry her back to the hive and protect
her there until she dies. They will care
for her as tenderly ~ the good physi-
clan cures for the sick soul. They will
never leave her, nor let her hunger nor
freeze with the cold IL they can help
her. o man. Is one of the missions Of
your life to look after the halt and the
MANNED and the blind and the help.
less? When a stream Of gold began to
flow through your counting room:
when you got beyond the awful strug-
gle for daily bread; when You had
more than two garments in your ward
robe. did you get down upon your
knees and say, 20 God. l thank thee
that thou hast given me much. thank
thee that L can now give to others In thy
Same. Now l can be eyes for the blind
and clothing for the naked and food
for the hungry and shelter for the
homeless" Did you. do you make that
prayer? Like the ant are you trying
TO protect your people from outside
dangers2 Like the ant ore you trying