Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-11-14

watched them struggle. One seemed
quite dead. and the other was crawl.
ing Off very slowly.
She remembered the stories Uncle
Ernest had told her the Sunday be-
fore about ants. How like human be-
ings they were in their ways! He had
told her that they live in colonies,
building little hill houses. grain BY
grain. in sandy places or digging out
,rl!s in the trunks Of trees to live IN.
lie told OF ants called mason ants.
that choose hard clay soil for homes
and by digging and cutting passages
make wonderful houses OF tiny corri-
doris, pillars and arches. Uncle Ernest
said one colony would wage war on
another Sometimes battle would
last until dark. and the victorious
army would even capture hostile ants
and take them back to their colony as
slaves.
Especially had he praised them for
being so industrious. telling how they
worked all day and all night. gathering
and storing honey. planting grass seed
from which they gathered tiny har
vests. and even paving roads for them
selves. 1t had all seemed too won
derful to be true. and az Marjorie
thought of these stories q small
shamed feeling passed over her.
The lame ant had hobbled of to the
sand home among the grasses. and two
big ants were following. carrying the
first one. which was beginning to wig
rle little Marjorie was glad he was
not dead She wondered II a'mother
cut should ask one of her children ants
to help her on hot day whether the
child ant would run Off and climb to
the top of u long spear OF grass and
swing and swing and watch the clouds
She felt sure that the child ant would
not. and the shamed feeling grew until
Marjorie jumped from the hammock
and started for the house as fast as her
little feet could carry her.
She was really very lovable little
girl. but sometimes she forgot how
tired mother must be. and baby broth
er was fussy because his pretty teeth
were pushing through so fast. She nj,
most stumbled In her hurry to reach
the house.
Breathless and eager, Marjorie ran
up the back steps and into the kitchen
and stood there. stock still. looking at
the big clock. 1t must be wrong
Mother was sitting by the open win
dow feeding brother from his blue
bowl and dinner was ready. and there
were no peas Now that she was too
late. after all. the shnmed feeling grew
so big that 1t hurt. and Marjorie longed
to run to the corner OF the big hay
NOW and hide. but she knew thnt
would not help any. She wanted to
tell mother how sorry she was. but
somehow the words got all choked up
II mother would only punish her. moi
look 50 sorry. But mother looked Into
her little girls face and. seeing the
lesson that In some way had been
stamped there. said gently: Mother
IL very tired. Marjorie. You can dn
ish feeding brother and then clear
away his pluythlngs In the dining room
before the others come In to dinner"
With a grateful bound. Marjorie tool
the baby aud finished giving him bis
milk. Very quietly she cleared away
the playthings. but II was not until the
next morning. when. bright and early
she sat under the tree and shelled thu
peas 30 that she could be ready to take
baby brother out after his nap. thai
mother knew how well she had learned
the lesson that the ants taught
Youths Companion.