ANT COMMUNITIES 



of her ever-moving antemue to the apex of the abdomen, 

 quivers with the intensity of her energy. She reminds 

 one of a small harbor tug, forging ahead, trembling from 

 stem to stern under her great engine as she draws in 

 her wake a huge ship. Only, there is no puffing! All 

 goes on "in solemn silence, " like the shining orbs in "the 

 spangled heavens/' as sung in Addison's paraphrase of 

 the nineteenth Psalm. 



Will the day ever come when even a remote approach 

 to this noiseless toil shall characterize human communes ? 

 To be sure, since men's work is so largely wrought by 

 the aid of machines, the racket thereof and the audible 

 strain of their motors cannot be wholly subdued. But 

 it is certain that some of our mightiest and most effective 

 machinery does its work with the minimum of friction, 

 and so of noise. Really a mechanical contrivance might 

 be fairly counted valuable in proportion to the silence 

 of its operation. Always force is wasted in noise- 

 physical and mental as well. Silence is a mighty 

 economist of man's wealthiest powers. Racket is a 

 ruinous waster. 



Beyond doubt, at least, abatement in large degree of 

 our city noises is not only desirable, but wholly prac- 

 ticable. They are needless. They are wasteful. They 

 are often cruel to the invalid and nerve-worn. They 

 are remainders of a crude stage of development, and 

 an enlightened people should not tolerate them. They 

 are chiefly the products of thoughtlessness, stupidity, 

 penuriousness, unthrift, and a selfish rudeness. Here 

 also our city magnates and lords of industry might go to 

 the ant and consider her ways with profit. 



