FEEDING THE COMMUNE 



the home premises leave the collecting of food to others 

 of their fellow-citizens, not only for the public dependents 

 but for themselves. Content with satisfying the simple 

 wants of nature that they may have strength to toil, 

 they leave their work and visit the feeding-grounds to 

 get food from the repletes. The stations for this pur- 

 pose are wisely chosen; for, as many of the foragers are 

 overladen, their progress homeward is eased by yielding 

 somewhat from their stores. 



Besides, it seems probable that the instinct which 

 urges repletes to gather supplies for home dependents 

 might, after the formicary had been reached, prevent 

 parting with them to others. Moreover, since ant nature 

 in some degree is partaker of the weakness of human 

 nature, it is supposable that the surplus honey-dew, after 

 feeding dependents, would be kept for individual de- 

 lectation, and the home working-force be compelled to 

 leave their work and forage for themselves. The general 

 movement, therefore, to arrest repletes at stations near 

 the feeding-grounds is evidently for the public good. 



It would be an odd speculation to consider the effect 

 upon society were such a rule to prevail among men. 

 Suppose the citizens of cities like New York, Phila- 

 delphia, and Chicago, or of such states as Georgia, Ohio, 

 and Massachusetts, were to agree that one moiety of 

 their number should take the duty of earning or collect- 

 ing food supplies of every kind for the entire community, 

 leaving all other duties to the rest? Further, suppose 

 that these gatherings must be divided with equal hand 

 among all sorts and conditions of people young and 

 old, active and dependent, high and lowly, rich and poor, 

 with sole regard to their real natural needs ? 



Stop! Our phrasing is faulty; for in this ideal state 



105 



