MEAmRE FOR 3IEASURE. 107 



fire tlie iron fences around the squares, the trunks of trees, 

 the walls and fence cornices of adjacent properties. If 

 tliese were thoroughly cleansed, tlie cocoons scraped out 

 and burned in winter, there would be a scant crop of 

 span-worms in summer. For several years I have 

 watched these troublesome cocoons advancing a little 

 further each season up the trunks of the trees and mul- 

 tiplying along public places, and I have more than once 

 predicted that the nuisance would ere long be well-nigh 

 intolerable. But an American city, like Issachar among 

 the tribes, is a ' strong ass crouching down between two 

 burdens,' who sees 'that rest is good ' and ' bows his 

 slioulders to bear,' and hardly even exercises the healthy 

 Anglo-Saxon right of grumbling at official ignorance 

 , and neglect. So canker-worms — not those alone which 

 are comparatively harmless, but those of the moral, 

 social and political sort — breed in public places, crawl 

 unmolested through every highway and byway, and spin 

 and nest in all departments of communal administration 

 and life. Alas ! Well, 'a stitch in time saves nine.' " 



"And there are some citizens," cried the Mistress, 

 apparently quite oblivious of my figurative speech 

 and philosophy, and reverting to tlie encroacliments 

 of the Orgyia, " who allow those dreadful worms 

 to crawl up their very walls and doorways and build 

 cocoons under the mouldings and ledges of doors and 

 windows quite unmolested. I see hundreds of them 

 housed in such places the entire year. Such house-keep- 

 ing ! I can't understand how ladies will tolerate it." 



"Perhaps," suggested Abby, "they tolerate the 



