The Rescue of an Old Place 



fectual fires ; as an evidence of the apa- 

 thetic stupidity of man he is unrivaled, 

 and as a menace of future untold horrors 

 he may well be used to point a moral of 

 gruesome interest. 



Some philosopher has said that " the 

 rea l en d of the world will come when man 

 ceases to be able to cope with the insects." 

 When his time comes the worm is the mas- 

 ter of us all, but there is no reason while 

 we are yet stirring about this earthly ball, 

 that we need submit to be devoured by him 

 before our day. And yet, when you come 

 to think of it, that is what the brute is 

 after. Too cowardly to attack man openly, 

 he begins by eating up his provender. 

 Man, being on the whole an easy-going 

 animal, at first pays not much attention ; 

 but he only multiplies moderately, and 

 the insect enormously. Where a man will 

 leave a half dozen descendants in a life- 

 time, a worm will leave one hundred and 

 twenty-five thousand in a season ; judge 

 then if this can be allowed to go on in- 

 definitely, and man survive ! 



Where the inane apathy of the human 

 being comes in, is in not crushing his 

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