Opp] AND SYMBOLS. 253 



a day only after the removal of the old queen, she is very badly 

 received, and is at once surrounded, the workers trying to 

 suffocate her. Generally she sinks under this bad treatment. 

 But if you allow a longer interval to elapse before you introduce 

 the substitute, the bees, rendered intractable by the delay, are 

 better disposed towards her. If you allow an interregnum of 

 twenty-four hours, the stranger queen is always received with 

 the honour due to her rank, a general buzzing announcing the 

 event to the whole population of the hive. They assign to 

 their adopted queen a train of picked attendants, and draw up 

 in line on her passing by ; they caress her with the tips of their 

 antennae ; they offer her honey. A little joyful fluttering of the 

 escort announces that every one in the little republic is satisfied. 

 The labours out of doors and indoors then begin anew with more 

 activity than ever. It is with bees as with mankind : " there 

 is a season when to take occasion by the hand." For want of 

 recognising this fact many a good enterprise in human govern- 

 ment has been utterly wrecked. The premature appearance of 

 a hero among men has often resulted in his annihilation. Re- 

 formers should learn that there is an appropriate moment for the 

 introduction of any change. I. 



Opposite Qualities often found in the same Substance. 



In contemplating Nature we shall often find the same sub- 

 stances possessed of contrary qualities, and producing opposite 

 effects. Air which liquefies one substance dries up another. 

 Fire, which is seen to burn up the desert, is often found in 

 other places to assist the luxuriance of vegetation ; and water, 

 which next to fire is the most fluid substance upon earth, never- 

 theless gives all other bodies their firmness and durability. 



M. Y. 



The Combination of Opposites. 



Men of opposite tastes and repugnant sympathies are not 

 unfrequently found in close association and even in actual com- 

 bination. This apparent anomaly is generally explained by the 

 existence of some object which exerts a powerful moral influ- 



