Peo] AND SYMBOLS. 267 







They may appear harmless, but they are easily provoked, and 

 when rage has taken possession of them they are reckless of 

 your destruction. 



Genuine Patriotism. 



We may see genuine patriotism in the bee-hive. While 

 some bees go off to the fields to perform the labour allotted to 

 them there, let us see what the others are doing in the hive. 

 Some are clustering about the top ; and now they fix themselves 

 to the roof by the fore legs, while the hinder legs hang down. 

 Upon these other bees suspend themselves, and leave their legs 

 similarly to the disposal of the new-comer, and thus a ladder is 

 rapidly formed, reaching at last to the bottom of the hive. To 

 facilitate operations, and perhaps strengthen as well as elaborate 

 their scaffolding, they also hang themselves in festoons, each end 

 attached to the roof ; and before the actual commencement of 

 labours, there is a series of such festoons formed, so that the bee- 

 workmen may ascend and descend in every direction. The entire 

 weight of this living staircase is borne by the individual bees at 

 the top, and cheerfully borne too. Sydserff (reprinted in Cotton) 

 says they will suffer their legs to be disjointed before they will 

 let go their hold. Such is the patriotism of the hive ; and such 

 is the sort of patriotism which merits emulation. It is a better 

 sort than that which consists in fighting others. It is more useful. 

 These patriots, if hurt, get their injuries in an endeavour to be of 

 service to their community, and in a work whicji they know to 

 be necessary. This is more nobly patriotic than getting wounds 

 in endeavours to injure your fellows in a war. B. w. 



People who are Pampered. 



Probably in no class of society do you find such crass stupidity, 

 dense ignorance, and ludicrous imbecility as amongst people who 

 pamper themselves gluttons who feed their whims, ailments, 

 and appetites until their mawkishness, obesity, and selfishness 

 are revolting to the eye of common sense, and their senile prattle 

 is offensive to all but idiot ears. It is almost too complimentary 

 to compare these self-indulgent people to the goose ; but the 



