The Life of the Bee 
this revelation ; and should they learn there- 
from that indifference, or resignation to 
the unknown, is the veritable duty, they 
will be better equipped than the others for 
the comprehension of this final resignation 
and indifference, better able to turn these 
to account. 
116 
But such speculations may well be avoided. 
Let not the possibility of general annihila- 
tion blur our perception of the task before 
us; above all, let us not count on the 
miraculous aid of chance. Hitherto, the 
promises of our imagination notwithstand- 
ing, we have always been left to ourselves, 
to our own resources. It is to our hum- 
blest efforts that every useful, enduring 
achievement of this earth is due. It is open 
to us, if we choose, to await the better or 
worse that may follow some alien accident, 
but on condition that such expectation 
hinder not our human task. Here again 
do the bees, as Nature always, provide a 
most excellent lesson. In the hive there 
has truly been prodigious intervention. The 
342 
