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1
136
My Studio Neighbors
·
W. Hamilton Gibson
81
A
HONEY-DEW
PICNIC
Several
of
our
notable
as
well
as
notorious
human,
social,
and
civic
customs
find
their
prehistoric
prototypes
in
the
insect
kingdom.
The
monarchical
institution
sees
its
singular
prophecy
in
the
domestic
economy
of
the
bees.
War
and
slavery
have
always
been
carried
on
systematically
and
effectually
by
ants,
and,
according
to
Huber
and
other
authorities,
agriculture,
gardening,
and
an
industry
very
like
dairy
farming
have
been
time-honored
customs
among
this
same
wise
and
thrifty
insect
tribe,
whose
claims
to
thoughtful
consideration
were
so
long
ago
voiced
by
Solomon
of
proverbial
fame.
Thevenot
mentions
"Solomon's
ant"
as
among
the
"beasts
which
shall
enter
paradise."
Indeed,
the
human
saint
as
well
as
sluggard
may
"go
to
the
ant"
for
many
suggestive
hints
and
commentaries.
These
are
only
a
few
of
the
more
notable
parallelisms
which
suggest
themselves.
But
others
are
not
wanting
if
we
care
to
follow
the
subject.
In
addition
to
the
many
models
of
thrift
and
virtuous
industry,
embodying
types
of
many
of
the
trade
employments
known
to
humanity,
have
we
not
also
among
these
"meadow
tribes"
our
luxurious
"idlers"
and
"exquisites,"
the
butterflies
and
flower-haunting
flies
and
"dandy"
beetles;
and,
opposed
to
all
these,
the
suggestive
antithesis
of
the
promiscuous
marauders,
thieves,
and
brigands
everywhere
interspersed?
Thus
we
have
our
individual
insect
assassin
and
assassination
organized
in
war;
so,
on
the
other
hand,
have
we
our
insect
merrymakers;
why
not,
then,
our
picnic
or
carnival?
Such
I
am
moved
to
call
the
singular
episode
which
I
observed
last
summer,
and
which
I
have
endeavored
to
picture
as
true
to
the
life
as
possible
in
the
accompanying
presentment
The
sceptic
will
perhaps
remark
on
examination
that
the
scene
is
characterized
by
somewhat
too
free
a
license
to
warrant
the
ideal
of
a
"picnic."
But
he
is
hypercritical.
There
are
picnics
and
picnics--picnics
of
high
and
of
low
degree.
Do
I
not
recall
more
than
one
notorious
festive
outing
of
the
"next
lower
than
the
angels"
in
which
the
personnel
seemed
about
similarly
proportioned,
and
the
fun
and
attraction
comparatively
related
to
the
license?
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