November 



spring to appear in every open place ; it is 

 summed up in its blossom, like the sparrow in 

 its song ; with the same delightful persistence, 

 in its mute, bright way it tells its simple tale 

 through spring, summer, and autumn — a gold- 

 en thread to bind the months from April to 

 November, until at last it punctuates the long 

 year's inflorescence with a shining period. 



The dandelion is witness to the fact how 

 much of truth there is involved, and often un- 

 perceived, in common things. How many had 

 ever noticed, until Darwin (I think it was he) 

 called attention to the clear purpose of a pe- 

 culiarity in this plant — which everyone must 

 wonder he had not noticed for himself — viz., 

 that the short and commonly drooping stem of 

 the blossom becomes much elongated and erect 

 as the seeds ripen, with the evident design of 

 raising its head above the grass or other sur- 

 rounding vegetation, and affording free expos- 

 ure to the winds to scatter the feathery seeds? 

 We have all seen millions of these yellow disks 

 — spatters of molten sun- drops — close to the 

 ground, and noted the tall pedestals support- 

 ing the subsequent downy spheres, without a 

 thought of any significance in the change. 

 This lowly weed can at least teach us the lesson 



^95 



