OHt the year following, to insiuc prosperity to their gardens, 

 nncl poultrj- yards. 



Another letter suggested " The Christmas Lamp;" a third 

 " The Wassail Bowl." That ii-ritatini; woman. Miss Pene- 

 lope Pomeroy, wrote at the end of her philijipic — " P.S. If 

 you will have a Christm.as number, call it ' The Christmas 

 Folly.' " Lastly, a sober " Old Subscriber'' wrote — " Name 

 it 'bur Diary,' it's an appendix to 'Our Journal.'" "We 

 might as well call it an Almanack," said one of the spiders. 

 "And why not?" rejoined the other. So tliey communed 

 together, and were pleasant, and agreed that it should be 

 entitled " The Journal of Horticulture's Christmas Number 

 and jVlmanac for the coming year ; " and that was— 



THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL. 



NOTES FROM THE LIFE OF A FERN. 



" Everything in nature hath a voice." 



HAT I was, and where I came from, 

 ^ was the mystery of my childhood. 



I awoke to hfe, it seems ages ago ; 

 i s^ poking my nose out of a corner in a 

 '^'y.\ huge rock. 

 ' ■ "Halloa!" said L "how did I get 

 here ? and who am I ?" 

 I rubbed my head, to try and liclp out 

 a limited understanding, and in doing so, I rubbed away a 

 tiny nubbly roll of something green. 



" You 've spoilt your beauty for many a day," said a voice 

 close by, which sounded like a little bell. 



" Who are you ?" said I, for I felt that I had an inquiring 

 mind. 

 "I'm your grandmother," said the voice. 

 " Oh, indeed," said I ; " and pray who m.ay that be ?" 

 " Little people should be seen and not heard," said wisdom. 

 Then I shook myself, and poking ray head still further 

 out of the rock, I saw all around me— jammed into all sorts 

 of uncomfortable positions — numbers of graceful little crea- 

 tures, with quantities of green bells, depending from black 

 shining stems. 



" Good gracious !" I cried, touching the mantle of the 

 one I sujjposed was my grandmother, " how pretty you are." 

 "Don't touch," said granny, sharply ; "you 've no eyes in 

 your fingers' ends." 



I drew back much ashamed, but presently, seeing a little 

 neighbour who looked good-natwed and merry, I nodded, 



and said in low tones, lest grandmother should he.ar and 

 reprove me, — 



" If you please can you tell me something about myself T 

 I do so want to know what I am, and wliy I 'm here." 



" Ha ! ha I ha !" said the merry-looking neighbour ; " do 

 .as I do, open your mouth, .and drink in this delicious spray ; 

 never mind if it does make your head feel a little queer j 

 that will wear off as you grow older ; it 's very pleasant, so 

 drink away ; spread out your arms to embrace the sunshine 

 — that 's right, eat, drink, .and bo merry." 



Just then up came a huge-looking creature, and without 

 saymg " with your leave, or by your leave," — as is proper 

 in polite circles — hs began to scoop me out of the rock, .and 

 not only me, but my grandmother, and all my reliitions, for 

 •aught I know, putting us out of sight iu a dirty creaky 

 machine called a basket. 



" Oil dear !" said I, " I shall be smotlierod." 



"Hold your tongue," said the merry neighbour, sitting 

 down upon me with a flop ; " who do yon think cares for 

 you ? every one for himself." 



" Our race will be exterminated," sighed granny. 



"What race, granny ?" asked I, still bent on acquiring 

 knowledge. 



"You should not ask questions, child, it's vulgar," 

 answered grandmother. 



Presently I heard a tramp, and a gentle voice said : 



" Can I find any maiden-hair fern about here ?'' 



"Not a bit," s.aid the creature who carried us, "it has all 

 been taken long ago, but I have collected a few plants at my 

 cottage if you like to come and see them." 



" Oh, thiink you ; I should, indeed, like to examine them." 



We were hurried to a cottage, and the gentleman re- 

 quested to be seated. Then I found myself dragged out of 

 the basket by the hairs of my head, violently stuck in some 

 soft material, and patted down all nice and tidy. 



Then the gentle voice spoke : 



" These are very fine specimens, pray where did you get 

 them ?" 



" Oh, far enough away from here," replied the creature, 

 rudely. 



" It is very strange," remarked the gentle voice, and I 

 thought his eye fixed itself kindly on me, " very strange. 

 I was distinctly told I should find specimens of CapiUus 

 Veneris in these rocks." 



" I can't help what yon were told, there .ain't none here- 

 abouts," said the creature, in the rude rough way I have 

 since found out is peculiar to people who arc doing wrong. 



"Am I a maiden-hair or a CapiUus Veneris ?" thought I. 



