THOSE LITTLE WORKSHOPS 93 



active cells a certain something is found, the presence 

 of which means the presence of Life. Where that 

 something is, that part of the plant is alive. Where 

 it is not, that part is practically dead. 



This something is also in those specks of vegetable- 

 life, the very lowest kinds known, of which you heard 

 some time back. Each little plantlet by itself may be 

 only one single cell ; a mere bag of liquid. But it has 

 in it this mysterious substance — soft, slimy, colourless. 

 It holds the germ of life ; and so it is a living, breathing 

 plant. And every active cell in every plant has in it 

 the same ; without which it would not be alive. 



Such living cells, whether each one is a separate 

 plantlet or whether it is part of a larger plant, have 

 power to work, and to shape and mould other sub- 

 stances. As has been said of them — ^they not only 

 " provide the building materials, but they are themselves 

 the builders." 



And what marvellous building it is ! 



Plants by millions throughout the world, all of them 

 living, growing, working. Yet each plant, no matter 

 how great, has always begun its life as one tiny cell. 

 From that cell came others, shaped first inside itself, 

 and from each of those more and more cells, till at 

 length a seed has taken form ; and from the seed comes 

 a new herb or tree. 



And now to go back to the leaves; our busy little 

 workshops. 



They, too, are built up of multitudes of cells, each 

 of which is lined with this living substance. But now 

 we touch upon something else, not always found with it. 



