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like those of a blind man who is feeling with his hands 
for support. And this is just what the plant was doing: 
it was feeling for support. And it kept up its slow 
motion till it found the plant which was fitted to give 
it what it needed. 
Having made this discovery, it put out a little root. 
This root it sent into the juicy stem of its new-found 
support. And thereafter, from its private store, the 
unfortunate plant which had been chosen as the dod- 
der’s victim was obliged to give food and drink to its 
greedy visitor. 
And now what does this dodder do, do you suppose? 
Perhaps you think that at least it has the grace to do 
a little something for a living, and that it makes its 
earth root supply it with part of its food. 
Nothing of the sort. Once it finds itself firmly rooted 
in the stem of its victim, it begins to grow vigorously. 
With every few inches of its growth it sends new roots 
deep into this stem. And when it feels quite at home, 
and perfectly sure of its board, it begins to wither away 
below, where it is joined to its earth root. Soon it 
breaks off entirely from this, and draws every bit of 
its nourishment from the plant or plants in which it 
is rooted. 
Now stop a moment and think of the almost wicked 
intelligence this plant has seemed to show, — how it 
keeps its hold of the earth till its stem has found the 
plant which will be compelled to feed it, and how it 
gives up all pretense of self-support, once it has cap- 
tured its prev. 
You have heard of men and women who do this sort 
