THE WOOD. 



servable in woods) it creeps along the ground, 

 which it completely hides from the sight, forming 

 a tangled mat of shining dark leaves. Thus situ- 

 ated, it sends out none of the fibres described 

 above ; but numerous roots penetrating every- 

 where into the soil are found throughout the 

 whole of its length, and in every instance originate, 

 we may say, a new plant. It has therefore no 

 need of flowers, or seeds, and accordingly never 

 produces any, as long as it wears this character. 

 Ivy berries are found only on branches which grow 

 entirely without support; and such branches bear 

 neither roots nor tendrils, either of which, if pro- 

 duced on a part of the plant which shoots freely 

 into the air, would be superfluous : the former 

 could not shoot into the ground, and there is no 

 occasion that they should do so, for seeds here 

 ripen in abundance ; the latter could cling to 

 nothing for support, and they need none, for here 

 the branches are strong enough to support them- 

 selves. 



The world perhaps cannot exhibit a more pleas- 

 ing sight than that afforded by a mass of bushy 

 ivy mantling a village church in some sequestered 

 part of our happy country. In summer, and in 

 winter, under the bright glare of day, and when 

 twilight has invested its deep green with a more 

 sombre hue, it is always the same, and always 

 beautiful, an apt emblem of the unchangeable 

 God, around whose temple it has grown. Scarcely 

 less interesting is it when it has closely invested 

 the trunk of some venerable giant of the forest, 

 now no longer able to boast of much verdure of its 

 own, liberally giving ornament in exchange for 

 support. 



