V 

 SOME HUMBLE ORCHIDS 



INK Ladies' Slippers is wonderful plenty 

 this season over in Old Hemlocks," said 

 Time o' Year, coming suddenly upon us 

 one afternoon in late May, when I was 

 sauntering through the upper Hemlock lane 

 looking for fertile fronds of the three flow- 

 ering ferns, Royal, Cinnamon and Claytonia, 

 which grow in the roadside runnels, Nell 

 following at her browsing leisure. 



"I never see so many in bud and blow 

 before," he continued. "There 's usu'lly 

 some bunches of 'em in the Glen Woods, and a 

 few scatterin* down the ridge by Tree -bridge, like 

 as if they was steppin' careful and choosin' their 

 footin' so 's not to get runnin' and fall in the river. 

 But up there in Old Hemlocks they 're jest settin' 

 round among the broken stubs and on the edge of 

 root bowls thick as a picnic; yet for all that they 

 don't seem a mite less curious than when they 're in 

 twos and threes. Every one on 'em looks ' hands 

 off !' and sets up a different way from the next." 

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