2O8 THE FANTASIES OF FERNS 



scented Fern. And with all its good qualities, not 

 the least is that with us it is one of the most 

 abundant of its race. 



The shadows were beginning to lengthen when 

 we turned to go down the mountain and retrace 

 our steps across the bridge to where Nell had been 

 left comfortably tethered in one of the sheds belong- 

 ing to the deserted cider-mill. How the landscape 

 on every side, through every vista, was replete with 

 Ferns Ferns great and small overwhelming every 

 other form of ground growth. On the level hill- 

 top before the rocks slanted too steeply, the spaces 

 between were often filled by beds of Maidenhair. 

 When seen from above, the shining dark stems 

 were quite hidden by the density of the curving 

 forked fronds, that have a circular sweep not un- 

 like the umbrella leaves of the Mandrake or May 

 Apple of Spring. 



The Maidenhair stem always seems overweighted 

 by the heavy top, which has, to the eye at least, 

 none of the airy qualities of the rarer Ferns, but 

 hangs as if heavy with moisture. Yet, in con- 

 tradiction, when the ground breeze passes, the 

 mass is all a -tremble, like a grove of Aspens. 

 Neither, when looking down upon it, does the 



