70 THE FERN PARADISE. 



as not to disturb the free inhabitants of this wood- 

 land, admire and enjoy their unrestrained move- 

 ments. The snake will wriggle on to the sunlit 

 path again ; the rabbit will come quietly out from 

 his hiding-place ; the rat will return from his hole ; 

 the trout will skim about on the surface of the 

 river close to where you are sitting, if your shadow 

 does not fall across the sunlit pool. As you sit 

 and rest, you may listen with a deep sense of 

 enjoyment to the soft buzzings of the insects 

 which surround you ; and watch the bushes, the 

 grass, the ground, and the water. Everywhere 

 there is life fresh, delightful, enjoyable life. 



Such a scene as we have attempted to describe 

 is not imaginary. It is real and tangible. Who 

 that has visited Devonshire has not experienced 

 the varied and varying sensations of a ramble so 

 essentially Devonian ? 



After pursuing this river-side path for some 

 little distance, we reached the waterfall, where 

 a division in the river makes provision for the 

 stream which drives the mill at Fingle Bridge. 

 Close by the fall there is a light and open planta- 



