216 A SEED IN WASTE PLACES 



I dropped the seed and went away, no 

 longer stifled by the weary monotony of 

 my useless work. Then I thought that 

 I would like to keep it, and plant it in some 

 known corner in order to watch its increasing 

 joy as the plant grew in spring, and to take 

 to myself some of its happiness. I searched 

 on the pavement, but it was so small and 

 commonplace I could not see it. A passer- 

 by asked if he might help me : had I lost 

 anything and was it of any value a gold 

 ring, perhaps ? I replied in my enthusiasm 

 that it was of more value than a gold ring, 

 hoping (as ever the dreamer has) that he 

 would share my wonder of this seed in 

 London. He was interested and puzzled, 

 so I told him it was the seed of a sort of 

 dandelion that I sought. He stared at me 

 as though I had said that God was in the 

 Strand, and had just spoken to me; and 

 then he turned away with a smile. 



