122 PROSERPINA. 



as the corn is grass in use ; and both grow together 

 in peace — gladiolus in the wheat, and narcissus in 

 the pasture. But the rose is of another and higher 

 order than the corn, and you never saw a cornfield 

 overrun with sweetbriar or apple-blossom. 



They have no mind, they, to get into the wrong 

 place. 



What is it, then, this temper in some plants — 

 malicious as it seems — intrusive, at all events, or 

 erring, — which brings them out of their places — 

 thrusts them where they thwart us and offend ? 



7. Primarily, it is mere hardihood and coarseness 

 of make. A plant that can live anywhere, will often 

 live where it is not wanted. But the delicate and 

 tender ones keep at home. You have no trouble 

 in ' keeping down ' the spring gentian. It rejoices 

 in its own Alpine home, and makes the earth as 

 like heaven as it can, but yields as softly as the 

 air, if you want it to give place. Here in England, 

 it will only grow on the loneliest moors, above the 

 high force of Tees ; its Latin name, for us (I may 

 as well tell you at once) is to be ' Lucia verna ; ' 

 and its English one, Lucy of Teesdale. 



8. But a plant may be hardy, and coarse of make, 

 and able to live anywhere, and yet be no weed. 

 The coltsfoot, so far as I know, is the first of large- 

 leaved plants to grow afresh on ground that has 



