THE FERN PARADISE. 



gardenless dwellings, and look out from sunless 

 windows. The mansions of the rich, and thou- 

 sands of houses of the well-to-do, and of the 

 middle classes, are necessarily, in great London 

 and in other cities and towns, placed where the 

 sun cannot exert his charming, life-giving in- 

 fluence. Many a window of a grand house looks 

 out upon nothing but brick walls, which tower up 

 high and blot out the sun's rays. The occupants 

 of these houses are often bound, by the exigencies 

 of business, to make their homes for weary 

 months in these shadowy dwelling-places. 



Why, then, do they not bring the beautiful 

 Ferns into requisition ? What exquisite grace 

 would be shed over every room in a house, if 

 every available space were occupied by the 

 feathery fronds of these beautiful plants ! on 

 tables and sideboards ; on mantelpieces ; in fire- 

 grates surmounting trailing sprays of ivy ; on 

 window-sills ; hanging from window-rods ; on the 

 landing of the stairs; in the hall; in the bed- 

 rooms everywhere in fact. Why not ? W r ithout 

 any curtailment of necessary space, without any 

 inconvenience, these beautiful plants might be so 







