TEE ROOT. 29 



13. There is a pretty example of patience for us in this ; 

 and it would be well 'for young people generally to set them- 

 selves to grow in a carrotty or turnippy manner, and lay up 

 secret store, not caring to exhibit it until the time comes for 

 fruitful display. But they must not, in after-life, imitate the 

 spendthrift vegetable, and blossom only in the strength of 

 what they learned long ago ; else they soon come to contemp- 

 tible end. Wise people live like laurels and cedars, and go on 

 mining in the earth, while they adorn and embalm the air. 



14. Secondly, Refuges. As flowers growing on trees have 

 to live for some time, when they are young in their buds, so 

 some flowers growing on the ground have to live for a while, 

 when they are young, in what we call their roots. These are 

 mostly among the Drosidae * and other humble tribes, loving 

 the ground ; and, in their babyhood, liking to li ve quite down 

 in it. A baby crocus has literally its own little dome domus, 

 or duomo within which in early spring it lives a delicate con- 

 vent life of its own, quite free from all worldly care and dan- 

 gers, exceedingly ignorant of things in general, but itself 

 brightly golden and perfectly formed before it is brought out. 

 These subterranean palaces and vaulted cloisters, which we 

 call bulbs, are no more roots than the blade of grass is a root, 

 in which the ear of corn forms before it shoots up. 



15. Thirdly, Ruins. The flowers which have these subter- 

 ranean homes form one of many families whose roots, as well 

 as seeds, have the power of reproduction. The succession of 

 some plants is trusted much to their seeds : a thistle sows it- 

 self by its down, an oak by its acorns ; the companies of flying 

 emigrants settle where they may ; and the shadowy tree is 

 content to cast down its showers of nuts for swine's food with 

 the chance that here and there one may become a ship's bul- 

 wark. But others among plants are less careless, or less 

 proud. Many are anxious for their children to grow in the 

 place where they grew themselves, and secure this not merely 

 by letting their fruit fall at their feet, on the chance of its 



* Drosidse, in our school nomenclature, is the general name, includ- 

 ing the four great tribes, iris, asphodel, amaryllis, and lily. See reasoD 

 for this name given in the ' Queen of the Air,' Section II. 



