THE WIZARDRY OF THE SOIL 



With equally inerrant prevision for the 

 days when winter steals the warmth of the 

 sunshine, the earth-mother supplies rich, 

 warm tints which will cheer the heart of man. 

 Entering into a compact with old Sol, she 

 makes an autumn collaboration in the red 

 cheeks of winter apples, the jocund, yellow 

 pumpkin, and golden corn. Between them 

 they also duplicate in the rich hues of grapes 

 and plums the rose and purple of an after- 

 glow. 



Nor does the wizardry of the soil begin 

 to exhaust itself in the wondrous trees, 

 blossoms, and kindly fruits of the earth. Not 

 the richest palace in the enchanted gardens 

 of fairy tales has a millionth part of the 

 treasures which the earth secretes in her 

 veins of silver and gold and her deep- 

 buried crypts of jewels and precious stones. 

 Strange electric currents, also, course 

 through her, and these she lends to men like 

 Marconi, who ask for only one wish, but that 

 one full of more wonderful possibilities than 

 a hundred wishes of the average man. And 

 still other strange gifts, as yet all unguessed 



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