WILDWOOD WAYS 



portions of this hemlock twilight, though 

 the Christmas fern clings close to it, and 

 does not spread to the more open glades 

 on other portions of the hill. Another 

 northern hill of similar steepness but 

 shaded by an old growth of pines through 

 which certain sunlight filters during most 

 of the day has specimens of the Polysti- 

 chuni acrostichoides growing only in its 

 most sheltered nooks from which they 

 do not seem to spread even to the 

 brighter spots near by on the same de- 

 clivity. Hence I infer that the plant pre- 

 fers the twilight, and does not thrive in 

 even occasional sunlight. 



Just at the base of this second hill, 

 however, where cool springs begin to 

 bubble forth in the mottled shadow, I 

 caught a gleam of a lighter, lovelier green 

 that was like a dapple of sunlight on 

 clumps of Christmas ferns, and I came 

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