1 8 NATURE'S STORY OF THE YEAR 



of the plants is important to the seed-eating birds, 

 who conquer the victors. 



But it is not in any particular region of creation 

 that this strife prevails. Everywhere, and through- 

 out the circling years, the same incidents are re- 

 peated, by the same or similar agents, and in forms 

 so numberless that to observe even a small propor- 

 tion of them is beyond the power of any single 

 person, who can only notice minutely a few 

 individual existences and must generalise as to 

 the remainder. Happy is he who can perceive 

 through this tumult some sign of the harmony of 

 primal energies, or draw some sweets from the 

 surrounding ferment of life and death, or detect 

 through the roar of the universal battle some con- 

 cordant strain. The sign of such a harmony is 

 not denied to the willing observer. The dull 

 plant or tree, even, whose slow, dim purpose 

 occupies a whole summer, or a century, in fulfil- 

 ment, writes in glowing hues other messages than 

 those of rivalry and ill-will, or whispers them from 

 laden branches. The wishes of these simpler 

 forms of life are not perceptible in a moment. 

 Place something in the ground to nourish these 



