FERNS. 55 



polypody : in the one, he thrives most where the shade is 

 deepest ; in the other, he nestles among stones, cherished 

 by the vapours that arise from his watery location : in both, 

 emitting a fragrant scent which often reveals his place of 

 growth. 



The elegant and fragile lady-fern delights, on the 

 contrary, to grow beside clear streams, where quivering 

 lights and shadows dance on the green turf. 



" Where the copse-wood is the greenest, 

 Where the fountain glistens sheenest, 

 Where the morning dew lies longest, 

 There the lady-fern grows strongest" 



That graceful plant owns no companionship with dark sea 

 caverns or dripping rocks, neither does she display her 

 slight and feathery fronds where cold winds contend for 

 mastery, or yawning chasms depress the mind with feelings 

 of dread and loneliness. Her haunts are sunny banks, 

 where bright waters well and ripple, and the wild bird 

 poureth forth his melody. 



