50 



THE BROOK BOOK 



those rocks, far up on the side of the gorge, where 

 the water dripped and few other plants could gain a 

 foothold. A sort of romance clung about this wee 

 plant, by reason of its retiring habit and from the 

 fact that this particular spot, in our own Fall Brook 

 gorge, was the southernmost "station" in the world 

 of this little stranger from the Arctic zone. Added 

 to these things was the tale of an enthusiastic col- 

 lector who had almost lost her life in an attempt 



to obtain a specimen for her 

 herbarium. Each year, the 

 Primula generously scattered 

 its seeds in such a rrianner that 

 they fell to the bottom of the 

 gorge and grew up the next 

 year. These used to be suf- 

 ficient to supply the annual 

 crop of collectors. In later 

 years the demand outgrew the 

 supply and the Primula retreated farther and far- 

 ther up the bank. At last the colony found itself 

 unmolested and grew and multiplied. 



By some strange fate it came about that the place 

 selected for one end of the new iron bridge across 

 the gorge was just above the home of the Primula. 

 By a special providence, however, the workmen did 

 not find it necessary to excavate so far down. Huge 

 quantities of stones and earth were thrown from the 

 top of the gorge to the stream bed, very wide at this 

 point, making a great mound. Not a Primrose was 

 injured, for the debris went far over their heads on 

 its way to the ground. 



THE ARCTIC PRIMROSE 



