THE VISIT OF FRANCIS 15 



smaller each year, and lost besides their lusty, 

 vigorous look, until now they have entirely van- 

 ished. Tell this story, Francis, to those about 

 your home, so that the same thing may not happen 

 in the land of the Pilgrims." 



Grandmother spoke most seriously. Francis 

 answered that near his home the Arbutus spread 

 such large sheets of bloom over the ground that 

 people might pick for a hundred years and still it 

 would be there. Again Grandmother cautioned 

 him to pick it with great care. Then Tommy, 

 who had really been still for a long time, said : 



" Dutchman's Breeches is vanishing. Not be- 

 cause it is much torn up by the roots ; its bloom is 

 easier to pick than that of the Arbutus, and of 

 course It does not spread Itself by running under 

 the ground. It Is because most girls and boys 

 gather as many flowers as their two hands can hold, 

 and never think of leaving a few on each plant to 

 be fertilized by Insects, and to form and sow seed." 



" Indeed," said Grandmother, " we should 

 never prevent plants from attending to that mat- 

 ter. It is one of Nature's great laws." 



Francis and Tommy asked Grandmother many 

 questions about how flowers make their seed, and 

 about their friendship with the bees and butter- 

 flies. She said she would answer them all an- 

 other time, because then we were soon going to 

 have dinner. 



It was so cool In the evening that we sat by the 



