IN OLD CONCORD 95 



none have succeeded beyond a slight growth that 

 is hardly lusty or likely long to survive. Yet 

 among the Maine and New Hampshire hills 

 again the mayflower grows luxuriantly. So it is 

 with the hepatica and the maidenhair fern. 

 Some cool northern hillsides are beautiful with 

 these, others with equal shade, cool springs, moss 

 and gravel have never known these plants. No. 

 More is necessary than that the blood of men 

 should fall and take root in fertile soil. There 

 must be fluid, where seed and fertility meet, some 

 of that ichor which flows in the veins of the im- 

 mortals, and it must enter into the growth. Only 

 thus does Hodge become hero. Without it he 

 holds both hands on the plow and lets the British 

 pass the bridge and go on. How many nations 

 have thus been stillborn and buried in the furrow 

 no history can tell us. 



Little by little riature gives us the secrets of 

 these things, as when after a time she taught the 

 Australian planters why clover would not pro- 

 duce seed there. It grew well in fertile soil when 

 seed was brought from England; it blossomed 

 and made good fodder for cattle, but never a 



