82 
E AMBLES IN SEARCH OF FERNS. 
or earth mixed with sand ; you may shade it, and water it ; you may 
plant it in full sunshine, and let it be parched ; but you cannot 
at all calculate on the probability of its life. I have known it carried 
to a pet fernery with the stones from the wall on which it grew, and 
be cemented among those stones again, — I have known it flourish the 
first year, its year of difficulty as one would suppose, and die the 
next, when every one would imagine all was in its favour. 
All the members of this very attractive family of ferns haunt 
stony places, growing out of fissures in rocks and walls, from whence 
it is most difficult to take their roots. It is a pretty sight to behold 
these graceful plants lavishing their beauty upon the otherwise barren 
rock, or adorning the crumbling wall. It proves that God will leave 
no corner of His creation without its appropriate and harmonising 
beauties,— the ancient rocks with their entombed organisms rejoice 
in new life, as the stone-snail and bright insects creep across them, 
and the verdant fronds of the spleen wort kiss their aged surface at 
every motion of the air. The smiling verdure delights the eye, and 
brings to the heart the words of sacred song — 
“ Oh, all ye green things upon earth, bless ye the Lord, 
Praise Him, and magnify Him for ever.” 
