152 
THE FERN PARADISE. 
the pleasure of a wild ramble like this is exqui¬ 
sitely sweet ? 
But although, as we have said, the enjoyment 
to be gathered from a ramble either through the 
green lanes of Devonshire, or the Ferny lanes of 
other counties, is beyond the reach of thousands, 
yet there are few places where even the poorest 
cannot obtain Ferns. Flowers that are cultivated 
—and our garden-flowers require cultivation for 
their proper development—are often beyond the 
reach of the poor: and no one brings the roots 
of wild flowers into our towns. If they were 
brought hither they would pine away, perhaps 
more quickly than our garden flowers; and they 
at least would not thrive any better in the absence 
of that one vitalizing element—sun. But Ferns 
that grow in wild woods, and open plains, are in 
the free right of all who choose to gather them. 
They are gathered sometimes and brought into 
our towns and cities by itinerant vendors. But 
we seldom see them in the dwellings of the poor. 
They nevertheless might be there. If there were 
a demand the poor purveyors of the poor would 
soon bring a supply from the free, wild country 
