Evening journal., 1899-07-18
JUST AN OLD WALL.

glomeraton, piled hete by man for his cor
yenience, and man. are the generations thai
this earth and granite have seen. Those wh0s
built IL, themselves long since dust, took the
great stones from he ruined foundations Of
still more ancient lrchitects-from the hut
circles and alignments, the sepulchral memo
rials and hypaothrl chambers Of the Dani
nonii--those stone men who dwelt on Dart
moor wastes in the first dawn Of history.
For my wall lies upon great eastern slope
at the foothills Of the central table-lanl
Of Devon; and there sunrises unnumbered,
rains and SHOWS without count, and moor
land winds from The west, blowing solemnly
through generations Of mankind, have be-
deckod and adorned the old-time stones and
the earthwork on the top of them, have
painted the granite with grey and silver,
ebony and gold, have draped the crooked e.
bows and knees OF the blaekthorns above
with a lace Of lichens, have knitted and
woven and finely wrought into the mural
fabric a changing tapestry Of many and
glorious colors. The wall, indeed, is an altar
at which nature, as high priestess, worshirs
by night and by day without cessation. Here
her ritual OF spring is duly elaborated in all
the venal glory Of newborn buds and flow
ers; here ripen her treasures through the
soft rains and sunshnes of high summer
hours; here she gathers in due season the
FIRST fruits Of the completed seedtime and
holds high festival with scarlet pomp Of
berry and Of briar and here, when the har-
vest is over, she broods among the dark
roots in the heart Of the old wall and labors
unseen amid the cryptical and magic se-
crets of winter growth. Anon the twisted
blaeklhorn foams into life again and sends
white petals flying with the chance snow
aake Of March, anon the arums spread
their riotous green, the lesser celandincs
their gold: and then the old wall shares the
waking life again and follows its accus-
toned progress from spring to summer, and
from autumn into the cold peace and rest
of the years end and beginning.
10 name the life of that scQuestered spot
would be to write you a little history of tie
birds and blossoms of a wide district. suf-
fee it, therefore, that ! paint it to-day basS.
ing under May sun; its blackthorn-trees and
hazels breaking into grclni rs whitethorn
a.budding; its grasses hanging out their ban.
uers and pendants; its flowers shaking forth
I the very soul of the spring from petals of
/ lemon and purple of snowy white, sea-biue
and sky-bue. Take first the round glossy
| foliage Of the pennyworts above, which
soon will rise little apple-green towers hold
ing many bells; and next, scarcely less corn.
mon and a prime factor in the mosaic Of
grey stones, there winds and twines, clus.
tiers and falls luxuriantly the Linaria-or
ivy-leaved toadfax. Its tiny purple bios
som, each with two golden eyes, is not thl
/ least dainty gem on its stony bosom, and
from late March to December the leaves
with their dark under side and the little g.l
axies of twinking flowers, flourish above
mans work and win abundant life where
none might be promised Now they ar,
met and welcomed but presently, when th,
campons, red and white, the tall steeples Of
the foxglove and the mauve and turquoise
splendors Of the bnautia and scabious bright
ca the scene, the grasses and ferns are II
their glory, and hcrb-robcrts delicate leave
grow crimson, we shall forget the ivy-leave'
toadhax until he reappears next spring
Concerning this plant, blythe way, there !
an interesting anccdote recorded 10y Prot
Schultes, to whom it was related by the lat
DIR. Williams, an amiqble and most learnel
professor Of botany at Oxford in time lon
past. When Linnaens visited England j
1876 he presented himself before Dillemu
|, and Sherard at lhe university just men
toned. Though still a young man his sy:
tenn was already challenging very consid
cradle attention and he had made som
noise in the world of science. Now, thous
+ Sherrard received the youthful savant wiz
; considerable heariness OF manner, Dillenlu
remained more than cool, and even forgo
good manners by remarking TO his friendi in
voice sufficiently loud TO be heard by thei
visitor: 80 this is the youngster who
putting al botanists and botany IN cor
I iusion~ Happily, Linnaeus did not con
rrehend the exact nature Of this commen
but he was ligh.niugquck TO arrive a.
conclusion, and Inc expression on the oiie
mans face, together with the word 'coi
fuschicn" (so pronounced by the Gcrma
u Dllenius), enabled him 30 arrive at Jni
, estimate Of the remark, in that the Lati
oonfuso was familiar 10 him He took p
notice. however, but accompanied bot
professors to the Botanical garden q ..
ford. and was there invited TO discuss
S plant growing upon an Old wall, no .S
than our familiar Lynaria Cymbala-i
f 1luch doubt then obtained concerning q
but the young genius from Sweden had p
difficulty in removing those difficulties Til
existed and Illuminated dubious points ull
g case and modcaty Shorard remarks
;. aside that, so far, he perceived but lit
L Confusion" in Lnn0eus, and the interest
both experts increased TO admiration as
o passed among the wonders Of the garden
Finally, he conquered the skepiic wao
vited him 20 dinner and when, on leavi'
G Oxford. the young man bid farewell and {
marked that he should have been sorry J
- deed to bring Confusion" into the perie
repose and system Of the Oxford earde
Dnenius bIushod, Ike the good old scienti
Z he was. and made frank apology for his hes
q word.
+ Upon the wall under Che moog grew blu
bells and trailing byonIcs while, bid DO Z
d meen. wild Strawberries are blossoming no
Is preparing a ruby-red dessert for the birds
inlst otter for little mouths or beaks tH
tie purple harvest of the twisted thor
y bushes. Along the grass beneathe lie {
iumbels Of wild rarsnips and other such p
It flowers. and above a few primroses si
Is SHINE. though their glory has passed. b
IA the dog-violets are at their brightest, alb
a man regards them but little before the
perior distinction of scent and color whe
the blue-bells nod.
10 Concerning the life Of fur and feathe
there is scarce space TO speak, even had
knowledge. The ield-m0use rustles along
lfttr. ,,,,,,so. ,ttre and nnerq with loa