Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-11
THE FLOWER FOLK
~ SAMUEL sCOVILLE, JR.


/ " Htlt you ever IN IdlIN ldlh
I was there last week and 1t was hart
to come back to this workaday worl'
again The day / went II rained hard
but for him who hears the call OF th'
wildfolk all weather ls good weather. AZ
soon after dawn ae steam could take m,
found myself in the pine barrens Tn,
| last time I was there was in the cold
dawn Of spring. No leaves we're out, and
although many Of the birds we're there
none OF the flower-folk except the pixey-
moss and the trailing arbutus we're there
Today the woods we're like a simmer
ing pool OF different shades Of green lap
ping over the white sand-land that had
been thrust like a wedge from the South
deep into the heart OF the North. I fol-
lowed a wood path TO my cabin nestled
among the pine trees on the high bank OF
the Rancocas. stained brown and stepped
sweet and spicy with a million cedar
roots. Against the porch a mountain
laurel was in full bloom. l let myself in
through the low door over which hung
tiny bog-iron horseshoe dug up In the
cranberry bog at Upper Mil. 1t was un-
doubtedly fairy shoe, and so l nailed 1t
over the doorway AS soon as ] had
slipped into a suit Of camping clothes l
started down the bank of the stream
where month before found a clump oil
the hollow crlfuson-streaked leaves Of the
pitcher plant II was SO cold that day
that every pitcher had n lump of ice
where the water had frozen the night be-
fore. l pushed aside the branches OF the
withe-wood with its fat masses OF white
blossoms and the dripping star-leaVes oil
the sweet gum saplings and found myself
on the very edge of the stream. AT hrst
could see nothing through the wet
leaves Suddenly at my very feet swung
two glorious flowers, Wine-red crimson,
aquamarine, rearl-whlte, pale Sold-ail
these Colors plcomed IN the great twin
blossoms that nodded to me from long,
slender stems. Later In the day ! found
n dry cranberry bog where they grew by
tho scores. on: shall always remember
my first sight Of the pitcher-piant in bios
som by these first two flowers crimson
against the background Of the brown
stained water.
From the bank of the Rancocas I |
passed through thckets along a path of
white sand At It's side we're the VlVid
leaves OF the wild ipecac with |
It's strange green flowers while, as IL
set In snow, cleaned everywhere the
green -and- gold of the barren-heather.
The leaves were like tiny cedar trees and
we're set thick with blossoms OF pure
gold which the wind spilled in little yell
ow drifts on the white sand. Beyond
he woods the meadows were hazy pur-
pie with blue toad-hax. Beside the path
showed the pale gold OF the narrow
eaved sundrops with their centres OF
leep orange stamens. Everywhere were
masses of lambskill, the smaller laurel,
With its fatal leaves and crimson blos-
ioms. The thiCkets were sweet with the
fragrance of the cream-white blossoms
If the wild magnolia and the spicery
he hoN Nyba and !
here were jade-green pools in which
;leamed the buds of the yellow pond lily
IT floating spatterdot like Jumps OF float
ng gold At one place the path went
nder a clump of poison sumac with its
Oale gray trunk and arsenic-green leaves
nd sprays of green berries which will
fterwards turn white, growing on stems
rom the trunk where the leafstems Join,
ust beyond this danger. the path was
arpeted with the wine-red and green
iXeymoss starred thick with the fat
,hte flve-petaled flowers. Beyond the
'ay was lost in a mass of the purple
lac and white butterfly blossoms of the
lpine. Little clouds of fragrance drifted
through the air as the wind swung the
ows and rows of pearl-white translucent
ellis of the andromeda. They have the
weetest perfume of all the wild flowers
Scept the blossoms of the wild grape
eyond the lupines were rows and rows
! luTktSDeaIuSt uaHIllnB Wnlte masses |
tilmy siX-petaled blossoms that grew
y scores and scores from the main
tenn around a cone of unopened buds
nd which lowered up on fringed stems
Yo feet high. Beyond them was a little
pen space covered with dry gray-green
loss in which grew a clump of pink
.dyslippers. They looked like great ir-
egular globes of jacinth. In the north
here I had hunted orchids, these were
rare find indeed. Here they grew every
here, but for me the sight of those hoI-
w rose-red blossoms will always be an
vent.
Later on l found pine snake six feet
m inches long and six inches in cir
Inference, and the nest of a Henslow