The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-06-08


was not bold enough to ask gardener
Burgess to give me root, ana had
no money to buy it.
did not know then, what learned
later. that there was wild Hover
growing in the woods which was also
a Dicentra, and which in its analysis
was almost as interesting 1t was the
Churchman'S Breechcs." and, so far AS
| knew. grew in only one place. in
town. and that was a long way from
home: but il was worth going long
way to see ii growing and to gather
few blossoms. | do not know that
the "Dutchman's Brooches grows
anywhere on Good Will. Several years
age ordered few roots from Stock
bridge, Mass, and planted them IN a
secluded place; but they refused to be
comforted and failed to come up the
next season. But | have discovered
more recently the finest bed of this
beautiful plant and flower | ever saw
growing anywhere; it is net on Good
VIII but is Just over the line Of the
Besse Reservation. 1t is possible that
the Reservation will this year reveal
some to us, but If not some of the
roots. or bulbs, from over the line
will be planted in what / hope viii
be congenial soil and environment,
near one of the trails.
THE JEWELL WEED
Nothing can be more apparent than
the individuality of the wild flowers
that abound in the Good Will woods,
and in all similar woodlands every
where. They have their individual
preferences of environment and stub
bornly refuse to he convinced of the
wisdom of a change The MaytloWer
and the gold thread out on the Maine
Trail, will die rather than change
| their manner of living and il the
change of environment is forced upon
them they quit; the wood sorrel and
partridge berry along the BoWion
Trail tell the visitor of uninterrupted
| happiness. 'Happincss' is the word
to use in this connection because it
is the old Anglo-Saxon Word hap
which means with" and happiness is
Witness" he is happy who is with >
or in harmony with his circumstances.
| But both partridge berry and wood
sorrel have way of putting up per
sstent rebellion if asked TO change
| their manner of living.
And each species has its character
| sites which can be changed onlS with
difficulty If at ALL and if, by virtue OF
much training these Characteristics
appear to be changed, they revert to
the old type as soon as the trainer or
the disciplinarian let's up.
The Jack n-the-pulpit' which is
found occasionally ON the Good VIII
Trail, is unchangcably oeClesiastie.
He tells you. as soon as you discover
him, of Gothic Church architecture. of
chanCels, of pipe organs. of clerical
dignity of the unbendlng and uncom-
promising kind of immaculate char
acter and of ripe scholarship. Jack
is churchly if he is anything; priest
ly he will always be have never
seen a mass or a bed of "JaCk-in-tGc-
| Pulpits"; Jack is found in class by
| hiinself-he is one in the midst Of a
multitude. Go out to "Naturalist5
I Corner just off the Iowdoin Trail
= and find in their season lunches OF
| Livorwort, masses OF blue violcts
/ square rods of land covered as with Il
carpet of DOG Tooth Niolets,' and you
| will find in its season, one just one
Jack n-the-Pulpit" This one speci-
men will tell you the story of the men
| whom he seems to represent in the
civic world men who by tho very ma
ture of their calling are required to be
| individuals and to live rs individuals
! rather than in the mass.
| The Jewell Weed is of IA different
! tyne it is the official jester in the
| floral court, it is the great practical
! iokcr of the botanical Kingdom, this
] is neither to the credit nor the dis
icredit of the Jewell Weed it WIS
made that way. 1t has but one joke
it Is true, but the one joke is worked
to the limit and is characteristic of the
Jewell Weed family.
| And the preparation of the came
old joke Is not offensive unless it is
sprung too often ! have one of my
own that | delight to bring out once
IL decade in the expectation that it
will be as good as new, and then, after
It has performed its mission of
wrenching one more smile from the
people at my breakfast table, it IS
carefully packed away Tor another ten
| years.
The morning of my forty-second
birthday, | remarked, at the breakfast
table:
"Childrcn, isn't it strange, | am two
years older than your mother, but to
day am forty-twO, and your mother
is forty, too
Ten ycars passed. and ON the morn
| -.