"
"Is it? It is pretty. What is it, sir?"
"It is a plant somewhere between the mosses and the lichens in
its character — it is one of the liverworts, and they are some
of the first plants to go in advance of superior vegetation.
This is called _Marchantia_."
"And is it wonderful, Dr. Sandford?"
"If I could show it to you, you would think so. Look here,
Daisy — on the surface of this leaf do you see little raised
spots here and there?"
"Yes, I see them."
"Those are, when they are finished, little baskets."
"Baskets?" exclaimed Daisy, delightedly. "I can't see anything
like a basket now."
"No, it is too small for you to see; you must take it on my
word, who have seen it. They are baskets, and such baskets as
you never dreamed of. The shape is elegant, and round the
edge, Daisy, they are cut into a fringe of teeth, and each
tooth is cut again into teeth, making a fringe around its tiny
edge.
"I wish I could see it," said Daisy.
"Now if you were my little sister, and lived with me, I could
show you these things in the evenings."
Daisy responded to this with a very grateful and somewhat
wistful smile, but immediately went on with the business in
hand.
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