34 FOOTING IT IN FRANCONIA 



that she wears her laurels so meekly. Not 

 that she affects to conceal her gratification ; 

 she is as happy over her genus, perhaps, as 

 over the new edition de luxe of her most 

 famous story; for an entomologist may be 

 also a novelist, if she has a mind to be, as 

 Charles Lamb would have said ; but she 

 knows how to carry it off lightly. She and 

 the botanist of the party, my " walking 

 mate," who, I am proud to say, is similarly 

 distinguished, often laugh together about 

 their generic namesakes (his is of the large 

 and noble Composite family) ; and then, 

 sometimes, the lady will turn to me. 



" It is too bad you can never have a 

 genus," she will say in her bantering tone ; 

 " the name is already taken up, you know." 



" Yes, indeed, I know it," I answer her. 

 An older member of the family, a th cou- 

 sin, carried off the prize many years ago, 

 and the rest of us are left to get on as best 

 we can, without the hope of such dignities. 

 When I was in Florida I took pains to see 

 the tree, the family evergreen, we may 

 call it. Though it is said to have an ill 

 smell, it is handsome, and we count it an 

 honor. 



