My Boyhood and Youth 



On the fourth of July of this swimming year 

 one of the Lawson boys came to visit us, and 

 we went down to the lake to spend the great 

 warm day with the fishes and ducks and turtles. 

 After gliding about on the smooth mirror 

 water, telling stories and enjoying the com- 

 pany of the happy creatures about us, we rowed 

 to our bathing-pool, and David and I went in 

 for a swim, while our companion fished from 

 the boat a little way out beyond the rushes. 

 After a few turns in the pool, it occurred to 

 me that it was now about time to try deep 

 water. Swimming through the thick growth of 

 rushes and lilies was somewhat dangerous, es- 

 pecially for a beginner, because one's arms and 

 legs might be entangled among the long, limber 

 stems; nevertheless I ventured and struck out 

 boldly enough for the boat, where the water 

 was twenty or thirty feet deep. When I 

 reached the end of the little skiff I raised 

 my right hand to take hold of it to surprise 

 Lawson, whose back was toward me and who 

 was not aware of my approach; but I failed 

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