92 OUTDOOR STUDIES 
These all crowd around the brink, and watch, 
day and night, the opening and closing of the 
water-lilies. Meanwhile, upon the waters, our 
queen keeps her chosen court, nor can one of 
these mere land-loving blossoms touch the hem 
of her garment. In truth, she bears no sister 
near her throne. There is but this one spe- 
cies among us, Vymphea odorata, the beautiful 
little rose-colored Nymphea sanguinea, which 
still adorns the Botanic Gardens, being merely 
an occasional variety. She has, indeed, an 
English half-sister, Vymphea alba, less beauti- 
ful, less fragrant, but keeping more fashionable 
hours, — not opening (according to Linnzus) 
till seven, nor closing till four. And she has a 
humble cousin, the yellow Nuphar, who keeps 
commonly aloof, as becomes a poor relation, 
though created from the self-same mud, —a 
fact which Hawthorne has beautifully moralized. 
The prouder Nelumbium, a second cousin, lineal 
descendant of the sacred bean of Pythagoras, 
has fallen to an obscurer position, but dwells, 
like a sturdy democrat, in the Far West. 
Yet, undisturbed, the water-lily reigns on, 
with her retinue around her. The tall pickerel- 
weed (Pontederia) is her gentleman usher, 
gorgeous in blue and gold through July, some- 
what rusty in August. The water-shield (Hy- 
dropeltis) is chief maid-of-honor ; a high-born 
