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the farm, I saw the wood & split it too."  Mr. W. felt so sorry
for the old woman, he offered to split some for her and was
splitting some when her son came up.  We asked now for 
the use of the row-boat which was <s>soon</s> readily granted.  On the
place Calamus was growing in profusion.  The boat was soon
put in condition.  Mr. W. decided to row and I was to hold
the umbrellas.  My plant-press gave him a fairly dry seat,
and several layers of newspapers made one for me.  Everything
went nicely, and with the exception of Mr. W's knees, and
the paper gradually soaked under me, we kept fairly
dry.  It was quite novel to us travelling thus in the rain.
The beautiful Iris versicolor lined the shore, here and there also
large masses of Oenothera riparia.  We soon reached the
water-lilies.  How pretty they were!  We had thought that they
only opened in the bright sunshine, yet here they were fully 
open.  Before long we had as many of them as we wanted.
We then went to the shore to get a few of the Iris.  After 
collecting our flowers, we contemplated <s>for some time</s>
the pretty sheet of water for some time.  How nice it was sitting in the boat
looking at the rain pattering into the water, watching the

        