A very
merry little group frisked about the steps of the two seniors, one of
whom was explaining to the older, nautical party that he was on the hunt
for wild flowers.
"Is it yarbs you're after?" asked the Captain.
"Well, not exactly, although I want to get a specimen of every kind of
plant."
"You don't want to make medicine of 'em, Mandrake, Snakeroot, Wild
Sassyperilly, Ginsing, Bearberry, Gentian, Cohosh and all that sort o'
stuff, eh?"
"No; I want to find out their names, dry and mount them, and classify
them according to their kinds."
"What good are they agoin' to do you?"
"They will help me to know Nature better and to admire God's works and
His plan."
"Keep on there, mate, fair sailin' and a good wind to you. No pay in
it, though?"
"Not a cent in money, but lots of pleasure and health."
"Like collectin' post stamps and old pennies, and butterflies, and
bugs."
"Something, but you see scenery and get healthy exercise, which you
don't in stamp and coin collecting, and you inflict no suffering, as you
do in entomologizing."
"I can tell trees when they're a growin' and timber when its cut, but I
don't know the name of one flower from another, except it's garden ones
and common at that.
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