And the tall lily stems, in
the soft light, appeared to be pillars, while the great variety of water
weed, that wound about them in strange festoons, was glorious beyond
description. There were beautiful bass turning their sides up to the sun,
and darting about through these strange, weird scenes, seeming to enjoy
their glorious abode.
"You have an easy time of it, no doubt," said Larkin, to one of these
fish.
"Easy time of it, indeed! I have rather a happy time of it, because I
have plenty to do; but you are a strange Joblily if you do not know that
I have anything but an easy time of it. Chasing minnows, jumping three
feet out of water after a butterfly, catching wigglers and mosquitoes,
and keeping a sharp lookout for unlucky grasshoppers that may chance to
fall in my way; all these are not easy. I tell you, there is no family of
our social position that has more trouble to earn a living than the bass
family."
"Come along," said the Joblily, giving another punch with his fish-bone;
and Larkin travelled on.
Presently they came to a log with something growing on it.
"What beautiful moss!"
"Moss, indeed!" said one of the Joblilies; "that is a colony of small
animals, all fast to one stem.
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