We pretended, at first, that we enjoyed it.

We said it was a change, and that we liked to see the river under all its different aspects.

We said we could not expect to have it all sunshine, nor should we wish it.

We told each other that Nature was beautiful, even in her tears.
[Picture: The boat in the rain] Indeed, Harris and I were quite enthusiastic about the business, for the first few hours.

And we sang a song about a gipsy's life, and how delightful a gipsy's existence was!--free to storm and sunshine, and to every wind that blew!--and how he enjoyed the rain, and what a lot of good it did him; and how he laughed at people who didn't like it.
George took the fun more soberly, and stuck to the umbrella.
We hoisted the cover before we had lunch, and kept it up all the afternoon, just leaving a little space in the bow, from which one of us could paddle and keep a look-out.