The island contains seventeen acres, and it stands on such a rise of
ground, that every buildin' on the Fair ground can be seen plain.

In the centre of the south end wuz the rose garden, where the choicest
and most beautiful roses from all over the world bloom in their glowin'
richness.

When I thought how much store I had sot by one little monthly rose
a-growin' in a old earthen teapot of Mother Allen's--and when it wuz
all blowed out I had reason to be proud on't--

But jest think of seein' fifty thousand of the choicest roses in the
world, all a-blowin' out at one time.

Why, I had a immense number of emotions.

I thought of the ancient rose gardens we read of, and Solomon's Songs,
and most everything.

It wuz surrounded on all four sides with a wire trellis, with archways
openin' on four sides, and all over these pretty trellises climbin'
roses and honeysuckles, and all lovely climbin' plants covered it into
four walls of perfect beauty.

It wuz truly the World's Rose Garden.

Well might Josiah say he wuz sick of flowers, and wanted to see some
plain cord wood! Why, that day we see in one batch twenty thousand
orchids, six thousand Parmee violets, and one man--jest one man--sent