182 FISHING WITH THE FLY. 



had so lately seen the wounds and heard the voice; how 

 even John, loving and loved, who had rejoiced a week 

 ago in Jerusalem at the presence of the triumphant 

 Lord ; how Peter, always fearful ; how Nathanael, full 

 of impulsive faith, how each and all of them, wearied 

 with their long waiting for Him on the shore of the 

 sea, sought comfort and solace, opportunity and incite- 

 ment to thought in going a-fishing. 



I can understand it, for, though far be it from me to 

 compare any weariness or sorrow of mine with theirs, 

 I have known that there was no better way in which I 

 could find rest. 



I have written for lovers of the gentle art, and if this 

 which I have written fall into other hands, let him 

 who reads understand that it is not for him. We who 

 go a-fishing are a peculiar people. Like other men and 

 women in many respects, we are like one another, and 

 like no others, in other respects. We understand each 

 other's thoughts by an intuition of which you know 

 nothing. So closely are we alike in some regards, so 

 different from the rest of the world in these respects, 

 and so important are these characteristics of mind and 

 of thought, that I sometimes think no man but one of 

 us can properly understand the mind of Peter, or ap- 

 preciate the glorious visions of the son of Zebedee. 



