110 MOTHS. 



more vigorously in the dark, in order either 

 to burn your throat, or to catch a furtive 

 glance at the glowing end of your cigar? 

 Both the burning your throat, and the as- 

 certaining that your cigar is in process of 

 being consumed, are merely done to make sure 

 that the smoke is gracefully curling around 

 you. 



Well, that has not much to do with fishing 

 in the dark. Dear reader, it is but a com- 

 parison, though not quite so long as some of 

 Homer's. Fishing in the dark ! Away with 

 such clumsy work ! as the pencil said to the 

 painter, when he was sketching an elephant's 

 leg. 



If, according to Hudibras, 



" the pleasure be as great 



Of being cheated as to cheat," 



the night angler can have but little pleasure, 

 for the skill of cheating with fine tackle and a 

 Avell-wrought bait is at an end ; and he surely 

 cannot be cheated into the notion that he is a 

 sportsman. 



