A Cup in the Hills 



the boat. Suddenly the old fisherman 

 dipped the landing-net, pushed it under the 

 trout, and brought him up flopping in the 

 meshes. A moment later he lay shining 

 at our feet a three-pounder and a "jim- 

 dandy," as the veteran said. Whereat the 

 boy's face shone like a polished apple, and 

 he went to pinning a fresh worm on his 

 hook. 



So the sweet, still summer day slipped 

 by and we got that one big trout only! 

 But how richly were we all satisfied! the 

 boy because he had caught a "jim-dandy;" 

 the veteran because his faith in boy-luck 

 had been vindicated, and by his own boy, 

 too; and I because I had been all day close 

 to the heart of nature, had heard the birds 

 sing, had watched the sun building his 

 grand arch over the wilderness undimmed 

 by smoke, had drunk in peace to my soul 

 and health to my body, and basked in the 

 stillness where God delights to speak. 



We rattled homeward at a lively pace 

 down the mountain road, the sure-footed 

 horse having little to do but guide the buggy 

 and keep the jerking shafts from picking 

 him up bodily. The boy nestled between 



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