GEORDIE'S RULE OF " CHAIRGE." 173 



his heart still panted for the water-brooks, and he 

 speculated about future fishing-days. He lamented 

 the degeneracy of these times in respect of salmon. 

 " It's just this time forty years," he said, " that I was 

 fishing the Kelso waitter ; and atween twae o'clock 

 on the Monday morning and sax o'clock on the Tues- 

 day morning, we killed saxteen hundred salmon and 

 grilse. G d ! there were as mony fish killed in the 

 Tweed in that ae week as are killed in a hale year 

 noo I" He was criticising the management of Ellemford 

 Inn after he left it for the tenant has since then been 

 changed yearly. " They dinna ken hoo to chairge" 

 he summed up, as the climax of their mistakes. 

 Geordie's own tariff was according to his estimate of 

 his guest's means : when he knew that the purse was 

 ample, he kept a boy with a donkey plying to Dunse 

 for the viands of the season, gave dinners at Ellemford 

 that would not have disgraced a good Edinburgh tavern, 

 and did not scruple to exact ample remuneration for 

 his care and trouble. Others he satisfied with more 

 indifferent fare, and with the most moderate charges. 

 So throughout the season Ellemford was usually full 

 of anglers, all satisfied with their treatment. His suc- 

 cessors, he said, fed all alike and charged all alike ; but 

 we suspect that Geordie's absence was itself one great 

 reason of the falling-off of customers. While on the sub* 

 jectVe may mention that even within the last few years 

 we have observed a great diminution of the drinking 

 at fishing-inns. Geordie often sat up almost the whole 

 night over his potent toddy ; and although he himself 

 rose punctually at five o'clock, no matter how deep or 

 late the carouse, his guests were not always able to 



