CONCLUSION. 199 



commend the angler to keep his eyes and his ears open 

 by our river-sides. We never grudge a few minutes 

 to look for the nest of the sand-piper or the water- 

 owzel to have a helter-skelter chase down the stream 

 after a flapper which with a despairing quack finally 

 runs its head into some hole or bush or even to watch 

 the sly water-rat as he swims boldly across the pool, 

 and then catching a sudden glimpse of the onlooker 

 dives like lightning, and may be seen running along 

 the bottom to his hole. The, angler, it is true, to be 

 successful, must resume as far as possible original in- 

 stincts, constant alertness, vigilance of eye, readiness 

 of hand, craft and cunning. If a man, with his fly in 

 the water, is dreaming about a mathematical problem 

 or the last change of government, it is a second or so 

 before he recalls his thoughts sufficiently to remember 

 that that tug at his line ought to have been the signal 

 for instant striking ; he raises his rod clumsily and in 

 a hurry, but the fish is gone. When he is fishing, 

 therefore, let nothing divert him from it, and let him 

 work as " a poor man for a good stipend," with his 

 master superintending him. But lay down the rod 

 occasionally and look about you ; " mingle with the 

 universe " as well as you may, and take your pleasure 

 out of this beautiful earth as your capacity enables 

 you. Kemember the reverent hearts with which the 

 old anglers went to their recreation ; and read some- 

 times the memorable conversation of the father of your 

 craft with his pupil, the best of all sermons on the 

 text " the meek shall inherit the earth" which ter- 

 minated within sight of Tottenham High-Cross : 

 " And this, and most other blessings, we enjoy daily. 



