1 10 DOVE DALE REVISITED 



than ourselves. That smoke-room is as cosy as 

 it is old-fashioned, with a large recess in the 

 window, forming a comfortable seat for three 

 or four people. Above it is a row of a dozen 

 pewter-plates, polished as bright as silver, and 

 in the middle is a big bright pewter-dish, kept 

 there as a reminder of the jolly times of long 

 ago, and not for use in these degenerate days : 



" While broken teacups, wisely kept for show, 

 Rang'd o'er the chimney, glisten'd in a row." 



The Master laid down the law in a big arm- 

 chair; the Doctor told stones in the window - 

 seat; the Parson read interesting bits from 

 "The Compleat Angler"; the Poet was argu- 

 mentative and facetious. It was soon fully 

 understood between us that our failure to catch 

 any fish was due entirely to the weather, and 

 not to our want of perseverance, of pluck, of 

 energy, or of consummate skill and knowledge. 

 We all agreed in this, that there are trout and 

 grayling both in the Dove and the Manifold, 

 and in the united rivers, and big ones too, but 

 they will not be caught until they choose to 

 do so by deigning to rise at a fly, for we are all 

 dry fly fishermen here. 



