About Several Men lolio ivent a-AnfjUng. 49 



to commence the noble art ; and, at considerable expens9, 

 they had bought the necessary tackle, and the result was 

 " nil." 



I travelled on, and came to No. 4, the sulky ledger-fisher. 

 He was morose and taciturn, and said he had only caught 

 one fish — no sport to speak of. 



" What weight ? " 



*^ Oh ! only about fifteen pounds ! " 



'Twas true he had got it, for I saw it. 



He never asked me to have any lunch. On the contrary, 

 he evidently wished me at the place where little Bethel 

 would have sent him for fishing on a Sunday. 



And now, why did I fish on a Sunday? — for I don't 

 think I ever did so before, and (bar one, under similar 

 circumstances) I don't think I shall ever do so again. It is 

 all very well for poor clockmakers who live in garrets ; but 

 I think a week-day better under ordinary circumstances. 



I will tell you how it came about. I went to the 

 doctor's, half dead, on Saturday morning, and he said, " If 

 you don't go awa}' at once for forty-eight hours into the 

 green fields, and lie on your back, and do nothing, I won't 

 answer for you; for your brain is overworked. No church, 

 mind — no reading — be idle." So I went to a little fishing 

 inn, the only place I knew where I could be sure to be out 

 of a crowd, as the fishing meadows were sacred ; and hence 

 I met my companions. 



Now to kill oft' the dramatis per soncp. No. 2, the clock- 

 maker's party, went home by train, and I had the oppor- 

 tunity of slipping in a jDot of real good ale into my bill, 

 and could tender my friend the stirrup-cup without any 

 appearance of pride, — and, by the way, he put his head into 

 the pot — it was clear he relished it. 



No. 3, the jolly farmers' pai-ty, sent me an invitation to 

 join them in their private rooms. They were in very good 



