24 ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 



it was to destroy the unanimity of the club, by pre- 

 venting with his vote, on every occasion, the execution 

 of its wishes. In vain were appeals made to him by 

 the various members ; he insisted upon his privilege of 

 marring their intentions when he thought proper ; and 

 being threatened with expulsion, made use of certain 

 gestures, which gave the club to understand that his 

 enmity was by no means to be disregarded. There- 

 fore it was that the peace-loving and irresolute frater- 

 nity at C h made up their minds to endure what 



without peril they could not prevent therefore it was 

 that their numbers gradually dwindled away, it being 

 the pleasure of Mr. Cockle-pate to oppose every attempt 

 to replenish them. 



At length, however, after a protracted dictatorship, 

 this foe to good fellowship walked off the stage of life, 

 and it was thought necessary, on the part of the club, 

 to take immediate measures for effecting its own 

 revival. To introduce, however, a bevy of middle-aged 

 anglers, even were they able to accomplish such an 

 object, would be at once to relinquish their own ground, 

 and change the whole nature of the establishment. 

 Ancients like themselves they never dreamt of; they 

 designed to give perpetuity to their club ; and as a 

 first step towards the measure, we were hauled in, then 

 Jack Leister and Tom Otter, all of us mere infants, 

 just breeched. The lovings of a senile heart, it may be 

 remarked, are ever with the young. Old men lose regard 

 for the generation that immediately follows them, and 



