INDICATIONS OF A CHANGE OF WEATHER. 293 



drinking mothers who are ever to be found in our 

 gigantic Babylon loafing about the numerous tinsel- 

 decked public-houses, baby in hand, not learn from 

 them a lesson worthy of being studied? And yet 

 the lately-hatched young duck is not half so help- 

 less as the newly-born babe ; for the former the 

 parent would give its life, while for the latter, the 

 mother would not temporarily forego the gratification 

 of a debasing passion. 



Next day was successful with hook and line, so we 

 had plenty of fish in our larder, and in consequence 

 supped on them ; but, although fish are a great deli- 

 cacy, particularly char from these mountain retreats, 

 the feast, without other concomitants, is rather un- 

 satisfactory. Cold lamb and salad are excellent when 

 combined, but all salad and no lamb forms but a 

 sorry meal. Brook-trout may be admirable as an 

 entree, when fried with cream, or served with drawn 

 butter, accompanied by new potatoes and bread ; but 

 brook-trout and nothing else for days together, are 

 enough to give one a distaste to fly-fishing, however 

 skilled and devoted he be to the gentle art. 



This night was clear and calm, the stars stood 

 out in bold relief from the azure space in which 

 they are set ; and we had but to peer steadfastly 

 into the canopy above, to discover innumerable lumi- 

 naries whose radiance was only dimmed by distance. 

 Though these were all indications of fine weather, I 

 felt certain that a change was not distant ; for the 

 little wood-frog (Rana sylvatiea) was piping his song 



