A WORD AT PARTING. 185 



or of mind. People are not yet so much inured 

 to a highly artificial state of society and never 

 will be as to be able to dispense altogether 

 with recreation ; nor have the woods and fields, 

 the mountain and the stream, the birds and the 

 flowers, and the thousand other objects of all-beau- 

 teous nature, yet lost their fascinating influences 

 however much we may be involved in the 

 intricacies of social life and in the active duties 

 which more or less devolve upon us all. There 

 are times when brain and sinew, mind and muscle, 

 call aloud for rest and change, and need recruiting 

 ere their functions can be properly continued. 

 An amusement which draws its votaries away 

 from the scenes of their labours into contact with 

 external nature, in all its innocence and beauty 

 which supersedes the too often sensual " pleasures" 

 which can never be its efficient substitute is a 

 blessing to the individuals who adopt it, and to 

 their connections also, so long as it is consistently 

 pursued. 



Such an amusement is that on which we have 

 written these chapters. In all ages some of the 

 best and wisest of men have not only been the 

 stanchest advocates of angling, but also have 

 ranked among its best and most enthusiastic 

 o 



