"Cbrtetopber flortb" 195 



daughter's horror, and obstinately continuing the sport 

 in spite of all remonstrance. At last he gives in and 

 retires. Wonderful to say, he did not seem to suffer 

 from these imprudent liberties. Occasionally he was 

 contented to remain away from the water, enjoying the 

 less exciting interest of watching others. His son John 

 delighted him by the great achievement of capturing two 

 fine salmon, their united weight being about forty-five 

 pounds. It was a pleasant holiday-time. There was 

 no lack of merriment, and though my father was not 

 in his best spirits, he rallied now and then from the 

 gloom that oppressed him at the outset of the excursion." 



But from that time he broke up rapidly. It was 

 pitiable to those who had known the great athlete and 

 sportsman in all the full flush of his splendid manhood 

 to watch the swift progress of senile decay. There is 

 not a more pathetic spectacle in the world than that of 

 a big, strong man reduced to utter feebleness the mind 

 as well as the body shrunken into childish helpless- 

 ness. Yet in John Wilson the ruling passion was strong 

 in death. It was to the moorlands and lochs and rivers 

 which he loved that his thoughts went back as the sands 

 of life were running out. Here is the touching picture 

 which his daughter gives of Christopher North's last 

 hours : 



" It was an affecting sight to see him busy, nay, quite 

 absorbed with the fishing tackle scattered about his bed, 

 propped up with pillows, his noble head, yet glorious 

 with its flowing locks, carefully combed by attentive 

 hands, and falling on each side of his unfadcd face. 

 How neatly he picked out each elegantly dressed fly 



