RECUPERATING HEALTH. 69 



SECTION SIXTH. 



A DAY WITH THE DOCTOK. ANGLING AT THE BASSING 



CLUBS. 



Well, doctor, having arrived at West Island, which is 

 owned by an association of gentlemen who have formed 

 themselves into a club for the incomparable enjoyment of 

 angling for striped bass, they will of course assign us stands 

 to fish from to-morrow. It is the practice here for all mem- 

 bers to draw at night for the choice of stands to fish from 

 the next day. 



Doctor. A gentleman just handed me a card containing a 

 " number," and " outside the Hopper," marked on it. 



/S. I perceive by the card that the outside of the Hop- 

 per is assigned to us. Well, of course that is owing to the 

 composition of the club ; the members have given us their 

 best stands. That is a feature of all the bassing clubs ; and 

 besides, William C. Barrett, Esq., is president of this institu- 

 tion, and he is a sportsman possessed of the most discrimin- 

 ative sense of true hospitality. On the morrow we will try 

 to do honor to their estimate of us. 



D. Gentlemen, as Mr. S. and myself are somewhat fa- 

 tigued, and would prefer to retire early, will you have the 

 goodness to join us in a parting glass for the night ? 



All join ; and we retire with a sense of good-will toward 

 all mankind, and indulge school-boy hopes of the morrow. 



"While others are brawling, let anglers agree, 



And in concord the goblet replenish ; 



'Twill cost not a care so long as we share 



The cups of content and of concord. " 



Our dreams were rose-tinted; but the pleasurable antici- 

 pations of the morrow's exploits caused us to awake early, 

 and I sounded the doctor before daylight. 



S. Hallo, doctor ! Mosier, who is to be our gaffer, rapped 

 at my door and said it was four o'clock. 



D. Well, sir, I have been up an hour, and down on the pi- 



