WHY PETER WENT A-FISUING. 205 



daughters' horror, and obstinately continuing the sport in spite 

 of all remonstrance. At last he gives in and retires. Wonder- 

 ful to say, he did not seem to suffer from these imprudent 

 liberties." 



And Mrs. Gordon gives us another exquisite picture 

 in the very last day of the grand old Christopher : 



* * * " And then he gathered around him, when the spring 

 mornings brought gay jets of sunshine into the little room where 

 he lay, the relics of a youthful passion, one that with him never 

 grew old. 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 unfaded face. How neatly he picked out each ele- 

 gantly dressed fly from its little bunch, drawing it out with 

 trembling hand along the white coverlet, and then replacing it 

 in his pocket-book, he would tell ever and anon of the streams he 

 used to fish in of old, and of the deeds he had performed in his 

 childhood and youth. " 



There is no angler who will not appreciate the beauty 

 of these pictures, and I do not believe any one of us, 

 retaining his mental faculties, will fail, in extremest 

 age, to recall with the keenest enjoyment, of which 

 memory is capable, the scenes of our happiest sport. 



Was Peter less or more than man ? Was John not of 

 like passions with ourselves ? Believe me, the old dwel- 

 ler on Patmos, the old Bishop of Ephesus, lingering 

 between the memories of his Lord in Galilee and the 

 longing for Him to come quickly yet again, saw often 

 before his dim eyes the ripple on Gennesaret and the 



