THE ANGLER'S SOUVENIR. 



out of the water at the mouth of a quiet bay. 

 Emptying our bag of grains into the water to act as 

 ground-bait, we baited one line with paste, another 

 with worms, and rigged up a third with a large 

 float and live-bait tackle, upon which the first small 

 roach caught was impaled. The grains attracted 

 the roach, and the roach attracted the perch and 

 pike. With our rods projecting over the side, and 

 the smoke curling up from the pipes of peace, we 

 set ourselves to enjoy the quiet of the evening. 



Behind us was the calm circle of the bay, fringed 

 with reeds and rushes, and decked with the yellow 

 flower of the flag and the white water-crowsfoot. 

 The water-lilies, white and yellow, the arrowheads, 

 and the pink fleshy spikes of the persicaria, filled up 

 the whole of the bay ; and in the clear interspaces 

 the water-hens, coots, and dabchicks swam, nodded, 

 and dived, with great disregard of our presence. 

 Before us lay the lake, placid and mirror-like, its 

 surface only disturbed by the water-fowl, or the 

 circles of the rising fish. A little way off a shoal of 

 tench had come to the surface, and were splashing 

 and sucking with great clumsiness and much noise 

 The swallows and martins wheeled and darted 

 above us, or descended and dipped in the water 

 with delicate touch ; and from the church-tower 

 the swifts darted with great rapidity, swept around 

 us with piercing scream, and were far away. Ever 

 and anon there came from the distance a swell of 



dance-music that filled the listening air with sweet 



si 



