LETTERS. 



" DEAR SIR, My husband is a fisherman. I suppose it 

 is not strictly necessary to catch fish in order to be a 

 fisherman, but that is partly what I want to know. His 

 name is Frank ; he is a dear, good soul, though I cannot 

 help thinking that he takes advantage of my simplicity and 

 good nature sometimes. I sometimes think you fishermen 

 must be in league with one another, like the Freemasons, 

 to conceal each other's failings and peccadilloes, because 

 often when Frank and some friends get to talking about 

 fishing, they seem to have caught very big fish that I never 

 heard of before, and I am sure Frank ought to have told me 

 if he had really caught them. I must confess that, truthful 

 as I know him to be, the moment he begins talking about 

 fishing he seems to be telling stories. Everything sounds 

 probable enough, because I am sure he is a good fisher, only 

 I never see all these fish. If anyone but he told such tales 

 about his exploits, I am sure I should not believe them. 

 Being my husband, I am bound to love and honour him, and 

 I do. But what I want to know is this : Is it customary 

 among fishermen to go out in the snow and rain, and, after 

 fishing all day and catching about forty or fifty great big 

 grayling, to give them all away to a less fortunate fisherman 

 who has not caught any, because that is what Frank does 

 regularly. I know he is kind-hearted to a degree, but I 

 want some clear information on this point. I know his little 



