> I TROLLING IN STAFFORDSHIRE. 



sion for some days with great success. It was on 

 one of these occasions, while we were trolling in 

 the large pond which has been already described, 

 that the servant of my friend Harry Newton came 

 to us with letters. One of them was for our 

 attendant John Porter, who never left us during 

 our angling excursions, in which he appeared to 

 take a great interest, having already become a 

 convert to my small sets of Limerick hooks. A 

 letter for the worthy keeper was so unusual a thing, 

 that he surveyed both sides of it for some time, and 

 then asked me to do him the favour of reading it 

 for him, as he was without his spectacles. I ac- 

 cordingly opened it, and found that it was from 

 Mary's lover. He said that he had been in a gene- 

 ral action in the East Indies, in which he had been 

 wounded in doing some service to his commanding 

 officer. He had been promoted in consequence, and 

 sent to England for the recovery of his health. 

 His letter was dated from the sea-port where he 

 had landed, and it mentioned his intention of re- 

 turning home as soon as he was well enough to 

 travel. He added a message to Mary, assuring her 

 of his unaltered affection. 



When I had finished the perusal of the letter, 

 the old man was much affected, he took oft' his hat, 

 and with his eyes filled with tears, he looked with 

 much solemnity and devotion towards heaven, and 

 said, ' God be thanked for this.' Never shall I 



