I. 



THE GUDGEON. 



I BEGIN with the gudgeon. Why ? Because, as a 

 much-respected friend of mine, formerly a trades- 

 man, remarked, in explanation of his refusal to visit 

 a captain on half-pay, who, covered with scars and 

 glory, supported his rank, his wife, and four chil- 

 dren on 300 a year "One must draw the line 

 somewhere." I draw mine at the gudgeon, other- 

 wise I would fain give the little urchins, who some- 

 times fish for minnows and fry in the Serpentine 

 with crooked pins, some hints for their guidance. 

 Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing 

 well, and the pin might be crooked more artisti- 

 cally, more scientifically ; the broken match which 

 does duty for a float might but I abstain. One 

 dogma only will I enunciate, and that more for the 

 benefit of the owners of aquaria than that of the 

 little Arabs. If you wish to transport your min- 



