NATURE'S OFFERINGS AS THEMES. 191 



I would the dingle where George Borrow met 

 Isopel Berners, or the stream and valley, wild 

 and romantic, where old Izaak Walton first 

 fished and gained the knowledge of the finny 

 tribe which he has incorporated so entertaining- 

 ly in his classic. We should write more of the old 

 forests, the ravines, the rivers, the rocky glens, 

 the mountains and the lakes, conceived and 

 evolved by the God of Nature; less of the pal- 

 aces, the cathedrals, the manors, the churches, 

 the bridges and the monuments, thought out and 

 builded by the brain and hand of man. 



Gathering a quart of luscious ripe blackber- 

 ries I pick them over and place them on my 

 furnace fire to stew. Instead of stones on the 

 sides of my furnace to get loose and roll down 

 at intervals, I have my usual cook stove, the 

 three wires already mentioned, placed across it 

 like the bars in a grate. Getting my smaller cat- 

 fish from the boat I skin it, then fry it in siz- 

 zling hot grease. J. Pluvius meanwhile has been 

 preparing for business, and just as my dinner 

 is ready begins to work. Seated within the door 

 of my tent I eat fish and berries in his honor. 

 Other things I also have, but these two offerings 

 from nature are the ones I most do relish. 



For two hours the rain continued. I read 

 for awhile then fixed up some set lines and 

 when it ceased tried again the deep pool where 

 I caught the large goggle-eyes and catfish. The 



