44 EASY-CHAIR MEMORIES 



art of catching fish. He wields a fly-rod 

 with youthful vigour, and he knows as much 

 about trout and grayling as did our common 

 ancestor. I am not going to localise the 

 scene or paint a portrait I will only tell my 

 little story in my own way ; those may fit 

 the cap who can. 



Our river is here, close to the door ; our 

 garden lawns gently slant up from it. Our 

 hearts leaped within us as we looked down 

 upon it, and as we saw big trout flopping up 

 or lying still within an inch or two of the top 

 of the water on the look-out for food, but with 

 wonderful discrimination between the true 

 and the false, we said to ourselves, my 

 daughter and I, what baskets we shall fill, 

 what records we shall make, before this 

 glorious day is over. 



" Let me recommend you, my young friends," 

 said the master, " to moderate your enthu- 

 siasm, don't be too sanguine ; those trout 

 know a thing or two many an expert angler 

 has come here, inspired like yourselves, and 

 has gone away with an empty creel ; they 

 belong to a school older than Winchester or 

 Eton they have had a classical education. 



