EASY-CHAIR MEMORIES 1 09 



Allan Cunningham, Professor Wilson, and 

 others who spent at Tibbie Shiels those 

 ambrosial nights made famous by " Christopher 

 North." 



THE STORY OF THE REEL 



After describing the loss of the slate, Mr. 

 A. H. Boyd goes on : 



" When Mr. Hogg died my father, as a keep- 

 sake, got his fishing rod ; and am not sure but 

 there were some other little things. The rod 

 was a trout one, with nothing very particular 

 about it. Was of a reddish colour with a sort 

 of black marking, more or less distinct, all over 

 it, and the butt half hollow for the reception of 

 the top joints. It was Charles's rod when we 

 were at Innerleithen, after that I do not know 

 what became of it it was pretty well worn, 

 though it should have been carefully preserved. 



" The reel or ' pirn ' belonging to it I always 

 used on my own rod during later years up to 

 the last times of my being at Innerleithen, 

 when we were at Portobello, in Vallance's time. 

 And, with my rods, and the valuable ' spinning 

 machine' ought to be there yet. I often think 

 of them and am much concerned about them 



