DOVE DALE REVISITED II 



four people. Above it is a row of a dozen pewter- 

 plates, polished as bright as silver, and in the 

 middle is a big bright pewter-dish, kept there as 

 a reminder of the jolly times of long ago, and 

 not for use in these degenerate days. 



" While broken teacups, wisely kept for show, 

 Rang'd o'er the chimney, glisten'd in a row." 



The Master laid down the law in a big arm- 

 chair; the Doctor told stories in the window- 

 seat ; the Parson read interesting bits from " The 

 Complete Angler"; the Poet was argumenta- 

 tive and facetious. It was soon fully under- 

 stood between us that our failure to catch any 

 fish was due entirely to the weather, and not to 

 our want of perseverance, of pluck, of energy, or 

 of consummate skill and knowledge. We all 

 agreed in this, that there are trout and grayling 

 both in the Dove and the Manifold, and in the 

 united rivers, and big ones too, but they will not 

 be caught until they choose to do so by deigning 

 to rise at a fly, for we are all dry fly fishermen 

 here. 



Thursday, October 2nd. This was also a cold 

 and windy day. The Master, the Parson, the 

 Major, the Doctor, the Doctor's wife, and the 

 Poet went forth to fish, full as usual of bright 



