114 A DAY ON THE LEA 



and twenty ballads stuck about the wall ; with 

 a hostess both cleanly and handsome and civil." 

 The old house must have long since disappeared, 

 for it was nearly all gone seventy years ago. 



After this very slight sketch of the Lea it is 

 time that I get back to my " Day's Fishing." 



It was at a point somewhere between Houghton 

 Regis and Barking Creek that we the Major 

 and I were favoured by the permission to fish 

 a mile or two of highly preserved and most 

 charmingly situated bit of the Lea river. It is 

 needless to localize it more precisely. We had 

 a lovely day that is, for our purpose heavy 

 black, leaden clouds lowered above our heads 

 in the morning, occasional bits of blue sky and 

 sunshine, and sometimes a slight shower through 

 the day furnished pleasant variety. 



Here the river is narrow and runs rather deep 

 in places, for our quarters are above and beyond 

 the points where the Lea receives the important 

 tributaries I have mentioned. Here it may be 

 called a pretty little stream meandering through 

 pleasant meadows quite innocent of the smells 

 from the sewage which, according to the recent 

 ghastly report in "The Fishing Gazette," is 

 poured into it in the neighbourhood of Hertford 



