sinkers prudently confining themselves to dabbling 

 about in the shallows ab the foot. Two young ones, who 

 would not go over-head voluntarily, were, to prevent 

 them taking cold, thrice ducked nolens volens ; and 

 another, who would not bathe, was gently bumped 

 against a sod-dyke. They now proceed to the serious 

 business of the afternoon, fishing. The strongest, as 

 a matter of right, selecting such parts of the water as 

 appear to them best; the weaker fishing where they 

 can; and those who have neither rod nor line, wait- 

 ing on such as have, or trying to catch minnows and 

 loaches with their hands, or to spear eels with the 

 prongs of an old fork stuck in a broom-stick. 



Here is a chubby little fellow, in a pinafore, five last 

 birthday, making his firs b essay as an angler. His rod 

 is an untrimmed stick of hazel, which he has picked up 

 by the way; his line a couple of yards of pack-thread; 

 his hook one of the four old, beardless, rusty ones, 

 which he bought as a bargain of a schoolfellow ; and his 

 bait the worms which he dug in his grandmother's gar- 

 den, breaking the handle of her fire-shovel in turning 

 up the earth. But though rude his tackle and small his 

 skill, ere the sun set great was his reward. The water 

 was in prime order, and the fish bit freely. He caught 

 five minnows, and an eel twice as long as his middle 

 finger, and almost as thick; and lost, as he affirmed 

 and verily believed, a trout about three pounds 

 weight, which dropped off just as he was whisking him 

 out. This is the first step of the angler's progress ; and 

 from this day forward, when time and tide serve, will 



