ANGLING REMINISCENCES. 225 



subdued. I despise to be affected by the throbs 

 and longings of a school-boy heart, such as were 

 wont of old to accompany me, while trudging forth, 

 during play hours, to hitch out minnows from a 

 water tank. 



Swivel. Then are you grown a philosopher, Bill. 

 'Tis a change for the worse, an it be true. We 

 must have no stoics among us, Master May-fly. 



May. A sapient resolution. Lead down the aqua, 

 Doctor. What, Tim, anchored already? and thou, 

 Master Hackle ? Replenish, I pray you, my merry 

 men all. 



Otter. Keep the concord, Bill, lest we bind and 

 bed thee. Free and good-humoured, without break 

 or brawl, should be our Feast of Farewells. No 

 apple of contention ought ever to lie upon its board. 

 It should be a sealing up of t'he friendships of the 

 year, that they may be kept faithful until we meet 

 again. But, gentlemen 



And further than this we can add nothing. Of what Mr 

 Otter observed in continuation, we are left totally in 

 the dark. Reader ! go on for the moral to our con- 

 clusion. Say we not, with Solomon 



" All things are vanity !" 



