56 PLEASURES OF ANGLING. 



humor, as if he lived and moved and had his being 

 in an atmosphere of perpetual sunshine. And Chief 

 Justice GRAY was like him in all the good qualities 

 desirable in camp companionship. He is a man 

 of grand physique more than six feet high and 

 well proportioned and, at home, towers above 

 the mass of his compeers in dignity and learning 

 as he does above most men in comely stature. It 

 was very pleasant to mark the simple enthusiasm 

 with which these two eminent men gave us their 

 piscatorial experiences and recounted their achieve- 

 ments with rod and reel. It reminded one of the 

 grand characters of the past of the princes, and 

 poets, and bishops, and chancellors, and the quiet, 

 contemplative, happy scholars and philosophers of 

 all times who have found their highest delecta- 

 tion in their pursuit of the delightful recreation of 

 angling. It may not seem so to the plodding man 

 of business, who deems all time wasted which does 

 not bring golden grist to his mill ; but it is never- 

 theless true that there have been multitudes of 

 wise men, and good men, and happy men in all 

 ages who, more than when honors or wealth came 

 to them, have rejoiced when the times and seasons 

 returned, when they could say to their friends, as 

 Peter said to the disconsolate disciples, "I go 

 a-fishing." Amid his deepest gloom and despon- 

 dency, this great-hearted apostle fell back instinc- 



