CHAPTER II. 



FROM the little window at my bed-head,* I 

 noticed all the varying seasons of the year; and 

 when the spring put in, I felt charmed with the 

 music of birds, which strained their little throats to 

 proclaim it. The chief business imposed upon me 

 as a task, at this season, was my being set to work 

 to " scale " the pastures and meadows ; that is, to 

 spread the mole-hills over the surface of the 

 ground. This, with gardening, and such like jobs, 

 was very hungry work, and often made me think 

 dinner was long in coming; and, when at last it 

 was sent to me, be it what it might, I sat down on 

 the "lown" side of a hedge and eat it with a relish 

 that needed no sauce. 



As soon as the bushes and trees began to put 

 forth their buds, and make the face of nature .look 

 gay this was the signal for the angler to prepare 

 his fishing tackle. In doing this I was not behind 

 hand. Fishing rods, set gads, and night lines 



[*This, already referred to in chapter i., p. n, is shown in John 

 Bewick's sketch of 1781 (vide Frontispiece).] 



