14 SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR'S LIFE. 



crunched the pebbly shore of the glorious river or 

 its tributaries, came at times to hear John Younger 

 discourse on the theme, which, ahead of rivals, he 

 had so well mastered. And what a crack was his ! 

 And how meagre and few the souls for whom it 

 possessed no relish. He could tell the waggle of the 

 wand that could most deftly throw the line, and the 

 bits of wood that, pieced together, made up the best 

 style of rod. Kods he could manufacture on the 

 shrewdest principle of effect. Fishing tackle and 

 hooks he knew by intuition ; for how a salmon 

 viewed things as he lay in his watery haunt was 

 part of the fishing art. The occupation of shoemaker 

 made fishing boots ready to his hand, and he 

 came to be noted for his skill in the fabrication of 

 these gentlemanly appurtenances of the pursuit : 

 but it is unnecessary to dwell with any minuteness 

 on this branch of his many acquirements, as the 

 following essay discloses all the proofs of a most ex- 

 tensive knowledge of the subject. 



Out of all the wide variety of friendly contacts, 

 it may be assumed that John Younger had many 

 opportunities of increasing his knowledge of the 

 ideas current in the world beyond the sphere in 

 which he had to make his bread. The late Sir 

 Robert Peel, in one of his speeches, said he had 



