60 ANGLING 



Bargee replies " He don't know nowt about the fayther and 

 mother, but anyways he's a fine boy for 16 but that he'll 

 reckon he's a demon of a boy." The old lady nudges Mr. 

 Hopper in the side and suggests that the conversation is taking 

 such a doubtful turn it would be well to enlighten Bargee as to 

 the careful training and bringing up the boy has received, and 

 that he has never been allowed out at night. Mr. Hopper does 

 this, hoping to bring about the discomfiture or at any rate the 

 silence of Bargee, but the latter is in a rollicking humour, and 

 utterly regardless of the fond feelings of parents, adds, " Well, 

 I say he's a demon of a boy, and if ever you lets him out at 

 nights all that I can say is, that I shouldn't trust any of my 

 daughters to walk out with him." Now let it be understood by 

 the readers of these notes that Mr. Hopper and his friends do 

 for the purposes of river-side chaff occasionally assume parental 

 positions which are not strictly in accordance with the relations 

 which actually exist, and on this particular occasion Mr. Hopper 

 had enlarged his family circle by taking unto himself as a son 

 " this fine boy of 16," who was rapidly approaching 30 summers, 

 and the aforesaid old lady instead of sharing with Mr. Hopper 

 the distinction of parentage to so fine a boy, actually stood in 

 the relation of " better half " to Helterton. Now Mrs. H. 

 during the years of her connubial existence with Helterton had 

 fondly and trustingly pictured him as a " mother's own boy," 

 but all at once to have another nature and disposition disclosed 

 to her by so astute and correct a reader of character and human 

 nature as Bargee (and it was plain Bargee was gifted with 

 great intuition) was too much for Mrs. H., and with one wild 

 shriek of dismay at what was suggested she grasped an oar 

 and with Mr. Hopper soon made the waning daylight but 

 faintly disclose the outline of Bargee still murmuring in accents 

 low and sweet, " He's a fine boy for 16, but he's a demon." 



Angling on the Trent in 1890 so far as Mr. Hopper's 

 personal experiences were concerned was tip-top never so 

 many barbel did he land nor such "whoppers." The 1891 

 season was however a dismal failure cold, wet, and windy 

 during Mr. Hopper's visit at his Trent-side resort, with the 



