WALKING AND TALKING. 359 



a-fishing in this world a good while, on all sorts of waters, 

 and have taken more or less, in the main with quiet con- 

 tentment. What is life, after all, but just going a-fishing 

 all the time, casting flies on many rivers and lakes, and 

 going quietly home as the day is ending?" 



"Don't waste time with any more moralizing, Effendi. 

 What we have before us is now to get ourselves home in 

 as sound condition as possible." 



"Well, can't we talk as we go along? That's another 

 of the similarities between life and a day's fishing; as we 

 go home we like to talk, and generally to talk over the 

 day's events. Your basket is heavy, but you carry it 

 lightly, because you killed those large trout in the twi- 

 light. If it had fewer trout in it, it would feel heavier. 

 Life's work well done makes a light load to carry home." 



" Is your basket heavy ?" 



" To-night ? Yes. It's not half full, but I am half in- 

 clined to empty it among the bushes. If it were not wast- 

 ing the trout, I would. Here comes a wagon or a coach, 

 or something — perhaps we can get a ride." 



It was a late extra from Plymouth on the way to the 

 Profile, and it was loaded to excess. There was scarcely 

 room for our baskets of fish, and none for us. But the 

 driver relieved us of our loads, and we plodded on. 



"There you have a simile again. Any one will carry 

 your earnings for you. Plenty of people go by you on 

 the road of life ready and willing to relieve you of the re- 

 sults of your labor, but they don't care to take you up 

 and help you along." 



"That's not fair. These people would have carried us 

 along, but they had no room ; and they took the trout in 

 pure good-will, intending to restore them to us when we 

 are at home." 



