Aiucricaii hlshcrics Society 111 



had made certain definile plans as to liis life when he heeanie 

 hft}' years of age; that he hoped at that time to ha\e saxed 

 enough money to insure him a competence the rest of his life, 

 in which event, he intended to do nothing hut hsh the rest 

 of his days. The }'oung lawyer looked disgusted. 



I am sorry to add that the }-oung lawyer after a few years 

 of strenuous endea^■or was called hence to l)e no more, and 

 the older lawyer has pursued the even tenor of his way and 

 after a hard day's wcjrk retires to his den to he ^^•ith the most 

 elaborate of outfits of fishing tackle, to dream of the good 

 time coming when he can retire from a profession where one 

 sees the worst side of human nature, and engage in his favor- 

 ite sport, li\ing the calm and contem])lati\e life of the angler. 



I x'ery much fear, for the sake of the soul of this man of 

 high ideals, that this good time a-coming will ne\er he 

 reached, for the wa_\' to go a-fishing is to do it now, and such 

 a future existence as he plans will he about as hard to come 

 up to as the pro\erbial rainljow's foot which we ha\e all been 

 trying to find. 



Ab)St of us elderl}' sportsmen, an}\\a}', liaxe most of our 

 fishing in our heads, and \\hen we dream of bal)bling brooks 

 and tlie shade of the streams on a summer's day, we lack the 

 power of execution, ha\ing the \\\\\ and not the power to 

 destroy. Theoretically we are fishermen, but most of us 

 have reached that place l)est described as our anecdotage. 

 We vainly cry : "Give me but a fishing line, and set me on the 

 streams of West Augusta, and I will gather me a bunch of 

 trout, which will lift ni}' bleeding spirit from the dust, and 

 set it free!" W'e go on with our work, getting fartlier and 

 farther froiu the healthy outdoor life, and our brothers of 

 the angle, till an alien turf enfolds us; we die and none can 

 lell them how we died. And yet, 



Perhap,s some hoary-Iu'adcd swaiii may say, 

 Oft have I seen Iiim at the early dawn. 

 Brushing with hasty steps the dew away. 

 To catch a sucker he had fixed his thoughts upon. 

 Oft have I seen liim 1iy some sleepy hrook. 

 Beneath the shade of overhanging trees, 



