UNCLE NICK ON FISHING. 



IRWIN RUSSELL. 



It alluz sets me laughin', when I happens to be 'roun,' 

 To see a lot ob gemmen come a-fishin' frum de town: 

 Dey waits tell arter breakfus', 'fo' dey ebber makes a start, 

 An' den you sees 'em comin' in a little Jarsey kyart! 



Now, Jarsey kyarts is springy, an,' to studdy up de seat, 

 De gemmen's 'bliged to ballus' hit wid suffin good to eat; 

 An' Jarsey kyarts is lighter run, de gemmen seems to think, 

 By totin' long a demijohn ob sufifin good to drink. 



When dy gits at de fishin' place, it's 'stonishin' indeed! 

 Such tricks to go a-fishin' wid nobody nebber seed: 

 Dey poles is stuck togedder wid a dozen jints ob tin, 

 An' has a block-an'-teeckle for to win' de fishes in! 



De gemmen makes a heap o'fuss, an skeers de fishes off. 

 An' den dey takes an' sots de poles, some place de bank is sof, 

 An' den dey hunts a shady place, an' settles on de grass. 

 An' pruz'ntly heahs 'em: " Dat a spade? I has to pass!" 



St. Petah wuz a fisherman, an' un'erstood his trade: 

 He sot an' watched his cork, instid ob lazin' in de shade! 

 De gemmen isn't copyin' arter him — dey bettah be! — 

 Or — Fs a science fisherman — 't'd do to copy Tne. 



When /goes out a-fishin', I puts on my ol'est clo'es: 

 (Dey age's putty tol'able, you'd nat'rally suppose!) 

 I gits up in de moh'nin', long afore de sun is riz. 

 An' grabbles wums, /tell you! like de yurly bird I is. 



I's alluz berry 'ticlar 'bout de season ob the moon; 

 De dark ob hit is fishin'-time — an' time for huntin' coon; 

 An' den its mighty 'portant, too, as notus shed be tuk 

 Ob varis' little sarcumstances bearin' on de luck: 



You has to spit upon de bait afore you draps it in; 



Den keep yo' cork a-bobbin', des as easy as you kin; 



Ef someone steps acrost de pole, you knows yo' luck is broke, 



Widout dey steps it back agin afore a word is spoke. 



Don't nebber, not for nufiin, think ob countin' ob yo' string; 

 'Kase ef you do, you ain't a-gwine to cotch anoder thing; 

 But ef a sarpent-doctor bug sh'd 'light upon de pole. 

 You knows you's good for cotchin' all de fishes in de hole. 



Dah! now you has de science what a fisherman sh'd know; 

 So, any time yo' ready, all you has to do's to go. 

 An' foller dem instruckshuns — ef you does it, to de notch, 

 Good marster! won't it s'prise de folks to see de mess you cotch! 



