310 Book of the Black Bass. 



unaecustoined channels. This may he accomplished, in a 

 measure, hy cards, chess, miisic, reading, etc., as purely 

 intellectual recreations; while riding, driving, boating, 

 yachting, shooting, etc., furnish ample means for muscular 

 skill and exercise; but angling brings into play both the 

 mental and physical capacities. To be a good angler re- 

 quires good Judgment, much patience, rare skill, a full 

 share of endurance, and a lively imagination; the latter 

 quality is not absolutely essential, but it helps mightily 

 wlien "luck" is bad, and on it depends the aesthetic 

 and poetic features of the art. 



But those who are disposed to "take time" to indulge 

 in these or similar recreations, in our country, are com- 

 paratively limited. In England it is considered part of a 

 gentleman's education to know how to ride, to row, to shoot, 

 to sail, and to cast a fly, and he is the better for it, morally, 

 physically, and intellectually. In our own country it is 

 too often considered " a waste of time " to acquire or prac- 

 tice these manly and healthful accomplishments. Our 

 girls may learn music, and dancing, and painting, as means 

 and acquirements necessary to the securing of a husband, 

 but any attempt on the part of our boys to learn any of 

 the manly sports, in a regular and systematic way, must be 

 frowned down as opposed to all our ideas of thrift and 

 economy, and a gross misuse of " time." What we need 

 is more muscular Christianity ; we would then have sounder 

 minds in sounder bodies. 



A few weeks taken from the fifty-two composing the 

 year and devoted to angling, shooting, boating, or " camp- 

 ing out," would not be missed in the long run from the 

 business man's calendar, but, on the contrary, would return 

 an interest, which, though it could not be computed by any 

 rate of per centage, woidd be sensibly felt and realized in 



