A KING AMONG ANGLERS. 143 
the fishing-tackle scattered about his bed, propped 
up with pillows—his noble head, yet glorious with 
its flowing locks, carefully combed by attentive 
hands, and falling on each side of his unfaded 
face. How neatly he picked out each elegantly 
dressed fly from its little bunch, drawing it out 
with trembling hand along the white coverlet, 
and then replacing it in his pocket-book, he 
would tell ever and anon of the streams he 
used to fish in of old, and of the deeds he had 
performed in his childhood and youth. These 
precious relics of a bygone sport were wont to 
be brought out in the early spring, long before 
sickness confined him to his room. It had been 
a habit of many years, but then the ‘ sporting 
jacket’ was donned soon after, and angling was 
no more a mere delightful day-dream, but a 
reality, ‘that took him knee-deep, or waistband- 
high, through river-feeding torrents, to the glorious. 
music of his running and ringing reel.’ ” 
xe 
CHARLES DICKENS AND EVANS, CRYSTAL PALACE PRESS, 
