304 Fish Stories 



I was playing a trout as these thoughts passed through 

 my mind, and Jim was back from Shakespeare, handling the 

 oars cleverly, keeping me facing the darting fish, and then 

 netted it in good fashion. We rowed up through the second 

 lake, toted the canoes over the carry, and on the edge of 

 Long Lake found a rough shanty bearing a sign "The 

 Angler's Inn," kept by one Bill Longley, who gave us a 

 hearty welcome. On a big piece of birchbark, nailed against 

 the shack, was the following: 



" The Angler's Inn Song. 

 " Bright be the board, by Friendship crown'd, 

 The hearth lovelights burn warm and clear; 

 Enough for me if there be found 

 The hotel's very ready cheer. 

 Next to that humble home endear'd 

 By all the toil it cost to win, 

 What shall we place beside or near't? 

 Trust me — on second thoughts — an Inn. 



"I've dwelt a day in grandeur's halls, 

 And nights of pleasure have been mine 

 Within the cot's o'er-ivyed walls, 

 As 'mid the city's gaudy shine; 

 But there's a charm, with home but shared, 

 To pride and freedom both akin — 

 Lord of yourself that coin's well spared 

 That buys and keeps it at an Inn ! " 



" An old chap came along here last month when I jest got 

 the shanty up," said Bill, " and the trout, and the bacon, 

 and the hot biscuits tuck such a holt of him that he said, 

 seein' how I had no name for the hotel he'd name it and 

 christen it, so he forked out five dollars and named it the 

 ' Angler's Inn,' and writ that poetry for me and signed his 

 name to it, 'Walter Scott.' " 



Jim looked at me and winked ; it was too good to explain, 

 so we left Bill to find out from some one else that the little 

 poem was penned far away from the North Woods by the 

 author of " Waverley." 



