XXIV 



RECREATION: 



WHY PEACEFUL VALLEY LEFT 



HOME. 



TIMOTHY. 



In the summer of 1900 Mr. Edward Ster- 

 ling decided to spend his vacation at a 

 quiet place in Michigan, called Hamlin 

 lake, about 5 miles from Ludington. After 

 a short steamer ride from Chicago, he ar- 

 rived safe at his destination. 



A few guests had already arrived, and 

 more were being added every day or 2 ; 

 some experts in landing the gamy bass, 

 and others willing to be if they could get a 

 chance. Among the June arrivals were 

 Mr. and Mrs. Swain, from Chicago, and 

 Mr. John McB., of Milwaukee, who had 

 been there before. Mac was a jolly com- 

 panion, full of enthusiasm, satisfied to 

 catch anything that came along, whether it 

 was a perch, a black bass, or a dogfish, and 

 always ready with a good story. Swain 

 wanted to fish most of the time, and being 

 successful, as a rule, was on the go early 

 and late. His choice was black bass. Ster- 

 ling's great enjoyment was in taking long 

 tramps through the woods. Being long 

 and lanky, he could get over much ground 

 in a few hours. On account of Sterling's 

 striking resemblance to Sol Smith Russell, 

 Mac named him "Peaceful Valley." which 

 was taken up by everyone at the lake. 



Fishing was the great ambition of most 

 of the people who went to Hamlin lake, 

 and there being plenty of fish, all it re- 

 quired was a little dexterity. While Peace- 

 ful Valley was totally indifferent as an 

 angler, and could scarcely tell a wall-eyed 

 pike from a sunfish, he would sit by the 

 hour and listen to others relate their expe- 

 riences, with keen enjoyment. He had no 

 objection to rowing a boat when he was 

 needed, and one fine morning he accepted 

 Swain's invitation to go with him. In a 

 short time they pulled into one of the fa- 

 vorite spots for the sportive bass. Swain, 

 in the language of Shakespeare, "knew 

 where he was at." His outfit was of the 

 best ; steel rod, first class feel, etc. With 

 Peaceful Valley's long arms to pull the 

 oars, Swain could see a day of pleasure and 

 a big time in sight. His long suit was cast- 

 ing out among the lily pads near shore, and 

 then reeling in quietly and easily. He had 

 rr-cticed this till he had it p:t, and when 

 rll went right he seldom failed to land his 

 victim. It is a fact not to be overlooked 

 that along with his enthusiasm was an im- 

 patience at times bordering on rage when 

 anything went wrong. At such stages of 

 the game he would sometimes express his 

 feelings so forcibly that everything in sight 

 would take to the woods or to deep water. 

 Fish have been known to ran ashore and 

 climb trees on these occasions. 



Peaceful had never witnessed any of 

 these outbreaks. Swain's orders were to 

 keep quiet and talk low, but for some rea- 



son Peaceful forgot these suggestions. No- 

 ticing a large fish, he made a dash for the 

 lily pads, become excited and bawled out, 



"There he goes ! Great Scott ! Go for 

 him quick !" 



This was accompanied by furious splash- 

 ing of the oars to bring the boat in posi- 

 tion; and the remarks that this effort 

 brought forth from Swain nearly blew up 

 the lake. Peaceful Valley coolly wiped his 

 eyeglasses, and began to shape himself for 

 another effort, but Swain shrieked, 



"Stop your infernal racket ! Haven't you 

 any sense? Where were you brought up; 

 in a boiler shop? Why don't you- go out 

 on a farm and flail wheat?" 



When Peaceful recovered from the shock 

 he suggested that Swain do his own row- 

 ing, or get someone in his place. Swain 

 responded that he would be glad to do so, 

 if Peaceful would go ashore and lie down 

 in the shade of the pines. 



That night when the boat returned to the 

 hotel it was occupied by a solitary fisher- 

 man, and the anxious watchers at the dock 

 wondered what had become of Peaceful 

 Valley. They did not apprehend that he 

 had drowned, for they knew that should 

 he fall overboard he could walk ashore 

 from almost any point in the lake ; but pos- 

 sibly he might have attempted to rob an 

 eagle's nest, and had his eyes pecked out, 

 and be wandering hope'es^'y about in his 

 endeavors to reach the hotel. ( 



When Swain pulled up to the landing, he 

 was downcast and blue, and could only 

 produce a solitary bass. In answer to in- 

 quiries about Peaceful Valley he s^id he 

 didn't know where he was, and cared less. 

 When Mac saw the lonely 2-pound bass, he 

 put on a broad smile and said, 



"Never mind, old boy, that'll help some." 



In the meantime our friend Peaceful had 

 quietly walked home through the woods, 

 entered the back door and slipped upstai'S 

 to his room. Half an hour later he ap- 

 peared in a clean collar and one of his 

 sweetest smiles. At the supper table he 

 was so full of good humor and wit that it 

 became infectious to all, including Swain 

 himself. The dove of peace settled down 

 once more and everybody was happy. 



It was often noticed that when Peaceful 

 Valley became tired of the surroundings, 

 or the fish stories were spread on a little 

 too thick, a far away look would come over 

 his countenance, and he wou'd strike out 

 for a walk over to Epworth, about 4 miles 

 distant, where a summer colony of school- 

 ma'ams made merry with life. He always 

 returned with a sunny smile, and it was 

 evident that time did not drag, even for a 

 confirmed bachelor, with Epworth only 4 

 miles away. When he finally left for home 

 he was a changed man. Returning health 

 had brought back his old-time buoyancy 

 and the Epworth tours had awakened new 

 life in his breast. Some time we may hear 

 why ke left home. 



