ANDSOMEOTHERUNCERTAINTHINGS
\"NowIconcludethatnotonlyinPhysicke，butlikewiseinsundrymorecertainearts，fortunehathgreatshareinthem.\"
M.DEMONTAIGNE：DiversEvents.
DEDICATIONTOMYLADYGRAYGOWN
Hereisthebasket;Ibringithometoyou.Therearenogreatfishinit.Butperhapstheremaybeoneortwolittleoneswhichwillbetoyourtaste.Andthereareafewshiningpebblesfromthebedofthebrook，andfernsfromthecool，greenwoods，andwildflowersfromtheplacesthatyouremember.Iwouldfainconsoleyou，ifI
could，forthehardshipofhavingmarriedanangler：amanwhorelapsesintohismaniawiththereturnofeveryspring，andneverseesalittleriverwithoutwishingtofishinit.Butafterall，wehavehadgoodtimestogetheraswehavefollowedthestreamoflifetowardsthesea.Andwehavepassedthroughthedarkdayswithoutlosingheart，becausewewerecomrades.Soletthisbooktellyouonethingthatiscertain.InallthelifeofyourfishermanthebestpieceofluckisjustYOU.
CONTENTS
I.Fisherman’sLuckII.TheThrillingMomentIII.TalkabilityIV.AWildStrawberryV.LoversandLandscapeVI.AFatalSuccessVII.FishinginBooksVIII.ANorwegianHoneymoonIX.WhoOwnstheMountains？
X.ALazy，IdleBrookXI.TheOpenFireXII.ASlumberSongFISHERMAN’SLUCK
Hasiteverfalleninyourwaytonoticethequalityofthegreetingsthatbelongtocertainoccupations？
Thereissomethingaboutthesesalutationsinkindwhichissingularlytakingandgratefultotheear.Theyareasmuchbetterthananordinary\"goodday\"oraflat\"howareyou？\"asafolk—songofScotlandortheTyrolisbetterthanthefutilelove—dittyofthedrawing—room.Theyhaveaspicyandrememberableflavour.Theyspeaktotheimaginationandpointthewaytotreasure—trove.
Thereisatouchofdignityinthem，too，foralltheyaresofreeandeasy——thedignityofindependence，thenativespiritofonewhotakesforgrantedthathismodeoflivinghasarighttomakeitsownformsofspeech.Iadmireamanwhodoesnothesitatetosalutetheworldinthedialectofhiscalling.
Howsaltyandstimulating，forexample，isthesailorman’shailof\"Shipahoy！\"Itislikeabreezeladenwithbrinyodoursandapleasantdashofspray.TheminersinsomepartsofGermanyhaveagoodgreetingfortheirduskytrade.Theycrytoonewhoisgoingdowntheshaft，\"Gluckauf！\"Alltheperilsofanundergroundadventureandallthejoysofseeingthesunagainarecompressedintoaword.Eventhetrivialsalutationwhichthetelephonehaslatelycreatedandclaimedforitspeculiaruse——\"Hello，hello\"——
seemstometohaveakindoffitnessandfascination.Itislikeathoroughbredbulldog，uglyenoughtobeattractive.Thereisalively，concentrated，electricairaboutit.Itmakescourtesywaitupondispatch，andremindsusthatweliveinanagewhenitisnecessarytobewideawake.
Ihaveoftenwishedthateveryhumanemploymentmightevolveitsownappropriategreeting.Someofthemwouldbequeer，nodoubt;butatleasttheywouldbeanimprovementonthewearisomeiterationof\"Good—evening\"and\"Good—morning，\"andthemonotonousinquiry，\"Howdoyoudo？\"——aquestionsomeaninglessthatitseldomtarriesforananswer.Underthenewandmorenaturalsystemofetiquette，whenyoupassedthetimeofdaywithamanyouwouldknowhisbusiness，andthesalutationsofthemarket—placewouldbefullofinterest.
Asformychosenpursuitofangling（whichIfollowwithdiligencewhennotinterruptedbylessimportantconcerns），Irejoicewitheverytruefishermanthatithasagreetingallitsownandofamosthonourableantiquity.Thereisnowrittenrecordofitsorigin.ButitisquitecertainthatsincethedaysaftertheFlood，whenDeucalion\"DidfirstthisartinventOfangling，andhispeopletaughtthesame，\"
twohonestandgood—naturedanglershavenevermeteachotherbythewaywithoutcryingout，\"Whatluck？\"
Here，indeed，isanepitomeofthegentleart.Hereisthespiritofitembodiedinawordandpayingitsrespectstoyouwithitsnativeaccent.Hereyouseeitssecretcharmsunconsciouslydisclosed.Theattractionofanglingforalltheagesofman，fromthecradletothegrave，liesinitsuncertainty.’Tisanaffairofluck.
Noamountofpreparationinthematterofrodsandlinesandhooksandluresandnetsandcreelscanchangeitsessentialcharacter.
Noexcellenceofskillincastingthedelusiveflyoradjustingthetemptingbaituponthehookcanmaketheresultsecure.Youmayreducethechances，butyoucannoteliminatethem.Thereareathousandpointsatwhichfortunemayintervene.Thestateoftheweather，theheightofthewater，theappetiteofthefish，thepresenceorabsenceofotheranglers——alltheseindeterminableelementsenterintothereckoningofyoursuccess.Thereisnocombinationofstarsinthefirmamentbywhichyoucanforecastthepiscatorialfuture.Whenyougoa—fishing，youjusttakeyourchances;youofferyourselfasacandidateforanythingthatmaybegoing;youtryyourluck.
Therearecertaindaysthatarefavouritesamonganglers，whoregardthemaspropitiousforthesport.IknowamanwhobelievesthatthefishalwaysrisebetteronSundaythanonanyotherdayintheweek.Hecomplainsbitterlyofthissupposedfact，becausehisreligiousscrupleswillnotallowhimtotakeadvantageofit.HeconfessesthathehassometimesthoughtseriouslyofjoiningtheSeventh—DayBaptists.
AmongthePennsylvaniaDutch，intheAlleghanyMountains，IhavefoundacurioustraditionthatAscensionDayistheluckiestintheyearforfishing.Onthatmorningthedistrictschoolisapttohethinlyattended，andyoumustbeonthestreamveryearlyifyoudonotwishtofindwetfootprintsonthestonesaheadofyou.
Butinfact，allthesesuperstitionsaboutfortunatedaysareidleandpresumptuous.Ifthereweresuchdaysinthecalendar，akindandfirmProvidencewouldneverpermittheraceofmantodiscoverthem.Itwouldroblifeofoneofitsprincipalattractions，andmakefishingaltogethertooeasytobeinteresting.
Fisherman’sluckissonotoriousthatithaspassedintoaproverb.
Butthefaultwiththatfamiliarsayingisthatitistooshortandtoonarrowtocoverhalfthevariationsoftheangler’spossibleexperience.Forifhisluckshouldbebad，thereisnoportionofhisanatomy，fromthecrownofhisheadtothesolesofhisfeet，thatmaynotbethoroughlywet.Butifitshouldbegood，hemayreceiveanunearnedblessingofabundancenotonlyinhisbasket，butalsoinhisheadandhisheart，hismemoryandhisfancy.Hemaycomehomefromsomeobscure，ill—named，lovelystream——someDryBrook，orSouthwestBranchofSmith’sRun——withacreelfulloftrout，andamindfullofgratefulrecollectionsofflowersthatseemedtobloomforhissake，andbirdsthatsanganew，sweet，friendlymessagetohistiredsoul.Hemayclimbdownto\"Tommy’sRock\"belowthecliffsatNewport（asIhavedonemanyadaywithmyladyGreygown），and，allunnoticedbytheidle，wearypromenadersinthepathoffashion，haulinabasketfulofblackfish，andatthesametimelookoutacrosstheshiningsapphirewatersandinheritawondrousgoodfortuneofdreams——
\"Haveglimpsesthatwillmakehimlessforlorn;
HavesightofProteusrisingfromthesea，OrhearoldTritonblowhiswreathedhorn.\"
Butallthis，youmustremember，dependsuponsomethingsecretandincalculable，somethingthatwecanneithercommandnorpredict.Itisanaffairofgift，notofwages.Fish（andtheothergoodthingswhicharelikesaucetothecatchingofthem）castnoshadowbefore.
Wateristheemblemofinstability.Noonecantellwhatheshalldrawoutofituntilhehastakeninhisline.Hereinarefoundthetruecharmandprofitofanglingforallpersonsofapureandchildlikemind.
LookatthosetwovenerablegentlemenfloatinginaskiffupontheclearwatersofLakeGeorge.Oneofthemisasuccessfulstatesman，anex—PresidentoftheUnitedStates，alawyerversedinallthecuriouseccentricitiesofthe\"lawlessscienceofthelaw.\"Theotherisalearneddoctorofmedicine，abletogiveanametoalldiseasesfromwhichmenhaveimaginedthattheysuffered，andtoinventnewonesforthosewhoaretiredofvulgarmaladies.Butalltheirlearningisforgotten，theircaresandcontroversiesarelaidaside，in\"innocuousdesuetude.\"TheSummerSchoolofSociologyisassembled.TheMedicalCongressisinsession.
Buttheycarenot——no，notsomuchasthevalueofasinglelivebait.Thesunshinesuponthemwithaferventheat，butitirksthemnot.Theraindescends，andthewindsblowandbeatuponthem，buttheyareunmoved.TheyaresecurelyanchoredhereintheleeofSabbath—DayPoint.
Whatenchantmentbindsthemtothatinconsiderablespot？Whatmagicfixestheireyesuponthepointofafishing—rod，asifitwerethefingerofdestiny？Itistheenchantmentofuncertainty：thesamenaturalmagicthatdrawsthelittlesuburbanboysinthespringoftheyear，withtheirstringsandpin—hooks，aroundtheshallowpondswheredaceandredfinshide;thesameirresistiblecharmthatfixesarowofcitygamins，likeraggedanddisreputablefish—crows，ontheendofapierwhereblear—eyedflounderssometimeslurkinthemuddywater.Letthephilosopherexplainitashewill.Letthemoralistreprehenditashechooses.Thereisnothingthatattractshumannaturemorepowerfullythanthesportoftemptingtheunknownwithafishing—line.
Thoseancientanglershavesetoutuponanexodusfromthetediousrealmofthedefinite，thefixed，themust—certainly—come—to—pass.
Theyareonaholidayinthefreecountryofperadventure.TheydonotknowatthismomentwhetherthenextturnofFortune’sreelwillbringupaperchorapickerel，asunfishorablackbass.Itmaybeahideouscatfishorasquirmingeel，oritmaybealake—trout，thegrandprizeintheLakeGeorgelottery.Theretheysit，thosegray—hairedlads，fullofhope，yetequallypreparedforresignation;takingnothoughtforthemorrow，andreadytomakethebestofto—day;harmlessandhappyplayersatthebestofallgamesofchance.
\"Inotherwords，\"Ihearsomesevereandsour—complexionedreadersay，\"inplainlanguage，theyareapairofoldgamblers.\"
Yes，ifitpleasesyoutocallhonestmenbyabadname.Buttheyrisknothingthatisnottheirown;andiftheylose，theyarenotimpoverished.Theydesirenothingthatbelongstoothermen;andiftheywin，nooneisrobbed.Ifallgamblingwerelikethat，itwouldbedifficulttoseetheharminit.Indeed，adaringmoralistmightevenassert，andprovebyargument，thatsoinnocentadelightinthetakingofchancesisanaidtovirtue.
DoyourememberMartinLuther’sreasoningonthesubjectof\"excellentlargepike\"？HemaintainsthatGodwouldneverhavecreatedthemsogoodtothetaste，ifHehadnotmeantthemtobeeaten.AndforthesamereasonIconcludethatthisworldwouldneverhavebeenleftsofullofuncertainties，norhumannatureframedsoastofindapeculiarjoyandexhilarationinmeetingthembravelyandcheerfully，ifithadnotbeendivinelyintendedthatmostofouramusementandmuchofoureducationshouldcomefromthissource.
\"Chance\"isadisreputableword，Iknow.Itissupposedbymanypiouspersonstobeimproperandalmostblasphemoustouseit.ButIamnotoneofthosewhosharethisverbalprejudice.Iaminclinedrathertobelievethatitisagoodwordtowhichabadreputationhasbeengiven.Ifeelgratefultothatadmirable\"psychologistwhowriteslikeanovelist，\"Mr.WilliamJames，forhisbrilliantdefenceofit.Forwhatdoesitmean，afterall，butthatsomethingshappeninacertainwaywhichmighthavehappenedinanotherway？Whereistheimmorality，theirreverence，theatheisminsuchasupposition？CertainlyGodmustbecompetenttogovernaworldinwhichtherearepossibilitiesofvariouskinds，justaswellasoneinwhicheveryeventisinevitablydeterminedbeforehand.St.Peterandtheotherfishermen—disciplesontheLakeofGalileewereperfectlyfreetocasttheirnetoneithersideoftheship.Sofarastheycouldsee，sofarasanyonecouldsee，itwasamatterofchancewheretheychosetocastit.Butitwasnotuntiltheyletitdown，attheMaster’sword，ontherightsidethattheyhadgoodluck.Andnottheleastelementoftheirjoyinthedraftoffisheswasthatitbroughtachangeoffortune.
Leavethemetaphysicsofthequestiononthetableforthepresent.
Asamatteroffact，itisplainthatourhumannatureisadaptedtoconditionsvariable，undetermined，andhiddenfromourview.Wearenotfittedtoliveinaworldwherea+balwaysequalsc，andthereisnothingmoretofollow.Theinterestoflife’sequationarriveswiththeappearanceofx，theunknownquantity.Asettled，unchangeable，clearlyforeseeableorderofthingsdoesnotsuitourconstitution.Ittendstomelancholyandafattyheart.Creaturesofhabitweareundoubtedly;butitisoneofourmostfixedhabitstobefondofvariety.Themanwhoisneversurpriseddoesnotknowthetasteofhappiness，andunlesstheunexpectedsometimeshappenstous，wearemostgrievouslydisappointed.
Muchofthetediousnessofhighlycivilizedlifecomesfromitssmoothnessandregularity.To—dayislikeyesterday，andwethinkthatwecanpredictto—morrow.Ofcoursewecannotreallydoso.
Thechancesarestillthere.Butwehavecoveredthemupsodeeplywiththeartificialitiesoflifethatwelosesightofthem.Itseemsasifeverythinginourneatlittleworldwerearranged，andprovidedfor，andreasonablysuretocometopass.ThebestwayofescapefromthisTAEDIUMVITAEisthrougharecreationlikeangling，notonlybecauseitissoevidentlyamatterofluck，butalsobecauseittemptsusintoawilder，freerlife.Itleadsalmostinevitablytocampingout，whichisawholesomeandsanitaryimprudence.
Itiscuriousandpleasant，tomyapprehension，toobservehowmanypeopleinNewEngland，oneofwhoseStatesiscalled\"thelandofSteadyHabits，\"aresensibleofthejoyofchangingthem，——outofdoors.Thesegoodfolkturnoutfromtheircomfortablefarm—housesandtheirsnugsuburbancottagestogoa—gypsyingforafortnightamongthemountainsorbesidethesea.Youseetheirwhitetentsgleamingfromthepine—grovesaroundthelittlelakes，andcatchglimpsesoftheirbathing—clothesdryinginthesunonthewirygrassthatfringesthesand—dunes.Happyfugitivesfromthebondageofroutine！Theyhavefoundoutthatalongjourneyisnotnecessarytoagoodvacation.YoumayreachtheForestofArdeninabuckboard.TheFortunateIslesarewithinsailingdistanceinadory.AndavoyageontheriverPactolusisopentoanyonewhocanpaddleacanoe.
Iwastalking——orratherlistening——withabarber，theotherday，inthesleepyoldtownofRivermouth.Hetoldme，inoneofthoseeasyconfidenceswhichseemtomaketherazorrunmoresmoothly，thatithadbeenthecustomofhisfamily，forsometwentyyearspast，toforsaketheircommodiousdwellingonAnchorStreeteverysummer，andemigratesixmiles，inawagontoWallisSands，wheretheyspentthemonthofAugustverymerrilyundercanvas.Herewasasensiblehouseholdforyou！Theydidnotfeelboundtowasteayear’sincomeonafourweeks’holiday.Theywerenotofthosefoolishfolkwhorunacrossthesea，carefullycarryingwiththemthesametiresomemindthatworriedthemathome.Theygotachangeofairbymakinganalterationoflife.TheyescapedfromthelandofEgyptbysteppingoutintothewildernessandgoinga—fishing.
Thepeoplewhoalwaysliveinhouses，andsleeponbeds，andwalkonpavements，andbuytheirfoodfrombutchersandbakersandgrocers，arenotthemostblessedinhabitantsofthiswideandvariousearth.
Thecircumstancesoftheirexistencearetoomathematicalandsecureforperfectcontentment.Theyliveatsecondorthirdhand.Theyareboardersintheworld.Everythingisdoneforthembysomebodyelse.
Itisalmostimpossibleforanythingveryinterestingtohappentothem.Theymustgettheirexcitementoutofthenewspapers，readingofthehairbreadthescapesandmovingaccidentsthatbefallpeopleinreallife.Whatdothesetameducksreallyknowoftheadventureofliving？Iftheweatherisbad，theyaresnuglyhoused.Ifitiscold，thereisafurnaceinthecellar.Iftheyarehungry，theshopsarenearathand.Itisallasdull，flat，stale，andunprofitableasaddingupacolumnoffigures.Theymightaswellbebroughtupinanincubator.
Butwhenmanabidesintents，afterthemanneroftheearlypatriarchs，thefaceoftheworldisrenewed.Thevagariesofthecloudsbecomesignificant.Youwatchtheskywithalover’slook，eagertoknowwhetheritwillsmileorfrown.Whenyoulieatnightuponyourbedofboughsandheartherainpatteringonthecanvascloseaboveyourhead，youwonderwhetheritisalongstormoronlyashower.
Therisingwindshakesthetent—flaps.Arethepegswelldrivendownandthecordsfirmlyfastened？Youfallasleepagainandwakelater，toheartheraindrummingstillmoreloudlyonthetightcloth，andthebigbreezesnoringthroughtheforest，andthewavesplungingalongthebeach.Astormyday？Well，youmustcutplentyofwoodandkeepthecamp—fireglowing，foritwillbehardtostartitupagain，ifyouletitgettoolow.Thereislittleuseinfishingorhuntinginsuchastorm.Butthereisplentytodointhecamp：gunstobecleaned，tackletobeputinorder，clothestobemended，agoodstoryofadventuretoberead，abelatedlettertobewrittentosomepoorwretchinasummerhotel，agameofheartsorcribbagetobeplayed，orahunting—triptobeplannedforthereturnoffairweather.Thetentisperfectlydry.Alittletrenchdugarounditcarriesoffthesurpluswater，andluckilyitispitchedwiththesidetothelake，sothatyougetthepleasantheatofthefirewithouttheunendurablesmoke.Cookingintherainhasitsdisadvantages.Buthowgoodthesuppertasteswhenitisserveduponatinplate，withanemptyboxforatableandarollofblanketsatthefootofthebedforaseat！
Aday，twodays，threedays，thestormmaycontinue，accordingtoyourluck.Ihavebeenoutinthewoodsforafortnightwithoutadropofrainorasignofdust.Again，Ihavetentedontheshoreofabiglakeforaweek，waitingforanobstinatetempesttopassby.
Looknow，justatnightfall：istherenotalittleliftingandbreakingofthecloudsinthewest，alittleshiftingofthewindtowardabetterquarter？Yougotobedwithcheerfulhopes.A
dozentimesinthedarknessyouarehalfawake，andlisteningdrowsilytothesoundsofthestorm.Aretheywaxingorwaning？Isthatlouderpatteringanewburstofrain，orisitonlytheplumpingofthebigdropsastheyareshakenfromthetrees？See，thedawnhascome，andthegraylightglimmersthroughthecanvas.
Inalittlewhileyouwillknowyourfate.
Look！Thereisapatchofbrightyellowradianceonthepeakofthetent.Theshadowofaleafdancesoverit.Thesunmustbeshining.Goodluck！andupwithyou，foritisagloriousmorning.
Thewoodsareglisteningasfreshandfairasiftheyhadbeennew—
createdovernight.Thewatersparkles，andtinywavesaredancingandsplashingallalongtheshore.Scarletberriesofthemountain—
ashhangaroundthelake.Apairofkingfishersdartbackandforthacrossthebay，inflashesoflivingblue.Ablackeagleswingssilentlyaroundhiscircle，farupinthecloudlesssky.Theairisfullofpleasantsounds，butthereisnonoise.Theworldisfullofjoyfullife，butthereisnocrowdandnoconfusion.Thereisnofactorychimneytodarkenthedaywithitssmoke，notrolley—cartosplitthesilencewithitsshriekandsmitetheindignantearwiththeclangingofitsimpudentbell.Nolumberman’saxehasrobbedtheencirclingforestsoftheirgloryofgreattrees.Nofireshavesweptoverthehillsandleftbehindthemthedesolationofabristlylandscape.Allisfreshandsweet，calmandclearandbright.
’TwasratherarudejestofNature，thattempestofyesterday.Butifyouhavetakenitingoodpart，youareallthemorereadyforhercaressingmoodto—day.Andnowyoumustbeofftogetyourdinner——nottoorderitatashop，buttolookforitinthewoodsandwaters.Youarereadytodoyourbestwithrodorgun.Youwillusealltheskillyouhaveashunterorfisherman.Butwhatyoushallfind，andwhetheryoushallsubsistonbaconandbiscuit，orfeastontroutandpartridges，is，afterall，amatterofluck.
Iprofessthatitappearstomenotonlypleasant，butalsosalutary，tobeinthiscondition.Itbringsushometotheplainrealitiesoflife;itteachesusthatamanoughttoworkbeforeheeats;itremindsusthat，afterhehasdoneallhecan，hemuststillrelyuponamysteriousbountyforhisdailybread.Itsaystous，inhomelyandfamiliarwords，thatlifewasmeanttobeuncertain，thatnomancantellwhatadaywillbringforth，andthatitisthepartofwisdomtobepreparedfordisappointmentsandgratefulforallkindsofsmallmercies.
Thereisastoryinthatfragrantbook，THELITTLEFLOWERSOFST.
FRANCIS，whichIwishtotranscribehere，withouttyingamoraltoit，lestanyoneshouldaccusemeofpreaching.
\"Hence[saysthequaintoldchronicler]，havingassignedtohiscompanionstheotherpartsoftheworld，St.Francis，takingBrotherMaximusashiscomrade，setforthtowardtheprovinceofFrance.
Andcomingonedaytoacertaintown，andbeingveryhungry，theybeggedtheirbreadastheywent，accordingtotheruleoftheirorder，fortheloveofGod.AndSt.Franciswentthroughonequarterofthetown，andBrotherMaximusthroughanother.ButforasmuchasSt.Franciswasamanmeanandlowofstature，andhencewasreputedavilebeggarbysuchasknewhimnot，heonlyreceivedafewscantycrustsandmouthfulsofdrybread.ButtoBrotherMaximus，whowaslargeandwellfavoured，weregivengoodpiecesandbig，andanabundanceofbread，yea，wholeloaves.
Havingthusbegged，theymettogetherwithoutthetowntoeat，ataplacewheretherewasaclearspringandafairlargestone，uponwhicheachspreadforththegiftsthathehadreceived.AndSt.
Francis，seeingthatthepiecesofbreadbeggedbyBrotherMaximuswerebiggerandbetterthanhisown，rejoicedgreatly，saying，’Oh，BrotherMaximus，wearenotworthyofsogreatatreasure.’Asherepeatedthesewordsmanytimes，BrotherMaximusmadeanswer：
’Father，howcanyoutalkoftreasureswhenthereissuchgreatpovertyandsuchlackofallthingsneedful？Hereisneithernapkinnorknife，neitherboardnortrencher，neitherhousenortable，neitherman—servantnormaid—servant.’St.Francisreplied：’AndthisiswhatIreckonagreattreasure，wherenaughtismadereadybyhumanindustry，butallthatishereispreparedbyDivineProvidence，asisplainlysetforthinthebreadwhichwehavebegged，inthetableoffairstone，andinthespringofclearwater.AndthereforeIwouldthatweshouldpraytoGodthatHeteachuswithallourheartstolovethetreasureofholypoverty，whichissonobleathing，andwhoseservantisGodtheLord.’\"
Iknowofbutonefairerdescriptionofarepastintheopenair;
andthatiswherewearetoldhowcertainpoorfishermen，cominginverywearyafteranightoftoil（andoneofthemverywetafterswimmingashore），foundtheirMasterstandingonthebankofthelakewaitingforthem.Butitseemsthathemusthavebeenbusyintheirbehalfwhilehewaswaiting;fortherewasabrightfireofcoalsburningontheshore，andagoodlyfishbroilingthereon，andbreadtoeatwithit.AndwhentheMasterhadaskedthemabouttheirfishing，hesaid，\"Come，now，andgetyourbreakfast.\"Sotheysatdownaroundthefire，andwithhisownhandsheservedthemwiththebreadandthefish.
Ofallthebanquetsthathaveeverbeengivenuponearth，thatistheoneinwhichIwouldratherhavehadashare.
Butitisnowtimethatweshouldreturntoourfishing.Andletusobservewithgratitudethatalmostallofthepleasuresthatareconnectedwiththispursuit——itsaccompanimentsandvariations，whichrunalongwiththetuneandweaveanembroideryofdelightaroundit——haveanaccidentalandgratuitousqualityaboutthem.
Theyarenottobecounteduponbeforehand.Theyarelikesomethingthatisthrownintoapurchasebyagenerousandopen—handeddealer，tomakeuspleasedwithourbargainandinclinedtocomebacktothesameshop.
IfIknew，forexample，beforesettingoutforadayonthebrook，preciselywhatbirdsIshouldsee，andwhatprettylittlescenesinthedramaofwoodlandlifeweretobeenactedbeforemyeyes，theexpeditionwouldlosemorethanhalfitscharm.But，infact，itisalmostentirelyamatterofluck，andthatiswhyitnevergrowstiresome.
Theornithologistknowsprettywellwheretolookforthebirds，andhegoesdirectlytotheplaceswherehecanfindthem，andproceedstostudythemintelligentlyandsystematically.Buttheanglerwhoidlesdownthestreamtakesthemastheycome，andallhisobservationshaveaflavourofsurpriseinthem.
Hehearsafamiliarsong，——onethathehasoftenheardatadistance，butneveridentified，——aloud，cheery，rusticcadencesoundingfromalowpine—treeclosebesidehim.Helooksupcarefullythroughtheneedlesanddiscoversahoodedwarbler，atiny，restlesscreature，dressedingreenandyellow，withtwowhitefeathersinitstail，liketheendsofasash，andaglossylittleblackbonnetdrawncloselyaboutitsgoldenhead.Hewillneverforgetthatsongagain.Itwillmakethewoodsseemhomeliketohim，manyatime，ashehearsitringingthroughtheafternoon，likethecallofasmallcountrygirlplayingathide—and—seek：\"SeeME;
hereIBE.\"
Anotherdayhesitsdownonamossylogbesideacold，tricklingspringtoeathislunch.Ithasbeenabarrendayforbirds.
Perhapshehasfallenintothefaultofpursuinghissporttoointensely，andtrampedalongthestreamlookingfornothingbutfish.Perhapsthispartofthegrovehasreallybeendesertedbyitsfeatheredinhabitants，scaredawaybyaprowlinghawkordrivenoutbynest—hunters.Butnow，withoutnotice，theluckchanges.A
surprise—partyofredstartsbreaksintofullplayaroundhim.Allthroughthedark—greenshadowofthehemlockstheyflashlikelittlecandles——CANDELITAS，theCubanscallthem.Theirbrilliantmarkingsoforangeandblack，andtheirfluttering，airy，gracefulmovements，makethemmostwelcomevisitors.Thereisnobirdinthebusheasiertorecognizeorpleasantertowatch.Theyrunalongthebranchesanddartandtumblethroughtheairinfearlesschaseofinvisiblefliesandmoths.Allthetimetheykeepunfoldingandfurlingtheirroundedtails，spreadingthemoutandwavingthemandclosingthemsuddenly，justastheCubangirlsmanagetheirfans.
Infact，theredstartsarethetinyfantailpigeonsoftheforest.
Thereareotherthingsaboutthebirds，besidestheirmusicaltalentsandtheirgoodlooks，thatthefishermanhasachancetoobserveonhisluckydays.Hemayseasomethingoftheircourageandtheirdevotiontotheiryoung.
Isupposeabirdisthebravestcreaturethatlives，inspiteofitsnaturaltimidity.Fromwhichwemaylearnthattruecourageisnotincompatiblewithnervousness，andthatheroismdoesnotmeantheabsenceoffear，buttheconquestofit.Whodoesnotrememberthefirsttimethatheevercameuponahen—partridgewithherbrood，ashewasstrollingthroughthewoodsinJune？Howsplendidlytheoldbirdforgetsherselfinhereffortstodefendandhideheryoung！
Smallerbirdsarenolessdaring.OneeveninglastsummerIwaswalkinguptheRistigouchefromCampHarmonytofishforsalmonatMowett’sRock，wheremycanoewaswaitingforme.AsIsteppedoutfromathicketontotheshinglybankoftheriver，aspottedsandpiperteeteredalongbeforeme，followedbythreeyoungones.
Frightenedatfirst，themotherflewoutafewfeetoverthewater.
Butthepiperlingscouldnotfly，havingnofeathers;andtheycreptunderacrookedlog.Irolledthelogoververygentlyandtookoneofthecoweringcreaturesintomyhand——atiny，palpitatingscrapoflife，coveredwithsoftgraydown，andpeepingshrilly，likeaLiliputianchicken.Andnowthemotherwastransformed.Herfearwaschangedintofury.Shewasabully，afighter，anAmazoninfeathers.Sheflewatmewithloudcries，dashingherselfalmostintomyface.Iwasatyrant，arobber，akidnapper，andshecalledheaventowitnessthatshewouldnevergiveupheroffspringwithoutastruggle.Thenshechangedhertacticsandappealedtomybaserpassions.Shefelltothegroundandflutteredaroundmeasifherwingwerebroken.\"Look！\"sheseemedtosay，\"Iambiggerthanthatpoorlittlebaby.Ifyoumusteatsomething，eatme！Mywingislame.Ican’tfly.Youcaneasilycatchme.Letthatlittlebirdgo！\"AndsoIdid;andthewholefamilydisappearedinthebushesasifbymagic.Iwonderedwhetherthemotherwassayingtoherself，afterthemannerofhersex，thatmenarestupidthings，afterall，andnomatchfortheclevernessofafemalewhostoopstodeceptioninarighteouscause.
Now，thattrivialexperiencewaswhatIcallapieceofgoodluck——
forme，and，intheevent，forthesandpiper.Butitisdoubtfulwhetheritwouldbequitesofreshandpleasantintheremembrance，ifithadnotalsofallentomylottotaketwouncommonlygoodsalmononthatsameevening，inadryseason.
Neverbelieveafishermanwhenhetellsyouthathedoesnotcareaboutthefishhecatches.Hemaysaythatheanglesonlyforthepleasureofbeingout—of—doors，andthatheisjustaswellcontentedwhenhetakesnothingaswhenhemakesagoodcatch.Hemaythinkso，butitisnottrue.Heisnottellingadeliberatefalsehood.Heisonlyassuminganunconsciouspose，andindulginginadelicatebitofself—flattery.Evenifitweretrue，itwouldnotbeatalltohiscredit.
Watchhimonthatluckydaywhenhecomeshomewithafullbasketoftroutonhisshoulder，oraquartetteofsilversalmoncoveredwithgreenbranchesinthebottomofthecanoe.Hisfaceisbroaderthanitwaswhenhewentout，andthereisasparkleoftriumphinhiseye.\"Itisnaught，itisnaught，\"hesays，inmodestdepreciationofhistriumph.Butyoushallseethathelingersfondlyabouttheplacewherethefisharedisplayeduponthegrass，anddoesnotfailtolookcarefullyatthescaleswhentheyareweighed，andhasanattentiveearforthecommentsofadmiringspectators.Youshallfind，moreover，thatheisnotunwillingtonarratethestoryofthecapture——howthebigfishroseshort，fourtimes，tofourdifferentflies，andfinallytookasmallBlackDose，andplayedalloverthepool，andrandownaterriblystiffrapidtothenextpoolbelow，andsulkedfortwentyminutes，andhadtobestirredupwithstones，andmadesuchalongfightthat，whenhecameinatlast，theholdofthehookwasalmostwornthrough，anditfelloutofhismouthashetouchedtheshore.Listentothistaleasitistold，withendlessvariations，byeverymanwhohasbroughthomeafinefish，andyouwillperceivethatthefishermandoescareforhisluck，afterall.
Andwhynot？IamnofriendtothepeoplewhoreceivethebountiesofProvidencewithoutvisiblegratitude.Whenthesixpencefallsintoyourhat，youmaylaugh.Whenthemessengerofanunexpectedblessingtakesyoubythehandandliftsyouupandbidsyouwalk，youmayleapandrunandsingforjoy，evenasthelameman，whomSt.Peterhealed，skippedpiouslyandrejoicedaloudashepassedthroughtheBeautifulGateoftheTemple.Thereisnovirtueinsolemnindifference.Joyisjustasmuchadutyasbeneficenceis.
Thankfulnessistheothersideofmercy.
Whenyouhavegoodluckinanything，yououghttobeglad.Indeed，ifyouarenotglad，youarenotreallylucky.
Butboastingandself—glorificationIwouldhaveexcluded，andmostofallfromthebehaviouroftheangler.He，morethanothermen，isdependentforhissuccessuponthefavourofanunseenbenefactor.Lethisskillandindustrybeneversogreat，hecandonothingunlessLABONNECHANCEcomestohim.
Iwasoncefishingonafairlittleriver，theP’titSaguenay，withtwoexcellentanglersandpleasantcompanions，H.E.G————andC.S.
D————.Theyhaddoneallthatwashumanlypossibletosecuregoodsport.Thestreamhadbeenwellpreserved.Theyhadboxesfullofbeautifulflies，andcasting—linesimportedfromEngland，andarodforeveryfishintheriver.Buttheweatherwas\"dour，\"andthewater\"drumly，\"andeverydaythelumbermensenta\"drive\"oftenthousandsprucelogsrushingdownthefloodedstream.Forthreedayswehadnotseenasalmon，andonthefourth，despairing，wewentdowntoangleforsea—troutinthetideofthegreaterSaguenay.There，inthesaltwater，wheremensaythesalmonnevertakethefly，H.E.G————，fishingwithasmalltrout—rod，apoor，shortline，andanancientredibisofthecommonkind，roseandhookedalordlysalmonofatleastfive—and—thirtypounds.Wasnotthispureluck？
Prideissurelythemostunbecomingofallvicesinafisherman.
Forthoughintelligenceandpracticeandpatienceandgenius，andmanyothernoblethingswhichmodestyforbidshimtomention，enterintohispastime，sothatitis，asIzaakWaltonhasfirmlymaintained，anart;yet，becausefortunestillplaysacontrollinghandinthegame，itsnetresultsshouldneverbespokenofwithahaughtyandvainspirit.LetnottheanglerimitateTimoleon，whoboastedofhisluckandlostit.ItistemptingProvidencetoprinttherecordofyourwonderfulcatchesinthesportingnewspapers;oratleast，ifitmustbedone，thereshouldstandattheheadofthecolumnsomehumble，thankfulmotto，like\"NONNOBIS，DOMINE.\"EvenFatherIzaak，whenhehasafishonhisline，says，withaduesenseofhumanlimitations，\"Thereisatroutnow，andagoodonetoo，IF
ICANBUTHOLDHIM！\"
ThisremindsmethatweleftH.E.G————，afewsentencesback，playinghisunexpectedsalmon，onatrout—rod，intheSaguenay.
Fourtimesthatgreatfishleapedintotheair;twicehesufferedthepliantreedtoguidehimtowardtheshore，andtwiceranoutagaintodeeperwater.Thenhisspiritawokewithinhim：hebenttherodlikeawillowwand，dashedtowardthemiddleoftheriver，brokethelineasifithadbeenpack—thread，andsailedtriumphantlyawaytojointhewhiteporpoisesthatweretumblinginthetide.\"WHE—E—EW，\"theysaid，\"WHE—E—EW！PSHA—A—AW！\"blowingouttheirbreathinlong，softsighsastheyrolledaboutlikehugesnowballsintheblackwater.ButwhatdidH.E.G————say？Hesathimquietlydownuponarockandreeledintheremnantofhisline，utteringtheseremarkableandChristianwords：\"Thoseporpoises，saidhe，\"describethesituationrathermildly.Butitwasgoodfunwhileitlasted.\"
AgainIrememberedasayingofWalton：\"Well，Scholar，youmustendureworselucksometimes，oryouwillnevermakeagoodangler.\"
Oragoodman，either，Iamsure.Forhewhoknowsonlyhowtoenjoy，andnottoendure，isill—fittedtogodownthestreamoflifethroughsuchaworldasthis.
Iwouldnothaveyoutosuppose，gentlereader，thatindiscoursingoffisherman’sluckIhaveinmindonlythosethingswhichmaybetakenwithahook.Itisaparableofhumanexperience.Ihavebeenthinking，forinstance，ofWalton’slifeaswellasofhisangling：ofthelossesandsufferingsthathe，thefirmRoyalist，enduredwhentheCommonwealthmencamemarchingintoLondontown;oftheconsolingdaysthatweregrantedtohim，introubloustimes，onthebanksoftheLeaandtheDoveandtheNewRiver，andthegoodfriendsthathemadethere，withwhomhetooksweetcounselinadversity;ofthelittlechildrenwhoplayedinhishouseforafewyears，andthenwerecalledawayintothesilentlandwherehecouldheartheirvoicesnolonger.Iwasthinkinghowquietlyandpeaceablyhelivedthroughitall，notcomplainingnordesponding，buttryingtodohisworkwell，whetherhewaskeepingashoporwritinghooks，andseekingtoprovehimselfanhonestmanandacheerfulcompanion，andneverscorningtotakewithathankfulheartsuchsmallcomfortsandrecreationsascametohim.
Itisaplain，homely，old—fashionedmeditation，reader，butnotunprofitable.WhenItalktoyouoffisherman’sluck，Idonotforgetthattherearedeeperthingsbehindit.Irememberthatwhatwecallourfortunes，goodorill，arebutthewisedealingsanddistributionsofaWisdomhigher，andaKindnessgreater，thanourown.AndIsupposethattheirmeaningisthatweshouldlearn，byalltheuncertaintiesofourlife，eventhesmallest，howtobebraveandsteadyandtemperateandhopeful，whatevercomes，becausewebelievethatbehinditallthereliesapurposeofgood，andoveritalltherewatchesaprovidenceofblessing.
Intheschooloflifemanybranchesofknowledgearetaught.Buttheonlyphilosophythatamountstoanything，afterall，isjustthesecretofmakingfriendswithourluck.
THETHRILLINGMOMENT
\"Inangling，asinallotherrecreationsintowhichexcitemententers，wehavetobeonourguard，sothatwecanatanymomentthrowaweightofself—controlintothescaleagainstmisfortune;
andhappilywecanstudytosomepurpose，bothtoincreaseourpleasureinsuccessandtolessenourdistresscausedbywhatgoesill.Itisnotonlyincasesofgreatdisasters，however，thattheanglerneedsself—control.Heisperpetuallycalledupontouseittowithstandsmallexasperations.\"——SIREDWARDGREY：Fly—Fishing.
Everymomentoflife，Isuppose，ismoreorlessofaturning—point.
Opportunitiesareswarmingaroundusallthetime，thickerthangnatsatsundown.Wewalkthroughacloudofchances，andifwewerealwaysconsciousofthemtheywouldworryusalmosttodeath.
Buthappilyoursenseofuncertaintyissoothedandcushionedbyhabit，sothatwecanlivecomfortablywithit.Onlynowandthen，bywayofspecialexcitement，itstartsupwideawake.Weperceivehowdelicatelyourfortuneispoisedandbalancedonthepivotofasingleincident.Wegetapeepattheoscillatingneedle，and，becausewehavehappenedtoseeittremble，wecallourexperienceacrisis.
Themeditativeanglerisnotexemptfromthesesensationalperiods.
Therearetimeswhenalltheuncertaintyofhischosenpursuitseemstocondenseitselfintoonebigchance，andstandoutbeforehimlikeasalmononthetopwaveofarapid.Heseesthathisluckhangsbyasinglestrand，andhecannottellwhetheritwillholdorbreak.Thisishisthrillingmoment，andheneverforgetsit.
Minecametomeintheautumnof1894，onthebanksoftheUnpronounceableRiver，intheProvinceofQuebec.Itwasthelastday，oftheopenseasonforouananiche，andwehadsetourheartsoncatchingsomegoodfishtotakehomewithus.Wewalkedupfromthemouthoftheriver，fourpreposterouslylongandroughmiles，tothefamousfishing—pool，\"LAPLACEDEPECHEABOIVIN.\"Itwasanobledayforwalking;theairwasclearandcrisp，andallthehillsarounduswereglowingwiththecrimsonfoliageofthoselittlebusheswhichGodcreatedtomakeburnedlandslookbeautiful.Thetrailendedinaprecipitousgully，downwhichwescrambledwithhighhopes，andfishing—rodsunbroken，onlytofindthattheriverwasinaconditionwhichmadeanglingabsurdifnotimpossible.
Theremusthavebeenacloud—burstamongthemountains，forthewaterwascomingdowninflood.Thestreamwasbank—full，gurglingandeddyingoutamongthebushes，andrushingovertheshoalwherethefishusedtolie，inabrowntorrenttenfeetdeep.Ourlastdaywiththeland—lockedsalmonseemeddestinedtobeafailure，andwemustwaiteightmonthsbeforewecouldhaveanother.Therewerethreeofusinthedisappointment，andweshareditaccordingtoourtemperaments.
Paulvirtuouslyresolvednottogiveupwhiletherewasachanceleft，andwandereddown—streamtolookforaneddywherehemightpickupasmallfish.Ferdinand，ourguide，resignedhimselfwithoutasightotheconsolationofeatingblueberries，whichhealwaysdidwithgreatcheerfulness.ButI，beingmorecastdownthaneitherofmycomrades，soughtoutaconvenientseatamongtherocks，and，adaptingmyanatomyaswellaspossibletotheirregularitiesofnature’supholstery，pulledfrommypocketAN
AMATEURANGLER’SDAYSINDOVEDALE，andsettleddowntoreadmyselfintoaChristianframeofmind.
Beforebeginning，myeyesrovedsadlyoverthepooloncemore.Itwasbutacasualglance.Itlastedonlyforaninstant.ButinthatfortunatefragmentoftimeIdistinctlysawthebroadtailofabigouananicheriseanddisappearintheswiftwaterattheveryheadofthepool.
Immediatelythewholeaspectofaffairswaschanged.Despondencyvanished，andtheriverglitteredwiththebeamsofrisinghope.
Suchistheabsurddispositionofsomeanglers.Theyneverseeafishwithoutbelievingthattheycancatchhim;butiftheyseenofish，theyareinclinedtothinkthattheriverisemptyandtheworldhollow.
Isaidnothingtomycompanions.Itwouldhavebeenunkindtodisturbthemwithexpectationswhichmightneverberealized.Myimmediatedutywastogetwithincastingdistanceofthatsalmonassoonaspossible.
Thewayalongtheshoreofthepoolwasdifficult.Thebankwasverysteep，andtherocksbytheriver’sedgewerebrokenandglibbery.PresentlyIcametoasheerwallofstone，perhapsthirtyfeethigh，risingdirectlyfromthedeepwater.
Therewasatinyledgeorcrevicerunningpartofthewayacrossthefaceofthiswall，andbythisfour—inchpathIedgedalong，holdingmyrodinonehand，andclingingaffectionatelywiththeothertosuchclumpsofgrassandlittlebushesasIcouldfind.TherewasonesmallhuckleberryplanttowhichIhadaparticularattachment.
Itwasfortunatelyafirmlittlebush，andasIheldfasttoitI
rememberedTennyson’spoemwhichbegins\"Flowerinthecranniedwall，\"
andreflectedthatifIshouldsucceedinpluckingoutthisflower，\"rootandall，\"itwouldprobablyresultinanevengreaterincreaseofknowledgethanthepoetcontemplated.
Theledgeintherocknowcametoanend.Butbelowmeinthepooltherewasasunkenreef;andonthisreefalongloghadcaught，withoneendstickingoutofthewater，withinjumpingdistance.Itwastheonlychance.Togobackwouldhavebeendangerous.Ananglerwithalargefamilydependentuponhimforsupporthasnorighttoincurunnecessaryperils.
Besides，thefishwaswaitingformeattheupperendofthepool！
SoIjumped;landedontheendofthelog;feltitsettleslowlydown;ranalongitlikeasmallboyonaseesaw，andleapedoffintoshallowwaterjustasthelogrolledfromtheledgeandlungedoutintothestream.
Itwentwallowingthroughthepoolanddowntherapidlikeaplayfulhippopotamus.IwatcheditwithinterestandcongratulatedmyselfthatIwasnolongerembarkeduponit.OnthatcraftavoyagedowntheUnpronounceableRiverwouldhavebeenshortbutfarfrommerry.
The\"allashore\"bellwasnotrungearlyenough.Ijustgotoff，withnothalfasecondtospare.
Butnowallwaswell，forIwaswithinreachofthefish.AlittlescramblingovertherocksbroughtmetoapointwhereIcouldeasilycastoverhim.Hewaslyinginaswift，smooth，narrowchannelbetweentwolargestones.Itwasasnugresting—place，andnodoubthewouldremainthereforsometime.SoItookoutmyfly—bookandpreparedtoangleforhimaccordingtotheapprovedrulesoftheart.
Nothingismorefoolishinsportthanthehabitofprecipitation.
AndyetitisafaulttowhichIamsingularlysubject.Asaboy，inBrooklyn，InevercameinsightoftheCapitolineSkatingPond，afteralongrideinthehorse—cars，withoutbreakingintoarunalongtheboardwalk，bucklingonmyskatesinafurioushurry，andflingingmyselfimpetuouslyupontheice，asifIfearedthatitwouldmeltawaybeforeIcouldreachit.Nowthis，Iconfess，isagrievousdefect，whichadvancingyearshavenotentirelycured;andIfounditnecessarytotakemyselffirmly，asitwere，bythementalcoat—collar，andresolvenottospoilthechanceofcatchingtheonlyouananicheintheUnpronounceableRiverbyunduehasteinfishingforhim.
Icarefullytestedabrand—newleader，andattachedittothelinewithgreatdeliberationandtheproperknot.ThenIgavemywholemindtotheimportantquestionofawiseselectionofflies.
Itisastonishinghowmuchtimeandmentalanxietyamancanspendonanapparentlysimplequestionlikethis.Whenyouarebuyingfliesinashopitseemsasifyouneverhadhalfenough.Youkeeponpickingoutahalf—dozenofeachnewvarietyasfastastheenticingsalesmanshowsthemtoyou.YoustrollthroughthestreetsofMontrealorQuebecanddropinateveryfishing—tackledealer’stoseewhetheryoucanfindafewmoregoodflies.Then，whenyoucometolookoveryourcollectionatthecriticalmomentonthebankofastream，itseemsasifyouhadtentimestoomany.And，spiteofall，thepreciseflythatyouneedisnotthere.
Youselectacouplethatyouthinkfairlygood，laythemdownbesideyouinthegrass，andgoonlookingthroughthebookforsomethingbetter.Failingtosatisfyyourself，youturntopickupthosethatyouhavelaidout，andfindthattheyhavemysteriouslyvanishedfromthefaceoftheearth.
Thenyoustrugglewithnaughtywordsandrelapseintoaconditionofmentalpalsy.
Precipitationisafault.Butdeliberation，forapersonofprecipitatedisposition，isavice.
Thebestthingtodoinsuchacaseistoadoptsomeabstracttheoryofactionwithoutdelay，andputitintopracticewithouthesitation.Thenifyoufail，youcanthrowtheresponsibilityonthetheory.
Now，inregardtofliestherearetwotheories.Theold，conservativetheoryis，thatonabrightdayyoushoulduseadark，dullfly，becauseitislessconspicuous.SoIfollowedthattheoryfirstandputonaGreatDunandaDarkMontreal.Icastthemdelicatelyoverthefish，buthewouldnotlookatthem.
ThenIpervertedmyselftothenew，radicaltheorywhichsaysthatonabrightdayyoumustusealight，gayfly，becauseitismoreinharmonywiththesky，andthereforelessnoticeable.AccordinglyI
putonaProfessorandaParmacheeneBelle;butthiscombinationoflearningandbeautyhadnoattractionfortheouananiche.
ThenIfellbackonatheoryofmyown，totheeffectthattheouananichehaveanaversiontored，andpreferyellowandbrown.SoItriedvariouscombinationsoffliesinwhichthesecolourspredominated.
ThenIabandonedalltheoriesandwentstraightthroughmybook，tryingsomethingfromeverypage，andwindingupwiththatlurewhichtheguidesconsiderinfallible，——\"aJocko’ScottthatcostfiftycentsatQuebec.\"Butitwasallinvain.Iwasreadytodespair.
AtthispsychologicalmomentIheardbehindmeavoiceofhope，——thesongofagrasshopper：notoneofthosefat—legged，green—wingedimbecilesthatfeeblytumbleinthesummerfields，butagamegrasshopper，——oneofthosethin—shanked，brown—wingedfellowsthatleaplikekangaroos，andflylikebirds，andsingKRI—KAREE—KAREE—
KRIintheirflight.
Itisnotreallyasong，Iknow，butitsoundslikeone;and，ifyouhadheardthatKri—kareecarollingasIchasedhimovertherocks，youwouldhavebeensurethathewasmockingme.
Ibelievedthathewasthepredestinedlureforthatouananiche;butitwashardtopersuadehimtofulfillhisdestiny.Islappedathimwithmyhat，buthewasnotthere.Igraspedathimonthebushes，andbroughtaway\"nothingbutleaves.\"Atlasthemadehiswaytotheveryedgeofthewaterandpoisedhimselfonastone，withhislegswelltuckedinforalongleapandaboldflighttotheothersideoftheriver.Itwasmyfinalopportunity.Imadeadesperategrabatitandcaughtthegrasshopper.
Mypremonitionprovedtobecorrect.WhenthatKri—karee，invisiblyattachedtomyline，wentfloatingdownthestream，theouananichewassurprised.ItwasthefourteenthofSeptember，andhehadsupposedthegrasshopperseasonwasover.Theunexpectedtemptationwastoostrongforhim.Herosewitharush，andinaninstantI
wasfasttothebestland—lockedsalmonoftheyear.
Butthesituationwasnotwithoutitsembarrassments.Myrodweighedonlyfourandaquarterounces;thefishweighedbetweensixandsevenpounds.Thewaterwasfuriousandheadstrong.Ihadonlythirtyyardsoflineandnolanding—net.
\"HOLA！FERDINAND！\"Icried.\"APPORTELANETTE，VITE！ABEAUTY！
HURRYUP！\"
Ithoughtitmustbeanhourwhilehewasmakinghiswayoverthehill，throughtheunderbrush，aroundthecliff.Againandagainthefishranoutmylinealmosttothelastturn.Adozentimesheleapedfromthewater，shakinghissilverysides.Twicehetriedtocuttheleaderacrossasunkenledge.Butatlasthewasplayedout，andcameinquietlytowardsthepointoftherock.AtthesamemomentFerdinandappearedwiththenet.
Now，theuseofthenetisreallythemostdifficultpartofangling.AndFerdinandisthebestnetsmanintheLakeSt.Johncountry.Henevermakesthemistakeoftryingtoscoopafishinmotion.Hedoesnotgropearoundwithaimless，futilestrokesasifhewerefeelingforsomethinginthedark.Hedoesnotentanglethedropper—flyinthenetandtearthetail—flyoutofthefish’smouth.Hedoesnotgetexcited.
Hequietlysinksthenetinthewater，andwaitsuntilhecanseethefishdistinctly，lyingperfectlystillandwithinreach.Thenhemakesaswiftmovement，likethatofamowerswingingthescythe，takesthefishintothenethead—first，andlandshimwithoutaslip.
IfeltsurethatFerdinandwasgoingtodothetrickinpreciselythiswaywithmyouananiche.Justattherightinstanthemadeonequick，steadyswingofthearms，and——theheadofthenetbrokecleanoffthehandleandwentfloatingawaywiththefishinit！
Allseemedtobelost.ButFerdinandwasequaltotheoccasion.Heseizedalong，crookedstickthatlayinapileofdriftwoodontheshore，sprangintothewateruptohiswaist，caughtthenetasitdriftedpast，anddraggedittoland，withtheultimateouananiche，theprizeoftheseason，stillglitteringthroughitsmeshes.
Thisisthestoryofmymostthrillingmomentasanangler.
Butwhichwasthemomentofthedeepestthrill？
Wasitwhenthehuckleberrybushsavedmefromawaterygrave，orwhenthelogrolledundermyfeetandstarteddowntheriver？Wasitwhenthefishrose，orwhenthenetbroke，orwhenthelongstickcapturedit？
No，itwasnoneofthese.ItwaswhentheKri—kareesatwithhislegstuckedunderhimonthebrinkofthestream.Thatwastheturning—point.Thefortunesofthedaydependedonthecomparativequicknessofthereflexactionofhisneuralgangliaandmine.Thatwasthethrillingmoment.
Iseeitnow.Acrisisisreallythecommonestthingintheworld.
Thereasonwhylifesometimesseemsdulltousisbecausewedonotperceivetheimportanceandtheexcitementofgettingbait.
TALKABILITY
APRELUDEANDTHEMEWITHVARIATIONS
\"Hepraisesameditativelife，andwithevidentsincerity：butwefeelthathelikednothingsowellasgoodtalk.\"——JAMESRUSSELL
LOWELL：Walton.
I
PRELUDE——ONANOLD，FOOLISHMAXIM
Theinventorofthefamiliarmaximthat\"fishermenmustnottalk\"islostinthemistsofantiquity，andwelldeserveshisfate.Foramorefoolishrule，aconventionalitymoreobscureandaimlessinitstyranny，wasneverimposeduponaninnocentandhonourableoccupation，todiminishitspleasureanddiscountitsprofits.Why，inthenameofallthatisgenial，shouldanglersgoabouttheirharmlesssportinstealthysilencelikeconspirators，orsittogetherinaboat，dumb，glum，andpenitential，likenaughtyschoolboysonthebenchofdisgrace？’TisanOmorcansuperstition;
arulewithoutareason;avenerable，idioticfashioninventedtorepresslivelyspiritsandputapremiumonstupidity.
Formypart，IinclinerathertotheopinionoftheNeapolitanfishermenwhomaintainthatacertainamountofnoise，ofcertainkinds，islikelytoimprovethefishing，andwhohaveaparticularsong，verysweetandcharming，whichtheysingtodrawthefishesaroundthem.Itisnarrated，likewise，ofthegoodSt.Brandan，thatonhisnotablevoyagefromIrelandinsearchofParadise，hechantedtheserviceforSt.Peter’sdaysopleasantlythatasubaqueousaudienceofallsortsandsizeswasattracted，insomuchthattheothermonksbegantobeafraid，andbeggedtheabbotthathewouldsingalittlelower，fortheywerenotquitesureoftheintentionofthecongregation.OfSt.AnthonyofPaduaitissaidthatheevensucceededinpersuadingthefishes，ingreatmultitudes，tolistentoasermon;andthatwhenitwasended（itmustbenotedthatitwasbothshortandcheerful）theybowedtheirheadsandmovedtheirbodiesupanddownwitheverymarkoffondnessandapprovalofwhattheholyfatherhadspoken.
Ifwecanbelievethis，surelyweneednotbeincredulousofthingswhichseemtobenoless，butrathermore，inharmonywiththecourseofnature.Creatureswhoaresensibletotheattractionsofasermoncanhardlybeindifferenttothecharmofotherkindsofdiscourse.IcaneasilyimagineacompanyofgraylingwishingtooverhearaconversationbetweenI.W.andhisaffectionate（butsomewhatprodigal）sonandservant，CharlesCotton;andsurelyeveryintelligentsalmoninScotlandmighthavebeengladtohearChristopherNorthandtheEttrickShepherdbandyjestsandswapstories.Asfortrout，——wasthereoneinMassachusettsthatwouldnothavebeencurioustolistentotheintimateopinionsofDanielWebsterasheloafedalongthebanksoftheMarshpee，——oristhereoneinPennsylvaniato—daythatmightnotbedrawnwithinterestanddelighttothefeetofJosephJefferson，tellinghowheconceivedandwroteRIPVANWINKLEonthebanksofatrout—stream？
Fishermenmustbesilent？Onthecontrary，itisfarmorelikelythatgoodtalkmaypromotegoodfishing.
Allthis，however，goesupontheassumptionthatfishcanhear，inthepropersenseoftheword.Andthis，itmustbeconfessed，isanassumptionnotyetfullyverified.Experiencedanglersandstudentsoffishywaysaredivideduponthequestion.Itisbeyondadoubtthatallfishes，excepttheverylowestforms，haveears.Butthensohaveallmen;andyetwehavethebestauthorityforbelievingthattherearemanywho\"havingears，hearnot.\"
Theearsoffishes，forthemostpart，areinclosedintheirskull，andhavenooutwardopening.Waterconveyssound，aseverycountryboyknowswhohastriedtheexperimentofdivingtothebottomoftheswimming—holeandknockingtwobigstonestogether.ButIdoubtwhetheranycountryboy，engagedinthisinterestingscientificexperiment，hasheardtheconversationofhisfriendsonthebankwhowereengagedinhidinghisclothes.
Therearemanycuriousandmoreorlessvenerablestoriestotheeffectthatfishesmaybetrainedtoassembleattheringingofabellorthebeatingofadrum.Lucian，awriterofthesecondcentury，tellsofacertainlakewhereinmanysacredfisheswerekept，ofwhichthelargesthadnamesgiventothem，andcamewhentheywerecalled.ButLucianwasnotamanofespeciallygoodreputation，andthereisanairofimprobabilityabouthisstatementthattheLARGESTfishescame.Thisisnotthecustomofthelargestfishes.
Inthepresentcenturytherewasataleofaneelinagarden—well，inScotland，whichwouldcometobefedoutofaspoonwhenthechildrencalledhimbyhissingularlyinappropriatenameofRobRoy.
ThisseemsamorelikelystorythanLucian’s;atalleventsitcomesfromamoreorthodoxatmosphere.Butbeforegivingitfullcredence，Ishouldliketoknowwhetherthechildren，whentheycalled\"RobRoy！\"stoodwheretheeelcouldseethespoon.
Ontheothersideofthequestion，wemayquoteMr.Ronalds，alsoaScotchman，andthelearnedauthorofTHEFLY—FISHER’SENTOMOLOGY，whoconductedaseriesofexperimentswhichprovedthateventrout，themostfugaciousoffish，arenotintheleastdisturbedbythedischargeofagun，providedtheflashisconcealed.Mr.HenryP.
Wells，theauthorofTHEAMERICANSALMONANGLER，saysthathehas\"neverbeenabletomakeasoundintheairwhichseemedtoproducetheslightesteffectupontroutinthewater.\"
Sothecontroversyonthehearingoffishescontinues，andtheconclusionremainsopen.Everymanisatlibertytoembracethatsidewhichpleaseshimbest.YoumaythinkthatthefinnytribesareassensitivetosoundasFineEar，intheGermanfairy—tale，whocouldhearthegrassgrow.Oryoumayholdtheoppositeopinion，thattheyare\"Deaferthantheblue—eyedcat.\"
Butwhichevertheoryyouadopt，inpractice，ifyouareawisefisherman，youwillsteeramiddlecourse，betweenonethingwhichmustbeleftundoneandanotherthingwhichshouldbedone.Youwillrefrainfromstampingonthebank，orknockingonthesideoftheboat，ordraggingtheanchoramongthestonesonthebottom;forwhenthewatervibratesthefisharelikelytovanish.Butyouwillindulgeasfreelyasyoupleaseinpleasantdiscoursewithyourcomrade;foritiscertainthatfishingisneverhindered，andmayevenbehelped，inonewayoranother，bygoodtalk.
Ishouldthereforehavenohesitationinadvisinganyonetochoose，forcompanionshiponananglingexpedition，longorshort，apersonwhohastheraremeritofbeingTALKABLE.
II
THEME——ONASMALL，USEFULVIRTUE
\"Talkable\"isnotanewadjective.Butitneedsanewdefinition，andthecomplementofacorrespondingnoun.Iwouldfainsetdownonpapersomeobservationsandreflectionswhichmayservetomakeitsmeaningclear，andrenderduepraisetothatmostexcellentqualityinmanorwoman，——especiallyinanglers，——thesmallbutusefulvirtueofTALKABILITY.
RobertLouisStevensonusestheword\"talkable\"inoneofhisessaystodenoteacertaindistinctionamongthepossiblesubjectsofhumanspeech.Therearesomethings，hesaysineffect，aboutwhichyoucanreallytalk;andthereareotherthingsaboutwhichyoucannotproperlytalkatall，butonlydispute，orharangue，orprose，ormoralize，orchatter.
AftermatureconsiderationIhavearrivedattheopinionthatthisdistinctionamongthethemesofspeechisanillusion.Itdoesnotexist.Allsubjects，\"thefoolishthingsoftheworld，andtheweakthingsoftheworld，andbasethingsoftheworld，yea，andthingsthatarenot，\"mayprovidematterforgoodtalk，ifonlytherightpeopleareengagedintheenterprise.Iknowamanwhocanmakeadescriptionoftheweatherasentertainingasatuneontheviolin;
andevenonthethreadbarethemeofthewaywardnessofdomesticservants，Ihaveheardadiscreetwomanplaythemostdivertingandinstructivevariations.
No，thequalityoftalkabilitydoesnotmarkadistinctionamongthings;itdenotesadifferenceamongpeople.Itisnotanattributeunequallydistributedamongmaterialobjectsandabstractideas.Itisavirtuewhichbelongstothemindandmoralcharacterofcertainpersons.Itisareciprocalhumanquality;activeaswellaspassive;apowerofbestowingandreceiving.
Anamiablepersonisonewhohasacapacityforlovingandbeingloved.Anaffablepersonisonewhoisreadytospeakandtobespokento，——as，forexample，Milton’s\"affablearchangel\"Raphael;
thoughitmustbeconfessedthathelaidthechiefemphasisontheactivesideofhisaffability.A\"clubable\"person（touseawordwhichDr.SamuelJohnsoninventedbutdidnotputintohisdictionary）isonewhoisfitforthefamiliargiveandtakeofclub—life.Atalkableperson，therefore，isonewhosenatureanddispositioninvitetheeasyinterchangeofthoughtsandfeelings，oneinwhosecompanyitisapleasuretotalkortobetalkedto.
Nowthisgoodqualityoftalkabilityistobedistinguished，verystrictlyandinflexibly，fromthebadqualitywhichimitatesitandoftenbringsitintodiscredit.Imeantheviceoftalkativeness.
Thatisaselfish，one—sided，inharmoniousaffair，fullofdiscomfort，andproductiveofmostunchristianfeelings.
Youmayobservetheoperationsofthisvicenotonlyinhumanbeings，butalsoinbirds.Allthebirdsinthebushcanmakesomekindofanoise;andmostofthemliketodoit;andsomeofthemlikeitagreatdealanddoitverymuch.Butitisnotalwaysforedification，norarethemostvociferousandgarrulousbirdscommonlythemostpleasing.Aparrot，forinstance，inyourneighbour’sbackyard，inthesummertime，whenthewindowsareopen，isnotanaidtothedevelopmentofChristiancharacter.I
knewamanwhohadtostayinthecityallsummer，andintheautumnwasaskedtodescribethecharacterandsocialstandingofanewfamilythathadmovedintohisneighbourhood.Werethey\"nicepeople，\"well—bred，intelligent，respectable？\"Well，\"saidhe，\"I
don’tknowwhatyourstandardsare，andwouldprefernottosayanythinglibellous;butI’lltellyouinaword，——theyarethekindofpeoplethatkeepaparrot.\"
ThenthereistheEnglishSparrow！Whataninsufferablechatterbox，whatanincurablescold，whatavolubleandtiresomeblackguardisthislittlefeatheredcockney.Thereisnotasweetorpleasantwordinallhisvocabulary.
Iamconvincedthathetalksaltogetherofscandalsandfightsandstreet—sweepings.
Thekingdomofornithologyisdividedintotwodepartments，——realbirdsandEnglishsparrows.Englishsparrowsarenotrealbirds;
theyarelittlebeasts.
TherewasachurchinBrooklynwhichwasoncecoveredwithagreatandspreadingvine，inwhichthesparrowsbuiltinnumerablenests.
Theseungodlylittlebirdskeptupsuchadinthatitwasimpossibletoheartheserviceofthesanctuary.Thefaithfulclergystrainedtheirvoicestothevergeofministerialsorethroat，butthepeoplehadnopeaceintheirdevotionsuntilthevinewascutdown，andtheAnglicanintruderswereevicted.
AtalkativepersonislikeanEnglishsparrow，——abirdthatcannotsing，andwillsing，andoughttobepersuadednottotrytosing.
Butatalkablepersonhasthegiftthatbelongstothewoodthrushandtheveeryandthewren，theorioleandthewhite—throatandtherose—breastedgrosbeak，themockingbirdandtherobin（sometimes）;
andthebrownthrush;yes，thebrownthrushhasittoperfection，ifyoucancatchhimalone，——thegiftofbeinginteresting，charming，delightful，inthemostoff—handandvariousmodesofutterance.
Talkabilityisnotatallthesamethingaseloquence.Theeloquentmansurprises，overwhelms，andsometimesparalyzesusbythedisplayofhispower.Greatoratorsareseldomgoodtalkers.Oratoryinexerciseismasterfulandjealous，andintolerantofallinterruptions.Oratoryinpreparationissilent，self—centred，uncommunicative.Thepainfultruthofthisremarkmayheseenintherowofcountenancesalongthepresident’stableatapublicbanquetaboutnineo’clockintheevening.Thebicycle—faceseemsunconstrainedandmerrybycomparisonwiththeafter—dinner—speech—
face.Theflowoftable—talkiscorkedbytheanxiousconceptionofpost—prandialoratory.
Thackeray，inoneofhisROUNDABOUTPAPERS，speaksof\"thesinoftall—talking，\"which，hesays，\"isthesinofschoolmasters，governesses，critics，sermoners，andinstructorsofyoungoroldpeople.\"Butthisisnotinaccordwithmyobservation.Ishouldsayitwasratherthesinofdilettantiwhoareambitiousofthathigh—steppingaccomplishmentwhichiscalled\"conversationalability.\"
Thishasusually，tomymind，somethingsetandartificialaboutit，althoughinitsmostperfectformtheartalmostsucceedsinconcealingitself.But，atallevents，’’conversation’’istalkineveningdress，withperhapsalittlepowderandatouchofrouge.
’Tislikeoneofthosewisevirginswhoaresaidtolooktheirbestbylamplight.Anddoubtlessthisisanexcellentthing，andnotwithoutitsadvantages.Butformypart，commendmetoonewholosesnothingbytheearlymorningillumination，——onewhobringsallherattractionswithherwhenshecomesdowntobreakfast，——sheisaverypleasantmaid.
Talkisthatformofhumanspeechwhichisexemptfromallduties，foreignanddomestic.Itisthenearestthingintheworldtothinkingandfeelingaloud.Itisnecessarilynotforpublication，——
solelyanevidenceofgoodfaithandmutualkindness.Youtellmewhatyouhaveseenandwhatyouarethinkingabout，becauseyoutakeitforgrantedthatitwillinterestandentertainme;andyoulistentomyrepliesandtherecitalofmyadventuresandopinions，becauseyouknowIliketotellthem，andbecauseyoufindsomethinginthem，ofonekindoranother，thatyoucaretohear.Itisanicegame，witheasy，simplerules，andendlesspossibilitiesofvariation.Andifwegointoitwiththerightspirit，andplayitforlove，withoutheavystakes，thechancesarethatifwehappentobefairlytalkablepeopleweshallhaveoneofthebestthingsintheworld，——amightygoodtalk.
Whatisthereinthisanxious，hide—bound，tiresomeexistenceofours，morerestfulandremunerative？Montaignesays，\"Theuseofitismoresweetthanofanyotheractionoflife;andforthatreasonitisthat，ifIwerecompelledtochoose，Ishouldsooner，Ithink，consenttolosemysightthanmyhearingandspeech.\"Theveryaimlessnesswithwhichitproceeds，theserenedisregardofallconsiderationsofprofitandproprietywithwhichitfollowsitswanderingcourse，andbringsupanywhereornowhere，tocampforthenight，isoneofitsattractions.Itislikeaday’sfishing，notvaluablechieflyforthefishyoubringhome，butforthepleasantcountrythroughwhichitleadsyou，andthestateofpersonalwell—
beingandhealthinwhichitleavesyou，warmed，andcheered，andcontentwithlifeandfriendship.
Theorderinwhichyousetoutuponatalk，thepathwhichyoupursue，theruleswhichyouobserveordisregard，makebutlittledifferenceintheend.YoumayfollowtheadviceofImmanuelKantifyoulike，andbeginwiththeweatherandtheroads，andgoontocurrentevents，andwindupwithhistory，art，andphilosophy.Oryoumayreversetheorderifyouprefer，likethatadmirabletalkerClarenceKing，whousuallysetsailonsomehighlyabstractparadox，suchas\"Civilizationisanervousdisease，\"andlandedinataleofadventureinMexicoortheRockyMountains.OryoumayfollowtheexampleofEdwardEggleston，whostartedinatthemiddleandworkedoutateitherend，andsometimesatboth.Itmakesnodifference.
Ifthethingisinyouatall，youwillfindgoodmatterfortalkanywherealongtheroute.HearwhatMontaignesaysagain：\"Inourdiscourseallsubjectsarealiketome;lettherebeneitherweightnordepth，’tisallone;thereisyetgraceandpertinence;allthereistentedwithamatureandconstantjudgment，andmixedwithgoodness，freedom，gayety，andfriendship.\"
Howclosetothemarktheoldessayistsendshisarrow！Heisrightabouttheessentialqualitiesofgoodtalk.Theyarenotmerelyintellectual.Theyaremoral.Goodnessofheart，freedomofspirit，gayetyoftemper，andfriendlinessofdisposition，——thesearefourfinethings，anddoubtlessasacceptabletoGodastheyareagreeabletomen.Thetalkabilitywhichspringsoutofthesequalitieshasitsrootsinagoodsoil.Onsuchaplantoneneednotlookforthepoisonberriesofmaligndiscourse，norfortheDeadSeaapplesoffrivolousmockery.Butfairfruitwillbethere，pleasanttothesightandgoodforfood，broughtforthabundantlyaccordingtotheseason.