Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1873-10-04
" John Paul Goes Fishing.
A Histnrr.


John Paul of the New York Tribune
took a dinner at Moons, Saratoga, the
other day, and, having been allowed to
catch his own fish from the pond, tells
the story of his angling thus: 1t is a
nice pond, pebbled and weeded like a
natural one, and black bass, varying in
weight from one to four pounds, swim
round in it contented and happy as
CLANS at high water. Before catching
our fish we thought it best to select a
fat one, so n of the party went up to
Moons to get something to call them to
the top Of the water with. He returned
with a paper of fried potatoes-the
cheapest thing he could get-and we
threw them in. A fine young bass came
up to inquire the price, but immediate
ly retired below, remarking in a deep
bass voice that he couldn't afford any
thing from Moons, Spying a big fellow
lying in the shade of a plank that is
stretched over the water, to tempt visi.
tors to walk ont and fall ia, and so
furnish cheap food for the fish, we de-
termined to drop a line and, if possible,
persuade him to Join us at dinner. In
response he opened and shut his mouth
slowly once or twice. His sounds did
not get up to us, but We guessed he was
asking "WheIe?" So as the old moon
was reflected in the water we pointed
at her yellow disk. He bit at our mean
ing at once-I mean he caught the re,
Election without further calculation.
And he again began making at us those
slow, solemn mouths in which you've
seen fishes indulge-vide gold fish in q
glass globe or brook trout in an aqua
rum. DR.. Hollands beautiful lines
where a child is supposed to be lost in
abstract contemplation of a prattling
parent-came wildly to my mind:
What is the sardine talking about?
Very wonderful tins, no doubt.
But my manufacturing friends from
Meriden, who, among other things,
make fish-spoons-I mean "spoons"
for trolling, supplying fish with a
"plate" which is instrumental in land
ing them on n eventually-had little
trouble in understanding this unspoken
and only suggested language. Accord
ing to their Interpretation, our big bass
remarked that he had an engagement to
sing tenor for the first time at a small
fish supper, that evening, and thought
1t was about time to be taking his place.
Besides, he could not think of Joining
our party if we were going to dine at
Moons. Such invitations had fallen in
his way before, but he always steered
clear of them; he knew what was expec-
ted. As for furnishing the dinner. to
that he had no particular objection; and
being eaten up was a destiny which he
contemplated in a cheerful spirit rather
than otherwise, since. among other
lines, the celebrated ones of Pope-or
Pagan, he was not exactly sure which
had met his eve:
Sure the pleasure is as great,
In beng eaten as to eat.
He thought an Irishman ought to reel
of the last line to make the rhyme per-
feet or even allowable, but would not be
betrayed into a criticism which, afterall,
might be considered fnical. But he did
object, decidedly object, to furnishing
the dinner himself, and then being ex-
pected to pay for it besides. He could
never bring himself to believe that be-
ing devoured was a personal favor for
which n should show gratitude to the
gulper, and he understood that this was
what Moon demanded of his guests.
"We'd be all in the same boat. if we
dlned up there, gentlemen" he said in
conclusion: at would be the last of
every mothers son of us ;" and waving
his tail in gentle adieu he swan away.
l did not hear his tale, but 7 understood
Its end got at the finale, so to speak.
And the nub of it was exactly like that
OF an editors letter when, after praisiug
the article you shave honored him by
submitting" he tapers gracefully off
with, declined with thanks" We
then tried to net the fish, but failed. and
had to content ourselves with getting at
their weight in gross. Tempting them
with spoons plated by the rival man
ufacturers present proved equally in
e%tfectual; they looked at the trademarks
about which so much fuss is made, but
declined to be betrayed by either. But
why amplify when a word tells it ALP?
The dinner was bad, and fish had place
thereat. In the very front of it figured
our big bass, just as I thought he would
while he was doing all that mouthing.
He imagined himself so smart and SO
frequently expressed an intention not to
be caught, that 1 guessed he'd soon pick
up a worm that would trouble him. I've
seen such people before.
The MIRACLE OF GENIUS. We can
never prophesy the exact limits of intel
lectual power. History warns us against
doing SO. The genius of Plato was