The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-05-28

other sound. But bark What was
that A splash in the brook.
A bull-frog, thought L. / looked in
10 see if could discover him. There he
was in the bottom of the shallow brook.
No, on closer inspection, that was not a
bull-frog. 1t couldn't be fish, for fish
swim around, and this little dark thing,
whatever it was, was lying quite still on
the bottom.
Just then, while / was wondering
what it was, grasshoppsr, which had
jumped by mistake into the middle of
the brook, went kicking along on the
top of the water In an instant there
was a CLEAN just where the grasshopper
was swimming, and before You could
say Jack Robinson the grasshopper
was gone. / was no longer in doubt
about the queer thing at the bottom of
the brook. 1t had disappeared. knew
it must be q trout.
"Ahl" said L to myself, "Ill catch
you, Mr.. Trout Then won't the folks
in town be surprised, and won't they
want to know where / caught him I"
actually believe L thought more at
that moment of what the people would
say than did of catching the trout. l
was quite excited. trembled all over.
l captured y grasshopper, and my hand
shook while I was putting it on the little
hook. got behind bush and very
carefully lowered my line until the bait
touched the surface of the water.
l was terribly excited, as much so as
if the brook was big cannon and the
moment the bait touched it there would
be a tremendous explosion. There was
an explosion, but of different sort. A
plunge, a splash, and gave jerk strong
enough to tear the bottom of the brook
right out.
l went heels over head backward on
the grass, and, on scrambling to my feet,
looked eagerly at the end of the line to
see my trout. But no trout was there,
and what was more the grasshopper was
gone.
"What fool / was," said / to myself,
"to tear the line out of the water in that
way, and scare all the fish. Now won't
catch any, and the people will laugh at
me when L get home"
1 caught another grasshopper, and
tried again and again, but it was of no
use. The fish were evidently frightened.
My feelings, from the highest pitch of
hope and exultation, were reduced to
those of despair and chagrin. 1 almost
cried. L hated to give it up; 80 tried
a little further down the brook.
This time the grasshopper lay undis-
turbed on the top of the water for sew
eral minutes, and was just about to
pull him out and try somewhere else,
when there was ripple in the water-a
splash The grasshopper disappeared,
and there was jerk on my line i, too,
gave jerk upward. Oh, how delight
fully hard the line pulled up And then,
as L whisked my pole round toward the
land, there came out the water silvery,
sparkling fish In a moment, he was
lying on the grass-my first trout
How L walked around him and gazed
at him, and admired his beautiful spots,
Respondent in the sun
No more fishing that day. 1 had my
fish. 1t only remained now to get home.
1t was the middle of the afternoon when
folded up my rod, and with my trout
strung upon a piece of fish-line, started
homeward. / went along the road pretty
rapidly, l can tell you. had no fear of
getting home with my fish to think about
that. i verify believe if L had met
bull, and he had tossed me, / should
have gone up into the air holding on to
that trout like martyr. Alexander the
Great, when he entered in a triumphal
car one of the cities he had conquered,
could not have felt prouder than did
when 1 entered the village, dusty and
tired, and exhibited my prize to the as
tonished townspeople.
have great many times in my life
worked hard and overcome difficulties,
but Go not remember ever feeling such
satisfaction and such pride as when /
caught my first trout.-EdWard w.
Cdd.y, IN 81. Nicholas for Ju,le.