The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-08-25
Mr.. John Roach.

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story"
NV neighbor looked up from his float
as he stood angling for perch upon a
little rustic bridge which used to he
nearly opposite the Rye House, at
Hoddesdon, in Hertfordshire. I had
been botanizing all the afternoon among
the waterside fiora-which is very beau
tiful in England-and had unslung my
basket to have a gossip with Mr.. John
Roach. We live near each other, and
feel the natural esteem which comes of
reciprocal good offices. His place is
called "Nestfields," and mine "The
Priory." | don't know why. They are
both substantial country houses, built of
red brick, without any pretention, and
surrounded by twenty acres or so of gar
dens and meadow land. They were
probably erected in the reign of Eliza
beth, when our island peculiarities were
somewhat more marked than they are
now, for they are both alike in this
popularity, that small portions of light
and air are walled in for private use and
plentifully planted with good things.
My friends habitation was the DOVER
house of old Sir Reginald Roach's
widow, who seems to have set up some
queer religion for herself and followers
round about here; my place seems to
have been rebuilt out of the ruins of an
ancient monastery which was, perhaps,
pulled down by Henry the Eighth's
commissioners after the bluff King had
quaTreled with his Romish clergy.
John Roach and are alike in many
respects. We have both good gardens,
excellent wine-cellars, larders we'll
stocked at all times, curious libraries,
with all the shelves full of companiona-
ble books. We are both bachelors, un-
der the guardianship of fsunny-tempered
house-keepers, so that we ripen and
grow mellower daily, as do peaches
upon a southern wall in autumn time.
We have both warm incomes, too;
enough for all the wants of the fancy
and the wants of the heart, and nothing
over. We could neither of US take to
building or picture-buying on large
scale; but we can purchase all the re-
spect we require for common use; we
never haggle over figures, and let our
tradesmen, work-people, and servants
make such gains as please them, with
out demanding strict accounts from any
one. At Christmas and at Easter we
have always something to give away,
and we keep the birthdays of old folks
and children that we may enjoy the
perpetual sight of happy faces; so that
whenever big fish or blade of strange
grass is heard of within miles of our
abode, John Roach and l are sure to
have the first news piping hot, because
our bread and cheese and ale are good, and
he loves angling, and tits well known
that am searching for the four-leaved
shamrock, which is said sometimes to
reward patient and intelligent looking
into nature.
"Yes, 1 was a fisherman, and Philip
was not, or he might have better under
stood the origin of happiness" cOntin-
ued my neighbor, with quaint, de-
mure smile playing over his features in
the soft hazy light of an English spring
in early evening.
nodded as l arranged an unusually
fine specimen of parasite which grows
upon the water-lily, and which then
fancied I had myself discovered, though
now 6Dd it was known to my Scotch
gardener, and is not uncommon in
Perthshire, his native county. AS
nodded, L also remarked, with sound
discretion, that fishing and botany
might account for many things.
"Ah ~ returned Mr.. John Roach
with more readiness, if with less pro
fundity, than had characterized my OBJ
servatlon, Fishing has an advantage
over botany, because it is less absorb
ing. When you go a-hunting for flora
you are as a student who diligently
pores over a book, a large and opel
book, indeed, but one of which the char
acters are often hard to decipher, an,
your attention can never wander from
the subject. A fisherman has only t,
keep an eye upon his float, and ma,
leave his thoughts at liberty to roam
over all creation. Fishing is rather al
aid to contemplation than a hindranc
to it.n
1 had nothing to say in answer to thi
statement, and if had been able to con
trovert it, l should not have done so, TO
we must have lived and thought {
small advantage if we do not evade dis
cusslon whenever it is possible to do s
honestly. like botanfzing better tha
angling; that is no reason why m
friend should be enamored by nv pas
time, and it is a delicate sort of charit
which consists in yielding up the sma
triumphs of conversation to all VIII
talk with us. We are not bound {
converse with anybody; but when "
consent to hold intercourse even with
curmudgeon, weare bound in conscienC
and in kindness to use none but swet
words whenever the thing can be fairl
managed.
Besides, Mr.. John Roach looked i
such good ease that evening, his broat
sunburnt face, tanned by wind an
weather, was so cOmely, and my frien
was altogether such pleasant type
strength, manliness, and robust healtl
that l felt it would not be rational
deny that there must be great virtu,
in fishing, for he was a living examp
of them. The story he had told me, to
as we rested together on the bridge, WI
by no means calculated to diminish th
afectionate regard which had bee
gradually growing up between US at
time these last twenty years; and wht
he had brought it to an end with Il
terse reflection above mentioned, 1 wo
dered how it had come about that '
had known each other so long and tn
our hearts had never gone wholly out
revelations of our past lives till th
day, and then-so naturally reticent a
Englishmen of their private concerns
that the inner life of my most intima
associate bad only been made known
me by chance, if there is such thiI
as chAnce. or what my neighb
said as he stood fishing for perch, and
was watching him, this is the sum:
81 was, as you know, the younger
the two sons of Sir Everard Roach.
Bellairs and Fontenay. Our family
one of the oldest in Sussex, and for ce
turies we have held some very large 9
tates there A legend saws we are 4