River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-09-27
LAURA'S DOCTOR.

BILE might welcome it here
| | sang that snatch of the sweet old
fashioned ditty as paused for moment
or two by the side Of copse, with my
tied up iiy-rod in my hand, acting as
wall1ing-stick, my creel hanging from
my shoulder, and book Of choice trout
flies in my pocket.
For | was thoroughly enjoying myself
on one of natures best early summer
mornings; the trees were just in their
early green, the meadows were golden
with buttercups, the bitches hidden by
the lush growth of moisture-loving wild
/ flowers, amongst which showed the glis-
| tenIng green arrowheads of the arum, the
delicate pink of the wild geranium, and
the pretty blue eyes of the speedwell
From every verdant tree rang out natures
sweet hymns of JOY, and / stood drink
/ ingin the delicious sounds, thanking
| God for my very existence as / inhaled
the bright pure air, and gazed and listen
4 ed. From one side came at intervals the
soft, mellow cry of the cuckoo, low egg
/ hunting in the dense green hedges; from
the other, the copse side, trilled the
sweet melody of that most charming of
our spring songsters, the little black-cap;
| from the nettles in the ditch came the
jerky, fdgety song of the white-throat,
all effort and no music.
An old friend had told me of this place
with its pretty village, Its rustic rectory,
and glorious trout-stream; telling me,
too, how the gentlemanly, kind old rec
/ tor would, if asked, give me leave to
make casts from his meadows across to
| the high bank under which the fat
1 speckled trout lay waiting for the pretty
dancing May-fies, which fitted up and
down in wondrous light, sailing aloft,
and floating slowly down to the glisten-
/ ing water.
+ For, let me confess, / am an ardent
! fisherman, though that glorious morning
felt keenly the Frenchman's sarcasm di-
rected against the English, as exclaim-
ing, What fine morning; let's go out
and kill something!" And here am |,
come down here into this rural Paradise,
to beguile and slay the trout" I said to
myself "Serve them right, too; don't
they gobble up wholesale the beauteous
epheDlerQ that, poor things, have only
few hours to live? The trout might leave
them in peace and devour the vicious
gnats. The trout are tvrants, and, if not
too willy, shall be slain-and broiled and
there a more delicious fish that swimsl-
Hallom
had been continuing along the foot
path, as | said these words. to where |
had been told it turned into the copse, on
passing through which | should find my
self opposite the rectory garden, where
was going to ask leave to fish. And now
| stopped short, with the exclamation
had softly uttered, for l had suddenly
come in view of stile, by which stood
overlooking English maiden, simply
dressed in HollandcolOred gTass-cloth,
with plain straw hat covering the dark
hair gathered in a cluster behind She
was very pale, a pallor increased by the
black velvet tie fastened beneath the lit
tie plain collar round her neck, and as |
first saw her, she stood with the fingers of
her right hand lightly resting ON the lit
tie stile. while her left was held as if to
command silence.
1t was evident that she heard my APP
preaching footsteps, for suddenly her face
became animated, she clasped her hands
together, a joyous smile oyer-spread her
face, and she bounded towards me.
"At last, at last" she cried, wildly;
and then, when within few yards, she
stopped short, the bright look of ANNA
ton AIDED away as if the sunshine had
passed from her young life, and crossing
her hands YEARLY upon her breast, she
stood for a few moments gazing at me as
involuntarily raised my soft tweed hat.
mo, no, no, ~ she laid, slowly, with
sigh; and looking at me again wistfully,
she turned away, crept through an open
ing beside the stile, and was gone.
Poor girl Y said; "theres sad story
attached to her life, I'm sure
| / walked on to the stile, and sat upon
4 it, TO listen once more to the gay carol of
/ the birds, and watch the golden sunshine
raining through the leaves to fall in
showers upon the flower-decked soil.
/ Unmistakable hunger was making it
self known, and told myself that a cot
/ tage must be near where / could get my
+ self some breakfast before visiting the
rector, and Well, how strange! by all
that's wonderful, there is the woodpecker
tapping
"Not a sound could hear
/ But the woodpecker tapping the hollow
beech tree"
Sure enough from the depths of the
wood came the short, sharp tapping of
the busy bird, hunting out insects from
the bark of an old tree, and | sat there
listening for a few minutes.
"Well, he's having his breakfast" |
said, at last. 'and must have mine"
Coffee, ham and eggs, homemade
bread, country butter, and a snowy cloth,
floated before my ardent imagination as
leaped from the stile, crossed the wood,
leaped another stile, and stood in pref
Il lane, close to q charmingly-ke gar
den, running down to the road from
beautiful rustic-.ooking house; and not
many yards from me gray-headed old
gentleman in black, with a velvet cap on
his head, was busy. trowel in hand,
planting scarlet geraniums in one of the
beds that dotted the velvet lawn.
He looked up and started slightly as
he saw me. then bowling, he came down
10 the rough trellis fence that divided his
garden from the land.
"A nice morning." he said, pleasantly.
rs raised my hat Fishing, IpTesumeln
Yes | said, II was going 10 try
and you were going 10 ask my leaye!@
he said, smiling.
~ intended to call after had been to
the village" l said somewhat taken
aback.
did YOU leave town this morning~
said the old getleman.
"Yes,' replied, Shy the first train,and
walked across from Hautley."
Then you must be quito ready for
breakfast he said, referring to his watch.
at will be ready now"
20, thank you, no." stammered, for
this offer of hospitality to perfect strang-
or was staggering. II am going down
to the inn, and then il you will kindly
permit me to whip the stream, | shall be
very glad
20, certainly, certainly" he said. Il
am an old fisherman myself, and | be-
lieve we of the craft are somewhat Free
masons in our way. The Mayfy are well
on. and you viii have good sport towards
evcning-not before