The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-09-04
LOVE AND FISHING.
A. Ko,nance of Quoguewasset.

For. the last ten days the ordinarily
peaceful village of Quoguewasset, Long
Island, has been greatly disturbed. For
merly the inhabitants of that remote
hamlet enjoyed feeling of complete Sc
curitv. There was not a drunkard, a
criminal or disorderly person of any
sort within twenty miles of the village,
and not man or woman dreamed OF
locking door or fastening a window at
night. Now, alas! a reign of midnight
terror and MONDAY nervousness has be-
gun. Quoguewasset is haunted, not by
a professional or amateur ghost, but by
maddened assistant teacher of the
Young Ladies' Seminary, who goes up
and down witlla club, iclamoring for the
blood. of a wicked small boy who, us he
asserts, has BETRAYED him and wrecked
his earthly Happiness. > li5f
In-the@mentaf ~2sst Jsaly ameng the
ipfrequent summer tourists who arrived
At Quoguewasset there was family from
this city, which included among its num-
beers very bright and attractive young
lady. "A few days later there also ar
rived Mr.. Perkins Smith, the assistant
teacher to whom reference has just been
made. Mr. Smith was mild young
man whose life had been passed in the
school-room, and who knew rather less
about field sports, than a child in arms
who is acquainted only with the mater
nal slipper, and has not yet learned the
use Of the rod. Like most mild men,
the assistant teacher was wholly unwill-
ing to confess that he had never shot Il
!. fish, and did not know to which end of
a gun an. artificial fly should be attached.
He affected to take an immense interest
& in every thing of a tishy, snipey, or gen.
orally athletic nature, and ladies who
Knew him only as he represented HIM
self to be, regarded him us a skillful,
brave and enthusiastic sportsman.
Such, indeed, was the opinion of the
bright and attractive young lady who
3swas temporarily staying at Quogue-
wasset, and whose affections the assist
ant teacher was anxious to gain. When
she informed him, just before leaving
Il town, that there was perfectly splendid
fishing at Quog,lewasset, and that he
ought to run down and try it, he gladly
leaped at the chance of prosecuting his
cotlrtship in a lonely village where there
would be no Objectionable young men
A~itl1 horses and other unfair devices to
distract the attention of his beloved OBJ
1 ject. Accordingly, Il week later Mr..
Smith arrived at Quoguewasset, osten-
i sibly to fish, and chuckled to himself as
he thought how completely his bundle of
! ] tishing-rods, 1anding-nets, and fish
/ baskets would blind the young ladies'
= sbrotherszte,the real motive of his visit.
: IL Mr.. Smith hnanaged to- postpone for
several day the necessity of pretending
! to-fish, and devoted his. whole time to
! the young lady of his heart. When her
! brothers urged him to come out with
them for days fishing, he declined. on
VI the plea that no man who really loved
! the sport ever cared to practice it except
!, when alane.l The day came, however,
.. 3swhen the young lady told him that i,
!, really did pot look well for. him to come
! !, down to QuoS 1eWasset to fish, and then
: to spend every consecutive day on hel
:. front piazza. % q People will talk, you
q know" continued the intelligent young
4 lady, s.and, besides, / am so fond d
= TROUT, and | want you to show the boy,
!. what a splendid fisherman you are ,
7 MI. Smith, Intoxicated with this sort o.
language, assured her that he would OF
: fishing the very next morning, an(
: : would bring her the finest trout to b.
] found on Long Islands r,Tg
9 There was reputed trout stream IL
I the neighborllood, and thither the assist
= ant teacher wended his way. His view
+ of trout-fishing were vague and at TIL,
II same time simple. cit must be per
r fectly easy" he said to himself; ..all
L have to do is to drop the hook in TIL,
y water and pull the fish out when the,
8 bite: Excellent as the plan was il
lel theory, it somehow failed to work. Mr.
le Smith attached Il beautiful fiy to tn,
n end of large and bright trolling-spoon
g and twined a collection of earth-worm
n artistically around the whole, but h
d failed to catch any thing but weeds an'
:, the branches of. trees, :, He could no
the trout. Not only did they refuse t,
e. bite, but when he varied his method o
% attack by fishing with scoop-net, the,
ri refused to enter it, even when he stirre,
1t up the water with stick and erie,
~ !" Shoot at them. Gradually he be
il came convinced that he would be force,
le to 90 home without trout As he pic
r tured the disappointment Of the youn,
ct lady and the ruin Of his reputation as
$. fisherman, gloom settled down ,,po
er him, and when at sunset he wendell hi
t. way homeward with his broken rod am
. empty basket, he was an unspeakabl
ssa wreteheiflAiAis& EsgGs Z
ri To the despairing Smith then suddenl
appeared R1easuaA small boy bearing
ii basket fun Of large and beautiful fish
IN Hope sprang up in the assistant teacher
at heart as the adversary Of mankin
i'd whispered to him awicked but temptin
e. suggestion. He stopped the small BIO
n and asked him if the fish We're trout
10 The boy said unhesitatingly that the
m were. Mr.. Smith ut once bought six {
r the largest fish, and hired the small DO
ne to string them. Then, with prou
pr step, he sought the house of his believe
le one, and carelessly handing her the fish
ut remarked that he was disappointed i
TO the, sizeo Of the Quoguewasset trout, an
er had thrown away at least 50 becaus
I'd they weighed less than two pounds eacl
q The young lady looked at him rattle