Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-22

green for many a generation 10 come.
These are. as already indicated. his Noe
tee. AmbrOsanae" and "Christ0pher IN
His Sporting Jacket published by
MessTs. BlackwoOd.
MORE ENLIVENING.
II Waltons work be considered milder
and gentler in spirit. ana more In keep
ing with its contempiative theme than the
"NOctes" or the other work named. the
gusto and movement OF the latter are
certainly far more cniiyenirg and ex-
hilaraiing. and more likely 10 make one
feel something OF the strong mountain
breeze about ones temples. With odd
Izaak" one rs ever lettering in the plains
or meandering among the meadows. never
sure what VIII be the subject OF his next
exordium. To be in the company Of
Christopher North, on the other hand
one must. perforce. be ever climbing steep
braes ard heathery knobs. or logging
along the footpath way" as best he may,
though always cheerfully and expectant-
ly. and. then. there Is the glorious exer-
else OF keeping pace with that prince Of
pedlars, Thus, almost from his cradle
Chrlstopher's cry was. GIVE me breath
and BREADTH and therein. surely. IL
proof enough that In his case the child
was the father Of the man. Even before
he had arrived at that age when character
Is supposed TO be only in process OF for
nation, his inordinate passion for anS-
ling was in evidence.
or him, as OF Walton. 1t may be said
that Plscator nascitur. non ft Indeed
the axiom may be more applicable to the
later than TO the older angler: for. while
II Is believed that young izaak had ac-
tually arrived at puberty before he be-
came enamoured Of the rod, OF the embryo
"Christopher" II is recorded that he was
but 3 years of age when he made the
grand discovery that he could ply the
gentle art with--for him-the most con-
spcuous success. And so, with his first
steps guided by his early-awakeneI intel
ligtnce and desire, We find our Scottish
Walton straying TO the margin Of the
nearest burn 10 pay the tribute Of an
ardent votary TO the art, the love of
which must have been born within him
or this youthful precocity his daughter.
Mrs. Gordon. has something 10 say in
her delightful Memoirs OF her father
that is worth quoting
In his childish years John Wils was
as beautiful and animated a creature as
ever played in the sunshine That pas
sion for sport, and especially for angling.
in which his strong nature found such
won't I'm after years. was developed at an
age when most boys are still hardy
safe beyond the nurses apron strings.
II WAC but years old when he rambled
Of Onn day armed vi a willow wand.
duly furnished with q thread and line
and a crooked pin. 10 fish IN the wee
burnie' OF which he had taken note. away
q good mile from home Unknown t0 any
one. already approaching the fasciul-
ton Of an undisturbed and solitary cast.
tie blue-cyed and golden-halred advon-
h.. H.tF.. .afs f.4
spend a day OF unforgotten delight. LASH
ng away at the ripping stream with
what success We may, perhaps, find re-
corded in Fytte First Of Christopher in
His Sporting Jacket "
As \ BARN
Were It possible 20 record all the piscl-
torial exploits OF Christopher North, from
his first venture with the willow
wand and crooked pin when a sunny
haired BARN Of three summers. to those
last sad lOiterinss by the river Dochart,
sixty years later. with the pith OF life
almost gone out Of him. and within but
a few weeks of that shadOwy hour when
Deaths dark stream he ferried GER the
result would be one Of the most wonder
fully entertaining books Of sport that
could be imagined. From all accounts
there never. surely, was an anger Ike
him To Walton's enthusiasm FOR the
gen tie art and expert esf in its practice
Though only I'm bait-hshing- The
author Of the "Complest Angler had but
little skill IN hy-hshing) Christopher
North added a daring and pr wess quite
unexamp,ed in the annals of angling
Some OF his fishing feats read like the
legendary doinss Of a Gemi-god. They
are nevertheless. the stories-aL more or
less well authenticated-of man who.
In the heyday of manhood a. least. rarely.
II ever, experienced fatigue. He would
sometimes cover such distances. Ing TO
and returning from his fishing eXpedi-
tons. and generally on foot, as can hard
Is be realized by anglers in these days
of express railways trains and swift
, steamboats,. lie was known 10 accom-
pl'sh In twenty-four hours what even the
har,liest disciple Of the gentle art would
10 dream Of attempting within less than
three DAYS. with periods for rest and re-
freshmen between. An. there is no
doubt that II was owing very much to
his herculean efforts and exploits by river
and loch in quest OF his fay0rite sport
that his strength broke down and failed
az a period Of life when many men would
obiecl 10 be- designated az veterans.
His methods of fishing were sometimes
quite original and. had o d iZaak been a
witness Of them, would have made that
contemp.atiye worthy hold up his nte
hands ln pi0us horror. For Instance
Mrs. Gordon tells how
zone day. ~ he was fishing from the
shore "a large trout, such as Loeb Awe
uh. scene Of the story Is remarkable
sor, was hooked by him. His line was
weak and. afraid 10 lose II, he cast
himself into tha loch. yielding 10 the mo-
tions OF the strong creature unit. 1t he
came fatigued and manageable. Then he
swain ashore with his victim In sIhjec-
ton. ana brought Il home This was no
unusual mode Of fishing with my iitner.
As the 'Ettr!ck Shepherd remarked. In
he used e. gang out. out, OUT. and ever
sac lar out frae tHe point o d pr0mOn-
tory. sinking aye further and iurtner
doom. first 10 the wa siband o. his breeks,
then I'D 10 the middle button o. has waist
coat. then TO the vera breist. then TO the
oXters, then T. the neck, ana then to the
vera chin O. him. sac that you wun-
nered how he could fling the ilees. TIL .ast
o. a h. would prump RIGHT cot O. sight,
I'll the Highlander on Ben Cruacnan
thocht him drooned. No he. indeed. sac
h. takes 20 the sOomln and strikes ava
WI ae arm. for the tither had baud o
the rod"
IN EMERGENCY.
Another story. illustrative Of his extra
ordinary faculty Of contryanc- in an
emergency, is worth recording. The story
has. ii may be explained, b-en hand d
down from those who were believed to
have bean witnesses OF the incident; but,
so far as is known II has never been
recorded. and so must be taken for what
it is worth II has. however, all the APP
pearance Of perfect credlbi-ity, at least,
in tn light OF many OF his strange
ventures
one day Christopher North wandered
many miles in quest OF a basket. On ar
irving at the stream he perceived that the
trout were ION the TAX" and were rls-
ms freely to the lily. a specimen OF which
he Immediately captured with the view
% making nm cast to that particular