Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-18

have heretofore given due credit 10 inc
number OF insects city man can hnu
in the country. As the hours wore on anu
tho piscatorial enthusiast dio not re'ui"'
the sky grew darker. and lightnings play
cd among the tufted foliage OF the pines.
rho slightest breeze among the green
brushes sounded like q hurricane, ana L
hegan 10 prepare my soul for better
world. I even forgave my wife severhi
offences which had greatly irritated me,
Instinct told mo that the lightning wouio
select, out of ten thousand trees. the ONO
under which stood, and that the pisca-
torial enthusiast, on returning Wouiu
find me scared and burned like cigar
stump Frogs croaked on the sodoen
marge OF the pond. while ever ana anon
n twig would snap and come erasmus
IA The earth. At last the man who had
baited me returned with three iliihiio"s
and a sad, disappointed look. we Wen VEN
into the boat-house, selected sN"i,
which required two-hours' bailing' anu
then pushed out amid-stream. III ms
boat there was one invisible deau isn'
left by some former fanatic. wnlch slio"
ed how offensive the decompositi"n v.
animal matter can become. L pene,e .ha'
one fish served as a warning 10 nus Su ,
vivlng relatives. But at last we wele ~
on the water. and when 20 feet from inc
and rains. This one belonged TO the spe-
cies which eternally lies In wait TOT PIC.
nicl<ers and lovers of outdoor sports. II
did its duty acknowledgement as Wen AN
the dead fish i'm the boat. Ihen, dil "l
once the bottom dropped out OF oui eu
thusiasm. and the piscatorial enthusiast
who knows all about fishing tangled NE
line. We sadly pulled for the shore, anu
with water. water everywhere ana noI
drop (of that fluid TO drink we ME"
ourselves to the boat-house.
There is nothing that can equal the
persistency of picnic rain. 1t starts at
the right time-that is, just as the pre-
arranged programme begins, and unfilnch-
tngly does its duty until all nope
of pleasure from the outing is lost. 1H'1
this rain-mind you, ] say rain, not
shower-did its duty in making US Hissi
able, I cannot deny, though que circuit
for our discimfiture should also De gwen
the hound dog which visited the boat
house during our brief <soJourn on
the water and partoOk of the lunch we
had left behind. And it would be potn
unjust and superficial for me to omit
some allusion to the mosquitoes which
never for an instant allowed the ram
70 check their efforts in making our
acquaintance.
Fish. whose appettes have been PAM
pered by live minnOWs ana VINO MAKE
il an inViOlable rule never 10 bite during
damn weather or in June or at city folk
hooks. OF course. could not expect to
be captured on such day by such
pair. and. therefore. we caught nothlhs.
This. in itself. was not the worst thins
that ever happened TO me Dut IL maze
the piscatorial enthusiast very grumpy
of
of my Jokes. He spent hours explaining
the causes of our i'll luck, but nothing
could have made life bright for me that
day.
Now I submit that everything was
against us. and that IZaak Walton him
self couldn't so much as have caught
a catfish had he been with us but all
the same, my neghbOrs thought they
had a splendid joke on US when we re-
turned home. Even the Chinee felt that
he figured prominently in the humor OF
| the situation. Each and every man and
woman and chick and child assumed
mirthful superiority over me When l
presented my bedraggled form at the
/ front door. There was not human be-
| ing who did not show by his bear
! ing that he fully believed he could have
caught scores OF FISH had he been with
US. When an angler returns without any
of the hnny specimens, every citi-
! zen of the land appreciates the Joke and
| feels that the fshermdn's misfortune
| shows how capable he 0he citizem would
be if one could induce him TO condescend
to 90 fishing. Human nature pops out all
over such people.
Ii would be derelict In me to close the
narrative Of this interesting incident in
! my life without making due mention OF
| the splendid mathematical ability Of the
! old gentleman in whose pond we tshed.
| He was so suave and cordial that when
he told US the privilege would only cost
| p cents and tho boats 10 cents an hour
! We felt that We were cruelty imposing
upon him. After we paid his bill we
quickly overcame these emotions. If
there was u second ne omitted from his
calculations l hope he will drop me a
line mot a hshing-line-the gods forbid
and let me know. | should hate TO be
under obligations TO him.
The piscatorial enthusiast with the
brush-like tongue has not dared to LOOK
me in the face since that soggy day OF
disappointed hopes, but my shotgun is
well creased and can wait
The following, which shows one can
have discretion even while a plaything OF
love. is a bona-hde notice that recently
| appeared in a northern paper:
|
Steven Perry (coloreD Is going
to be married July p, 1899, to Miss
Cora Lane (colored). If there is
one who has a right TO object,
please speak now, or hereafter
hold your peace. Nos. 1913 or 1921
Calhoun street IT,
That stephen means business no one
can deny, though it strikes me he is rather
anticipating the marriage ceremony wher
he asks that all objections TO the mater
be filed beforehand. 1t may be. however
that his prospective mother-in-law prom
iscs to give trouble, and that he wishes
10 be over with her as soon as possible.
Far b0 it from me to insinuate thai
Steve suspects the fair Cora Of already
having a few husbands in stock, though
one might infer as much from his adver
tisement Indeed, the whole notice Is de
lliciously mysterious AID romantic, Though