The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-05
Lcopyrlrht. lns by V. N. Rut.srleld. ]


 gro ride upon the bosom of the raging main or sleep on it's placid breast" is de- iightful to those nautically inclined. Those who live in floating domiciles upon the rivers and bayous can also ''sing hol sing hey! for life on the bounding main." as they may be chased with the nautical fra ternity. Tbeirs is the life of the rover, and. Ike tlle nomad. they may "steal silently away" although tent be folded in the process. With the aristocratic members of the floating house. community-those who live in more or less expensive homes for pleasure onlv-moving day Is fraught with dignity commensurate, with the importance of the home. Some have proPelling appa ratus as part of the fittings and move ma jestically from place to place without aid It may be steam contrivance or the com monplace sail. Others are lowed by launch or tug while gone are put upon flat cars and shipped long distances overland. Tn this way change of scene ard even climate can be had and the home and furnishings remain unchanged in all locations. For those who have summer houses this ability to change location at will is in many wnys desirable, for change is not always to be found in a fixed residence.
 The cost of land and the trouble incurred in the effort to dispose of country home are also features important in the choice be tween a floating and a fixed residence. Some pretentious homes are designed for either land or water, and many of these nre quite as expensive and large and as elabo- rately furnished as fixed houses. For the man of hUsinc whose days in the city are filled with hustle and strife nothing Is so restful as the floating cottage Moored in the peaceful bend of the stream he may sit quiet. undisturbed. with pipe in mouth and rod, in hand. and mediate. For shall tell you that in ancient times dehate hnth risen. and 1t remains yet unsolved, whether the happiness of man In this world doth consist more in contemplation or In action. Concerning which some have endenvored to maintain their opinion of the first by saying that the nearer we mortals come to God by way of imitation the more happy we are. And they say that God enjoys himself only by a contemplation of His own Infiniteness, Eternity Power and Goodness and the like. And upon this ground many ciofsteral men of great learning and devotion prefer con temptation before action And. on the contrary there want not men of equal thority and credit that prefer action to be more excellent; namely. experiments in physlc. and the application of it. both for the ease and proiongstion of man's life. by which each man Is enabled to act and do good to others. Concerning which two opinions I shall forbear to add a third by declaring my own. anc rest myself contentcd in telling you, my very worthy friend. that both these meet together, ard do most prop erly belong to the most honest, ingenious. quiet and harmless art of angling"
 So did Iznak Walton write In behalf of the noble sport" of fishing. Certainly there ss no lack of opportunity in this direction in the floating bouse. For the student or the sage there is bouDdless opportunity for study. To be sure it cannot be said that the small boy CT the average fisherman who sits for hours gazing into the wuter or Idly watching the floating bob Is either contem- pintings or studying the wonders about him. and so you can question the studousness of the idler who devotes his attention to the leaves or the grass, yet some there are who observe and study. An ingenious Spaniard says that rivers and the inhabitants of the waiery element ere made for wise men to contemplate and fools to pass by without contemplation"
 God quickened in the sea and in the rivers So many fishes and SO many features
 That in the waters we may see all creatures, Ev'n all that upon the earth are to be
 found,
 As If the world were In deep waters drowned. For Seas, as well as Skies. have Sun. Moon.