Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-11-23
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Near to Nature
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

f. 81 .
+-sss+issss44@44s4ss-i-salA
"IIe.s such "a fine man, the one Ger
tie Filkins is going to marry" said
the woman embroidering a dolly.
"What especially like about hin, is
his devotion to nature and outdoor
sports"
The woman with the obvious cold in
her head groaned. Stop her!" she
moaned frantically. "Stop Gertie be-
fore it is too late! Look at me! Ny
husband loves nature, too--and il I
hadn't been born to be hanged I'd
have been dead long ago from pnet.
monia. We went back to our cot
tage at the lake after we got the
children in school and Henry said ]
should now have a real rest and bit
of regeneration before the winter
season. So he decided we'd better 80
fishing.
"Now, I am an active person, and
fishing is my idea of nothing TO do. I
told Henry had million letters to
write and all his stocking to mend.
but he never heard me. When he
gets an idea you might as well throw
up your hands and knock your head
on the ground three times, because
it's all over, and it's the wise person
who knows it; but there are times
when I struggle feebly.
$50 we went fishing.
"When he mentioned incidentally
that we should have to 60 SEEMING
first for the, minnows let out several
feeble yowis that made no more I'm.
preston on him than grasshopper.
HE said SEEMING would be perfect
ly nice, healthy exercise for me ard
that he would do all the hard part.
All i had to do was walk along the
shore hanging on to one end Of the
sein while he struggled through the
waves with the other, his hip rubber
boots saving him from actual contact
with the Icy water. S
''That sein may have been a harm
less, well conducted thing ordinarily
but when it saw me coming It rose
on its hind legs and proceeded to
buck 1t pulled me into the water
over my shoe tops twice, and then
when we tried to land 1t the wind.
which was pretty high, simply lifted
It in the air, twisted 1t over, and
showered me with all the minnows, a
small turtle and a lot Of sticky sea-
weed stuff.
II shrieked for help, but there was
no response. When had got all the
fish out of my ears and neck saw
Henry was on the ground all sewsd
up in the seine. He was fighting like
a giant whale, but rescued him at
last He said it was all my fault for
not handling the net properly and
that we'd try again for the Ininnows
if I'd use my brains. s4,osbas, -.e.. !,
"This time I broke my back keep
ing the pole at my end Of the seine
pushing along the ground ahead OF
me, as per orders. We dragged
through an acre Of water and then
Henry rounded in to shore, with low
hissings to me to do thus and 80 and
wild orders not to do this and that.
II obeyed his commands with strict
attention to details.
We've got big catch this time!"
Henry cried. trlumphantly, as we
landed the sein right side up.
"Breathlessly we laid it opeh-and
1t contained two big snags or roots,
an empty pickle bottle and sorlio
weeds. 4 am a dutiful wife and /
won't tell you the piece Henry recitsd
to ease his mind. 1t consisted OF
brief EXPLANATIONS mostly. -,
"By the time we had really trapped
enough minpows I was drenched 10
the knees and Henry had received
most of the wild waves in the tops Of
his rubber boots. Then he said We
must hurry to the dock becausalt was
growing late for fishing. I had on a
sweater, heavy coat and my head
wrapped up, and felt as frolicsone
as a baby elephant. Henry was a
thing of beauty in some nondescript
wrappings that he reserved for the
country.
"Then we sat and fished. The cold
wind whistled and my nose was pur.
pie: Every once in a while Henry
would say fatuously: Isn't this
great?' Just breathe this air:' And I'd
say: I'D is, by dear. oh Counsel Then
he would say: Are you warm enough.
Isabella?' And I, being a perfect wife.
would nearly crack my frozen face.
smiling and murmuring cheerfully:
Ib just roasting to death, Hedry!'
Then he'd remark that it certainly
was queer the way the fish didn't bite.
and what on earth could be the trou-
BILE? Once he had nibble and It
caused great excitement among US.
I know almost rolled into the lake.
because tipped over and was so muf-
fed up couldn't move hand or foot
to right myself.
when the sun was sinking low q
native rowed by and told US that no.
body had caugh fish off that dock
since the middle of last summer. SO
then we picked up our minnow pail
and went home.
"Henry asserted that he had had