One day when a friend of
mine, an enthusiastic angler, who comes here, was going down to the
river to fish, you showed the greatest interest in what was going on.
The fishing tackle seemed so familiar to you that my friend put a
fishing rod into your hand and you went with him to the river. I do
not myself care for angling, and I was at the time very busy with a
picture, but I could not resist the temptation to follow you. You
skipped into the punt with the greatest glee, baited your hook,
adjusted your float on the line, cast it into the water and fished
with such skill that you caught two fish to my friend's one.
Observing all these things, I came to the conclusion that you had
lived much in the open air, and other incidents made me know that you
were a great lover of Nature."
'"And you," I said, "must also be a lover of Nature, or you could not
find such delight in watching animals."
'"No," he said, "the interest I take in animals has nothing whatever
to do with love of Nature or study of Nature. They interest me by
that unconsciousness of grace which makes them such a contrast to
man.
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