It is just a kind of a defect, due to her education, of
course. In everything else she's magnificent. But she does n't
care for fishing. She says it's stupid,--can't see why any one
should like the woods,--calls camping out the lunatic's diversion.
It's rather awkward for a man with my habits to have his wife take
such a view. But it can be changed by training. I intend to
educate her and convert her. I shall make an angler of her yet."
And so he did.
The new education was begun in the Adirondacks, and the first lesson
was given at Paul Smith's. It was a complete failure.
Beekman persuaded her to come out with him for a day on Meacham
River, and promised to convince her of the charm of angling. She
wore a new gown, fawn-colour and violet, with a picture-hat, very
taking. But the Meacham River trout was shy that day; not even
Beekman could induce him to rise to the fly. What the trout lacked
in confidence the mosquitoes more than made up. Mrs. De Peyster
came home much sunburned, and expressed a highly unfavourable
opinion of fishing as an amusement and of Meacham River as a resort.
"The nice people don't come to the Adirondacks to fish," said she;
"they come to talk about the fishing twenty years ago. Besides,
what do you want to catch that trout for? If you do, the other men
will say you bought it, and the hotel will have to put in a new one
for the rest of the season.
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