"Hauling the Seine."


BOYS are generally passionately fond of fishing,

 and it certainly is a harmless recreation if

 the time and place are proper. When I was

a lad, no amusement to me was like this; and

as I walked to the brook with a nice, straight 

pole, with lines, sinkers, and hooks, I thought it

 was the greatest privilege a boy could enjoy. 

But one thing I especially delighted in, was 

"hauling the seine." It was in Lake Ontario, in the

 State of New York, where I used to see them do

 this.

Everything being ready, the captain would give

the word, "Push off!" and then they would start

and "pay out" the seine line for a quarter of a

 mile or more into the lake. Then they would

 make "a tack," and run parallel with the shore

 the whole length of the net, dropping it in the

 water as they went, and when the seine was

 "payed out" they would " stand in" for the shore.

 But now comes the labor. The net-ropes are 

attached to two large windlasses, manned by 

stout fishermen, and they directly begin to

 "heave away" at their work of â€œhauling in." In 

the course of an hour or so the net nears the 

shore, perhaps loaded with barrels of the finest

 fish those waters afford. Then comes an

exciting time, as the finny tribes find that they

 are caught;" but stout arms and strong men 

easily manage them, with the exception of a 

"sturgeon," who may be half a dozen feet long.

 Soon they are all piled up on the clean sand, 

pickerel, whitefish, trout, pike, sturgeon, bass,

 and the endless varieties of the finny race 

which the God of Nature has provided for the

 support of man. Many times have I seen these

 fishermen engaged in this laborious calling, 

and when my folks thought proper I used to 

go and help them as a boy could.

But in later years I have thought how aptly this

illustrates the crafty work of Satan in catching

thoughtless souls. Satan, with his great net of

 deception, is fishing after all mankind, and if we

 get caught in its meshes, we are like the fish in

 the fisherman's seine. How many a baited hook

 he  throws out for some little boy or girl to 

swallow. How many traps, and snares, and plans,

 he is now laying for the children of the last 

days. And his great effort is to lead them to 

break that command which says, "Children, obey

 your parents in the Lord."

I hope my young readers will be very willing to

learn how to avoid this cunning foe, who is so 

cruel, so wily, so wicked. Practice those 

heavenly principles taught in your little paper,

 and I may safely say the kingdom of heaven will

 be yours.



YI