often questioned as to the means used to effect this change,
Jimmy's explanation seemed rather vague and unsatisfactory. "'T
was fishin' done it," he said; "on'y fishin'; it allers works. The
Christian r'liging itself had to begin with fishin', ye know."




III

But one thing troubled Fishin' Jimmy.

He wanted to be a "fisher of men." That was what the Great Teacher
had promised he would make the fishermen who left their boats to
follow him. What strange, literal meaning he attached to the
terms, we could not tell. In vain we--especially the boys, whose
young hearts had gone out in warm affection to the old man--tried
to show him that he was, by his efforts to do good and make others
better and happier, fulfilling the Lord's directions. He could not
understand it so. "I allers try to think," he said, "that 't was
me in that boat when he come along. I make b'l'eve that it was out
on Streeter Pond, an' I was settin' in the boat, fixin' my lan'in'
net, when I see him on the shore. I think mebbe I 'm that
James--for that's my given name, ye know, though they allers call
me Jimmy--an' then I hear him callin' me 'James, James.' I can
hear him jest 's plain sometimes, when the wind 's blowin' in the
trees, an' I jest ache to up an' foller him. But says he, 'I 'll
make ye a fisher o' men,' an' he aint done it. I 'm waitin'; mebbe
he 'll larn me some day."