Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-05-30


ural that, when | pui on my gown, |
should leave my protector behind me.
But this natural course of events
troubled him greatly, and caused him
rs deep pang as hen who rears n
duck feels when her 11rOtcgc takes to
the water. But ! went my way. and
left Joe in a hallow Of cricket, and long
throws. and tremendous puts, life OF
incredible hardship on raw meat, but
perfectly recompensed by his inches
around the chest, and his generally
lumpy and tuberous condition, and the
unanimous concentrations Of the
sporting press. III
Ten years elapsed between the pro-
| logue and the next act. | had beeh
serving my country in India, and Joe
! had retited to his comfortable patri-
mony, where he settled down into a
model squire. From time TO time re-
ports reached me, through BeIES Life,
of his prowess in cricket, and OCCASION
ally he favored me with q letter. But,
after while, without any idiminution
! Of kindly feeling our correspondence
! fell through, and the notices of my
/ friend III the oracle became rarer and
purer. At the end of ten years, | came
/ home on leave of absence for twelve
months, and | lost no time III getting to
1 Ashlins, where Joe gave me the warm
| eat of welcomes He had developed
! into magnificent specimen of an An
| glo Saxon, deep in the chest, broad III
sivo thighs, with a full yellow beard
ripping over his honest, serious, face.
/ His figure. perhaps, was yergln9 on
/ the portly but, as yet, he was safe
from any curter epithCt than portly.
He wrung my hand with his Old re-
morseless grip, and patsd me on the
back with the old Oxford-air of protec-
ton, so that / felt at home immediate
ly on the old footing of the feeble de
pendent. I observed, too, at luncheon,
that my friends old prowess with the
knife and fork still chung by him. Huge
slices of beef crumbled beneath his mo-
lars, like corn in a mill and quart
pewters, the trophies of his logs and
arms, streamcd with bright ale. After
ward, he smoked his venerable meer-
schaum, with that deliberate and grave
enjoyment OF which none but physical
" powerful men are capable. Lunch
con over, walk to the covers was pro-
posed, and we were soon immersed III
that discursive chat, dear to long-part-
ed chums. Unfortunately for our quiet
enjoyment, a five barred gate threw its
malignant shadow across our path. |
need scarcely say that | had no more
Imagination 0prOpOS of five barred
gate than Peter Bell of a yellow prim-
rose And | have my private opinion
that Joe also had, 10y this time. got
into n way when alone, of walking
through gates, when possible, rather
than yaulting over them. On the pres
ent occasion, however, the association
Of IDEAS, ! suppose, was too strong for
him for he put his hand carclessly on
the gate, and--struck his knee heavily
against the top bar
Foot slipped, y explained Joe, and
again he went mt the gate, with the
same result as before. 4 shade of an
noyance crossed his face, as if it were a
humiliation to have to take a run at
such a mere b0g0tcic as five feet six.
He felt. however, that he had gone too
far to recede with honor, so he took a
run, aud he again succeeded in banging
his knee. The saddcning conviction
now began to dawn on poor Joe's mind
that he could not get over the gate at
all. The truth was horrible, but ire
sistible, and the moan of the fallen attn
lete was aa touching as Woolsey's la
ment to Cromwell, "Oh hang it
Tom,' hc said with mouinful shake
of the head, this is too sickening! This
is the approach Of the sere and yellow
with vengeance | give you my word
| once got over six foot seven mt Macs.
And now have to sneak over five foot
six like a girl IN pettIcoats No offence
meant 70 You, you know, because you
were never strong. But TO ship through
ones six ages into the shppered pan
taloou by thirty-tive But it's ali
those coutounded gymnastics. "
COMPOUNDED gymnastics ~ and
from those lips | could not believe
my ears. No. The Pope might deny
his own i.fuhhiiity, and Bass might
advocate Il Maine liquor law, but Joe
Rullock, the mighty symnasiarch, the
hero of hundred "grindS,' the I'M
wearied hunter of the palHstra, could
never give the lie to his whole past life,
and deny ms own gymnastics.
Come Joo,' | said, soothingly,
"yoU'rl riled, old fellow. lou must
be chatting about the gvmnastics.'
Il tell you,' he repeated, with
solemn emphasis, Its those cursed
gymnastics. They bring you into an
unnatural state of training and mus
cular development, and the conse-
quence is, that you break down twice
as early as other men. Look at me; ut
five and twenty | was sort OF Milo;
at five and thirty | am q wreck.