The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-01-04
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Three in a row."

The funniest play that ever Joined in at
school, and one that sets me laughing
now as | think of it, SO can hardly write,
is ''Leap-frog." 1t is unartistic and home
ly. 1t is so humiliating to the boy who
bends himself over and puts his hands
down on his knees; and it is so perilous to
the boy who, placing his hands on the
stopped shoulders attempts to fly over
But | always preferred the risk of the one
who attempted the leap rather than the
humiliation of the one who consented to be
Vaulted over. 1t was often the case that
we both failed in our part, and went down
together. For this, Jack Snyder carried a
grudge against me, and would not speak
because he said l pushed him down pur-
pose. But hope he has forgiven me by
this time, for he has been out as a mission
airy. Indeed, if Jack will come this way,
L will right the wrong of olden time by
stopping down in my study, and letting
him spring over me as my children do.
Almost every autumn, l see that old
time school-boy feat, repeated. Mr.. So
and-so says, ''1ou make me governor, and
| will see that you get to be senator. Make
me mayor, and l will see that you become
assessor. Get me the office of street-sweep-
er, and you shall have one of the brooms.
You stoop down and let me jump over YOU.
and then will stoop down and let you
jumped over me. Elect me deacon, and
you shall be trustee. You write a good
thing about me, and l will write good
thing about you. The day of election in
Church or State arrives. A man once very
upright in his principles and policy begins
to bend. You cannot understand it. He
goes down lower and lower, until he gets
his hands away down on his knees. Then
aspry politician or ecclesiatic comes up be-
hind him, puts his hand on the bowed
strategist, and springs clear over into some
great position. Good thing to have SO
good a man in a prominent place. But
after while he himself begins TO BEND
Everybody says, "What is the matter now
too" Oh. yes! Turn-about is fair play.
Jack Snyder holds it against me to this
day, because, after he had stopped down to
let me leap over him, l would not stoop
down to let him leap over me. One-half
the strange things in Church and State
may be accounted for by the fact that, ever
since Adam bowed down SO low as to let
the race, putting its hands on him, fly over
into ruin, there has been universal and
perpetual tendency to political and eccle-
siastical " Leap-frog."
In one sense, life is great "game of
ball." We all choose sides, and gather
into denomnational and political parties.
We take our places on the ball ground
Some are to pitch: they are the radicals.
Some are to catch: they are they conserva-
tives. Some are to strike: they are those
fond of polemics and battle. Some are to
run: they are the candidates. There are
four hunks: youth, manhood, old age, and
death. Some one takes the bat, lifts it,
and strikes for the prize, and misses it;
while the man who was behind catches it
and goes in. This man takes his turn at
the bat, sees the flying ball of success,
takes good aim, and strikes it high, amid
the clapping of all the spectators. We all
have chance at the ball. Some of rs run
to all the four hunks, from youth to man.
hood, from manhood to old age, from old
age to death. At the first hunk, we bound
with uncomfortable mirth; coming to the
second, we run with slower but stronger
tread; coming to the third, our step is fee
BILE; coming to the fourth, our breath en-
tirely gives out. We throw down the bat
on the black hunk of death, and in the
evening, catchers and pitchers go home to
find the family gathered and the food pre-
pared. So may We all find the candles
lighted. and the table set, and the old folks
at home,