The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-07-12

| 4uent attacks OF gymnastics on the Drain
as though man, feeling, by instinct, that
he was originally created in Gods image,
became periodically ashamed of his de-
generacy, and rousing himself, resolved to
get back as near as possible to the original
| standard.
Those two old Greeks Of gigantic intel D..
| lect, Plato and Aristotle, held that no re-
public could be perfect without gymnasia.
In Sparta, women were not allowed to
marry until they had given proof in public
| that they were proficient in certain calls
thenic exercises. In Justice to the noble
| Greek race we would explain that, with
| all their wonderful intellectually and re-
| tinement, they were, in common with the
rest of the ancient world, lamentably ignor-
ant of the feminine nature. To unfold that
| nature and foster it as it deserved, was one
of the great and glorious missions of Chris
tianity. Fancy oar ladies making exhibit
tion of their "muscle" before Il promiscuous
''cat calling" multitude of crusty and sar-
castle old bachelors, in order to prove
that they are fit for matrimony Perish
the thought Lovely woman should never
if she can help it-harden her muscles
into wires, at the expense of that beauty
which can bend our modern Samsons like
willowwithes.
In the Olympic games--by far the most
important of them all-werc exhibited
wrestling, boxing, running, lcaping, and
throwing weights. The victor was treated
like conqueror. TO he sure, his only i'm
mediate reward was II simple crown of
olive; but to show the vast appreciation
of his victory, he was escorted to his native
nj y in m lipn or pt
entering by the gates, n portion of the wall
was taken down, and through the gap thus
made the procession marched. AS though
even this was not enough, the most eminent
poets wed with each other in singing his
praises. Even the sublime Pindar did not
disdain to enter the lists in honor of the
successful hero-many of his odes compos-
cd on the occasion being still cxtant.
All this goes to show how zealously the
refined and in many respects unapproach-
able ancients cultivated "the human form
divine" We who run our course in the
present progressive age, with 1--WE are sorry
to say the almighty dollar mostly for our
goal, may think-and with some reason
that these things were overdone in the days
ofyore. But does it behoove us to neglect
them entirely There is at least no dan
ger that we Of Hartford will be charged with
too much zeal for the ancients, so long as
burlesque chariot race is the only trace
we exhibit of Roman sports, while there is
not even u hint of Greece. All, yes | for
got-we have shall l say it p the creased
pole and the CREASED pig race. But then,
though these pigs are grease, they arc civ
ing Grease no more" The melancholy truth
is, that, although while yet school-boys we
take an intense interest in all kinds of ath-
letic sports as soon as we become old enough
really to excel in them, the busy scenes of
life loom up and in most instances crowd
them all out of our minds forever.
Surely this should not be. Why, even
ladies like to witness ieats of strength and
activity. To be sure, we do not hear them
talk much about muscular development;
but our word for it, every woman who is not
at heart something of an Amazon, likes to
look upon well developed man. Is it not,
indeed, natural that she should desire to
see in the sterner sex, who so constantly
pride themselves upon being her ''protect-
ors," what resources may be at their com
mand should the dire necessity for protec-
tion arise? That there is nothing in men
which peases refined lady more than
manly qualities, such as strength and Prov
css, is proved by her beautiful and unswcrv-
ing devotion for five hundred years to
the cause of chiValry and its doughty
knights.
In addition to running, with and with
out hurdles, the long and the high leap, both
running and standing, and throwing the
hammer, we would suggest pole-vault-
ing, putting up heavy dumb-bclls in
one or both hands, and lifting from plat
form with the hands as well as with har-
ness over the shoulders. We have every
reason to believe there are in Hartford far
mers and farmers sons who can take as
much on their shoulders Qiguratiyely or
otherWisc) as any set OF men i'll the
State, be they farmers or not
AS said above, we are no enemy of the
sackrace, wheelbarrow rolling, or such
other ludicrous performances as the great
mass of people like to see once III II while.
Who does not like to laugh and see Others
laugh! Show us such II person and we
will show you a~well we think We per-
haps had better not say what. We have
heard a few strait-laced sons of the soil call
such sports "humbugs." Wcpro;est. alum
bug" says Noah Webster, is ian imposi-
trived in order to deceive" Now unless
the venerable Noah intended to play pun
ster upon the word "fair" in the above cX-
tract (Which we trust was not the case, as
we consider puns undignitied at best, and
in learned photographer, especially soD
we can't, for our life, see how this defini-
ton could be used by the compliments
with any prospect of success. For don't
men, women and children all know before
they pay their entrance money, what a
wheelbarrow rolling or "A greased-pole
climbing is lille2 Where then is the i'm
position" or the deception 2" If there is
any kind Of exhibition that is intended
for every kind of body, it is certainly an
agricultural fair. Its main object, TO be
sure, is to promote farming interests, but
money is essential to carry it on, and money
during these tight times, comes hard--ex-
cept greenbacks, which are al,oays soft.
There goes our dignity again But, as we
were about to say, if fun-loving boy
comes from distant part of the county
perhaps footing it the whole way, bent OK
pressy upon seeing the creased pig-race,
or upon getting ride ON the merry 60
round, is not his entrance "quarter" just
as available for wiping out necessary eX-
penses as that of the sober-sided, practical
farmer, who is drawn thlthcr by the pecu-
liar beauties of a cob-Crusher Z And does
the boys fun Gf he don't split his own
sides,) hurt anybody 2 Not at all. There
fore we ask, cui malO2 AS the best govern
ment has been aptly defined to be the
greatest good to the greatest number, so
the aim of such fair as ours, while keep
ing always prominently in view the adj
vancement of agriculture, should be, the
greatest enjoyment to the greatest number
always of course provided the enjoyment
hurts nobody. BY all means, therefore,
let the supply of comics equal the demand;