The record-union., 1891-11-20
ATHLETICS AND VANITY,
Deterioration of Character Caused B
FIlttnrY.

Elattery.
Canon Fowler, Head Master of Lincoln
Grammar School, writes in Physique OF
the deterioration Of character which is
! inevitably caused III many boys who have
! come 10 the front in games by theamount
OF Hattery and general adulation which is
bestowed upon them by their fellows, and
| by the notice and favor which is often
shown them by certain of the masters. 1
nave known boys who gave every prom
lse OF turning out thoroughly well, grad
uaIly, from pure conceit, losing their
headS and becoming thoroughly spoilt.
sometimes the nonsense gets knocked
out Of them later on, but occasionally it
sticks TO them; but worse than this.
have seen the moral character deteriorate
owing to the boundless influence they
! have gained by their position and have
not known how to use it..''
This is a striking testimony to the fact
that physical qualities--or at least quail
tiles chiefly physical, for the pluck or
| courage which goes TO make an athlete
does, we suppose, involve some slight
| element OF moral quality, though even
that, we believe, is mainly due to the con-
| hdence which experience gives to ath-
letes III their own physical alertness OF
eye, ear and Imb--do excite much more
admiration and also admiration much
! more frankly expressed, than any other
qualities, whether intellectual or moral
And, indeed, IN other aspects of life we
all know that it is so. Beautyis far more
universally admired and hattered than
any quality OF mind or character, chiefly,
no doubt, because 1t is more conspicuous,
attracts the attention much more easily,
| and is perceived by five or ten people for
every person who perceives keenintel-
lect or a well-stored memory. The
champion in the great school games is
known to every one, wise or foolish, and
his skill is envied by almost every one,
wise or foolish, just as girls beauty is
known to every Ole, wise or foolish, and
| is enyied by every girl who has less
| beauty, whether she too be wise or fool
ish.
That is one reason why high physical
qualities provides more nourishing food
Tor vanity than mental qualities however
considerable. And another reason is this
that while great physical qualities carry
with them no antidote to vanity, almost
all considerable mental qualities do. HUI
NOR, for instance, II com bined with any
qulcaneSs of perception, is itself one of
the most effective antidoteS against van
| lty. Then, again, any really great power
OF memory or acquisition is always bring
ing man into comparison with those
who had far more powerful memory
! and far higher powers of acquisition, and
/ that is an experience which inSenSibly
neutralizes any tendency to vanity that
! the growing sense of capacity might 9TH
! erWiSo- inspire. And, as we have already
said. a man cannot we'll be very vain OF
| what attracts no pointed notice from the
| greater number of those with whom he
| lives.
| Yet the deeper and sounder mental and
moral qualities are, the less, perhaps, do
they attract any pointed notice from the
mass of men. Vanity is fed chiefly by
popularity and applause, and undoubt-
edly great physical qualities and the self
confidence and presence of mind which
| great physical qualities produce excite
more notice and applause than any intel
lectual or moral quality, besides admin
istering no antidote TO vanity such as
most intellectual and moral qualities do
administer. That is the reason, we take
| it, why beauty in girl is so much more
! likely TO produce vanity than almost any
kind of intellectual or moral capacity, and
that, too, is evidently the reason why
| great athletic faculties in boy much
! oftener turn the head than any gift fol
languages or mathematics or any literary
| accomplishments