The Bossier banner., 1891-08-13
THREE SPRING GAMES.
How Young Children May Amuse Them
selves on Pleasant DAYS.

SERVES on 1leaSanG Days
With the very first appearance OF
spring weather and the drying winds |
that leave bare, firm ground, the boy
and girl, tired of snowoalls and sleds,
and longing for something in the inter-
regnum of sports, turn their thoughts
to the outdoor games and begin to feel
their marbles burn in their pockets; for
although boys are the chief marble
players there is no reason why girls
should not have finger and thumb,
and some agates, in the business, too.
Marbles are a universal plaything.
They belong not only to childhood, but
to the childhood of the race, and the
love of them is almost instructive
Nevertheless, it is difficult to analyze
the pleasure that they give, and say
just where lies the charm of their vari-
GUS games, for the skill required is not
remarkable, and one can hardly realize
any vast enjoyment from the accumula
ton of a whole pocketful of little round
pebbles, except as they become objects
of interchange J1d desire.
| The ancient "Ring Taw'' and 'The
| Conqueror,' are among the best games
| to be played with marbles; and, al
though simple, are really of some merit.
Ring Taw'' is played with circle
marked out six inches in diameter, in
side another which is six feet in diane
ter. The school boys plant each mar,
ble within the small circle, and then
stationing themselves on the edge OF
the larger circle, about three feet away,
|
marbles. The boy who, with his own
shot, sends a marble outside of the
line, wins it and has another chance
If a taw is struck by another taw not
only is the taw killed but it's owner
surrenders to the killer all the marbles
he may have won already.
When all the marbles are shot from
the larger circle the players shoot fro m
the spot where their marbles stopped
when struck If a taw stays in the
small circle its player is ''out," and has
to put into the ring all the marbles he
has won. When no marbles remain in
the ring, and all the taws are dead, the
game is over, and some boys pockets
are a good deal heavier than they were.
"The Conqueror'' is a slightly roughe1
game. One boy in this lays his marble
on the ground and another tries to
break it by throwing his own marble
at it. If he does break it his marble
counts one, and his antagonist has tc
put down another
Another sport that comes along with
the first good walking is that of the
hoop, a sport that can hardly be young
|
play and had bough to twist and III
open space in which to spin it along
, All children do not know that there i
very pretty game of hoops called tn
, Tourney" where an equal number o
, hoop-drivers, being posted on opposite
| sides, charge upon each other, each try
ing to upset the confronting hoop; thost
!, who are overthrown are counted out q
| the game; those who overthrow, rangt
} themselves opposite each other and be
: gin again, until there is left only on
/ standing hoop as victor.
J Another amusement for these verna
{ months, interesting from tradition, an
r because it is associated with early Ell
: glish poetry and early English sport;
Y is that of "The Nine Mems Morrice.
A This is played by drawing three square!
one inside the other, at equal distances
connecting them by lines drawn froI
the corners of the outer square to tn
l. corners of the inner one, and by othe
9 lines from the center of the outer side
: to the center of the inner sides, maxim!
g beside the lines of the squares then
s. selves, eight other lines, four straigl
9 and four diagonal. The place for til
7. men-nine to each captain-are at tt
q twelve corners thus made, and at tt
n middle point of each of the four lines
n the three squares, there being six squal
o places.
. The play consists in hindering tt
g other side from getting three men in
# row. When one does succeed in ma
ing row, he can take any of the m'
7, of the other captain except those {
'r ready in a row, and one of those can
IS taken if there is no other of the enen
1T free on the lines. When at last all t
i men are placed, then the play continu
ar in backward and forward moves alol
le the lines, one spot only at time, un
e. all are taken by one side.-N. Z. Heral
n An improbable Yarn.
er ''In early days" remarked Mr.. b
RS nard, the other day, IAN old felix
named Bennett came to Butte cour
from Kentucky, and when was b
I often heard him tell with all earne
ge ness a story that he believed to be trl
ad He said that when a young man
ed lived in Virginia, and as stores we