Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-06
Rows Fashions at the Male Orphan
isyium.
THE Messenger


This article does not treat of the fashion!
| of the boys garments, but OF the gamel
| INDUCED in by them, and OF their kaleido
SCOPE changes.
Who originates the games of the boys II
| n question that has been often asked, anc
II vet remains unanswered. 1t IS as muct
a DISPUTED point as who struck Billy Pat
tersonn or who wrote those tender lines
Beautiful Snow" The seasons for the
various games come and go as mysterlouslS
as the sora, and their beginning ana end
| ing are as hard 20 nnd out Us inc sOuiO' VI
| the Nile.
IL must not be supposed that because
| the bows are in measure removed iron
| the world that they are not IN IT. They
are often with both feet up to the ears, anc
| by a very large majority. They eaten OF
| TO all the different games with the ayidity
with which the level-headed duck Is salc
| TO 90 for aJune-bug, and the day must O'
chilly when the average asylum boy Is lett
as far as play Is concerned.
They are not SO particular about WORK
and the Busy Bees had much rather
"Bee - playing tops or ball than al work II
\ the garden, and the Wiling Workers "
are sometimes very unwilling ones; put
on the whole. they do very well, and w
| will not complain Of them. In tact, thl'
| article was written for no such purpose
| but to tell of the games IN when tney III
| dulge.
Not long ago marbles were all the rag'
| from morning until night. AT last IN III
tie unpleasantness over game, one ool
came very near putting out an eye OF an
other with q well-directed blow, ana Mrs
! Gill called in all the marbles:
| When the snowtiakes fall-lt IS sleds
| and then football. and sometimes Kites
| and then base ball-that national game
which seems to have all the seasons Tor lt'
own. Just now it Is tops, and every
| boy seems to have one or more OF THESE
| toys.
| Where DO they come from?
That's the question. The other day al
| the bows were furnished with new shoe
| strings. and at the first Sundays inspec
ton thereafter nearly all were missing
| INQUIRY developed the fact that they hat
| nearly all been utilized for top-cords.
| Mrs. Gill was startled few days since
| when committee waited on her and de
sired 20 know If she had any plug-meat.
| The superintendent was non-plussed a.
| first, but recovered her wits when VIC
| Ned.n the spokesman, said 1t was not To-
more rations they were seeking, but 10
| some old tops TO plug at.
| By the way, if any of our friends have
any old toys send them out. The asylum
| funds are scant, and there is not much lief
to INV tops and marbles and other littl,
necessities for every boys happiness.
our Fairgrounds devoted to sport pre-
sents an animated appearance, with oil tn
bows hard at work at play" The energy
| and zeal they throw INTO the pastim
| might. If directed in other ways, NOV
mountains. But we love to see them emo,
| II. These are their halcyon days. Sool
enough they will have to struggle with tn
stern realities of life; until that time lie
them spin tops, fly kites, and shoot mar
| bles. Ii is better than spinning stree
yarns-or shooting more dangerous wea
pons-and they may learn early in life no
| 10 fly their kites too high.
AS all work and no play makes Jack
dull bow, we should willingly give up L
fine rising generation as much time for EN-
| nloyment as is expedient and proper.
SO il is that / write these brief and i'm
perfect lines in encouragement OF the boys
| games and their eyer-changlng fashions
from few thoughts suggested in recen
VISIT to the asylum, when was gravely IN
formed that tops were IN fashion. when
asked why they were not playing BALI l
was amusing TO note the look OF commlse
rating pity bestowed on me for my ignc
rance by cleveland" " John Chew-tel
hacker "Bruiser," and others of the boys
They seemed plainly to say, Well, 20
NAV bs q grand reporter, bat you are ava
Of your base as far as boys fashions i
games are concerned"
February, 1872. IBufHFuL JExNs.