The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-03

! the extraordinary perfection attained
! by those classed as gentlemen" cricket
ers, as distinguished from players"
implies that for them it is the business
of life and not mere relaxation The
tendency of all games in this age of
wealth and leisure is 10 turn players
into athletes, and in these, as in serious
work, amateur" is synonymous with
immature"
Yet games are of such excellent use
in themselves, not only as a recreation
from strain. but as safety valves for the
dangerous or mischievous forces in hui
man nature, diverting the thoughts
from unhealthy tendencies and chasten-
ing the frames into symmetry and grace,
that 1t were a pity if room Were not
kept for people who can never aspire to
professional proficiency. They are po-
tent safeguards against two of the
most deplora bic deformities to which
human nature is liable-dullness in the
hard worked and vanity in the idle;
each Of which brings many a man and
woman into a tragic degree OF ridicule-
Some young people are so constituted
as TO feel no inclination to games, but
very much the reverse; their minds are
OF such fiber as TO retain elasticity
without having recourse to syste-
matte diversion. That they are not
characters of small capacity which
exhibit this trait may be shown by
quoting two well known instances
widely different careers. The duke of
Wellington could never be induced
when at school TO throw any spirit into
she sports of other boys: he preferred
wandering about alone TO the eugross-
ing occupation of football or cricket
Rousseau consumed days and nights in
close study in an attempt TO master the
game of chess; but, though he perse-
vered in repea ted endeavors they all
came to nothing, for as often as he sat
down TO game all that he had learned
went out of his head. Bot such in
stances are exceptional, and in most
characters hard work, unrelieved by
competitive games, is apt to produce
'grooviness"-and superhuous leisure,
stupidity. 1t is difficult to imagine a
young woman fond of lawn tennis fall
ing prey to the morbid self-conscious-
ness which consumed the CoIntesse de
Senecterre, whom Tallemant des Reaux
describes as beautiful but very fool
ish woman. One of her fancies was to
have pillows of every size in her bed
even for her thum she prided
herself on her beautiful hands and
slept with them open, to keep the
joints small. Athletes, it is true, are
peculiarly prone to vanity, but the form
that vice assumes in them is that of the
pride of life, by many degrees more ,
pardonable than the deliberate self-lovs
OF Incidence.
tits long descent from games which |
exercise mind or body TO those of pure !
chance, yet these have as 6ra a hold |
upon human inclina ton as if they pcs
sessed merit il themselves No more |
piteous impression can be made upon a !
mind capable OF reflection than is left |
by visit to the tables at Monte Carlo. |
Hour after hour, day after day, year
after year, the same crowds gather
round them, blind to the beauty OF sap
phire sea and glorious sunshine, COR
tent to swelter and scramble and |
wrangle-for what? Well, they are
under thrall of one of two motives
two deplorabie motives; one the lowest, !
the other the saddest that can be con-
ceived. For the first is avarice all |
lust the most obscene, of all passions |
the most disastrous Valor, self-devo- |
ton, truth, humanity, may $50 complex |
is human nature) coexiSt with much !
that is evil in a character, but avarics |
taints the whole being; unlike other |
desires, it rs never satisfied, il is never |
at rest; nothing sweet can flow from |
the source which it has polluted. Let
there be no mistake or palliation about |
this: Avarice is the primary lure to the
Casino Take away the gold and who |
would be So childish as to play for |
counters or sweetmeats? The other |
and subsidiary motive which collects q !
crowd round the tables is the desire of /
idle men TO rid themselves of that most /
precious ossession-time-whi once /
it is gone, can never be recalled, the /
loss of which is ever the cause of fruit |
less regret
knowledge comes, but wisdom tar |
ries;" but here even knowledge seems |
to be set at contempt. Crowds Of edu- J
Gated people, with ready access to all /
the stores of knowledge laid up through |
the laborious ages for present use, af-
firm the contemplate creed Of luck /
Never was there god 50 false. never /
one before whom 50 many bowed the /
knee in profound and ignorant faith. /
1t would be lost labor to combat tho /
belief-alrooat u1iyArsaJ and uhollv IN
eradicab!e among gamolers--iu an in
scrutable influence upon human occa-
sion, capable of being offended or
proDitiated II differs In no respect 1
from idolstry; for civilized, well edu.
Gated people behave just as the pagan
does ia regard 20 the Great Spirit; the
souls of his ancestors, or the deified 4
powers of nature, 1t is. in fact, a kind /
of lusoriaI animism. Don't diss ppoint
your luckr-ths gamblers cardinal
the same dread of Of
Tending powerful being, impatient of
slight, as sMH moves the inha bitants Of
in IDdo-China, to lay brandy
and cheroots on the grave of a certain
British officer whom they hated aud
feared on account Of his tyrannical rue
over them. believing that mis- spirit can
only De kept from mischief by being
piled with the same little laxuries be
loved when alive. The Lord thy God
IS a jealous Lord!' Is dogma not peculiar
TO Jewish worship; IL is the idea upper
most in all religions -Blackwood's
-She-"The brides father gives her