The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-10-12
Selret Nliseellany.
NATIONAL PASTlMES As An AID TO
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT,
From - The BaIfimorean Of Feb. 25th. lSs

From The BdItimoredn'' Of Feb. :5th, 1883.
| Tread before the Washin gton Irving
| Literary Society. at Marlboro. Md, by
Mr.. FRED SAssCEH. February Sd, 1888.
An innate propensity in human nature
| to seek amusement, and to devise means
of atfording healthful diversion to wear
| led faculties has manifested itself in
many forms, and found qualification in
innumerable pastimes, each bearing an
impress peculiar to the people by whom it
was cherishcd and characteristic pccu-
liar to the time in which it fourished-
| The actuating principle throughout all has
been, of course, the desire to excel.
The anc.clt wreS Stler was induced to
practice sclf-ti, nial and indulge in a sys-
TEN of severe training to fit him for the
contests of the arena by precisely the
same mott that actuates the modern base
baseball player to sacrifice luxury and pleas
ure, in the discipline he undergoes; and the
Roman populace applauded the victor in
Il physical contcSt on account OF the same
natural admiration for physical prowess,
that makes IA crowd of excited Americans,
in this enlightened nineteenth century,
shout themselves hoarSe when some hero
of the diamond" scores home run.
1t is interesting, indeed, to note how
the development of the physical powers
of man. the cultivation of muscle for the
purpose of atTordin" amusement only, has
h.,l i,t1, IN
character: how certain games insignificant
in themselves, have affected the moral
the intellectual and material development
of nations. We have Il beautiful illustra
ton of this in the public games of the an
cient Greeks Although, perhaps, they do
not exactly come under our conception of
national pastimc>, the sim pie athletic
sports of Hcllas, invested as they were
with civil and religious ceremonies, were
far more useful considered from nation
al standpoint and il practical sense,
than cricket has ever been in England, or
baseball, our national game has ever been,
or ever will be in this country.
1t is hard for Us at this late day, to form
manizing effect that the Olympic and the
other great games of Greece, had upon
the whole Grccian people. When the time
for the celebration arrived, if they hap
pcnel to be in the midst of a war, a gcner
al peace WAS declared, and the Olympic
festival was Il signal for the fratcrna com
mingling of the ticrceSt enc mics in the
common enjoyment of sports and pas
tines.
In the plain on the bank, Of the river
AlpheuS, Greeks congre gated from every
quarter of the Hcllenic world. Every
State and city had its competitors in the
games, and national spirit and local pride
bloSSomel into rich flowers Of zeal and en-
tllsiasm. To be a conquerer at Olympia,
to wear the garland of wild olive, tthe on
| " prize given the victor), was the highest
ambition the ancient Greek knew and the
dearest honor he coyetcl 1t was there
fore not beneath the dignity of the rich
est and the noblest of them to contend for
hpnors in the great games, and Pindar, in
a beautiful ode SIM Is of the famous Alciba-
DIES, as one of the most celebrated of the
vctorS.
Every fifth wear for | ,H)| years the
Olympic games were celebrated, and who
can estimate the favorable influence they
exerted upon Greece, and through her up