Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-12-14
THE FOOTBALL BOY.

1t was q great cross TO Mr.. and Mrs.
Bartlett that Roger was apparently
quite devoid Of any worthy ambition.
Their two older boys were so utterly
different Fred had been graduated
from Yalo with highest honors and
Horace was making remarkable progress
at the Scientific school. In fact, they
were both exceptionally fine students,
which made the contrast all the more
striking
For Roger was sadly unlike his broth
ers He seemed to labor under the i'm
preston that he had been sent to college
simply and solely for the purpose Of
learning to play football. Apparently
nothing else had power to kindlc the
slightest enthusiasm in his sluggish
breast, and his father and mother ar
gued and cXpostulltcd with him in vain.
"You are trittcring away your yalua-
bic timc they argued again and again,
land are letting slip golden opportu-
mites, which, once gone, never will
come back to you, and what have you to
show for it all but a broken nose and "a
fractured collar bone:'
''Is there any prospective benefit to be
derived from these hours spent in scrab-
bling after a foutbal?' his father qics-
toned severely. tOwhich Roger merely
responded in his usual otfhand style,
"Who knows but l may he elected cap
tHin Of the varsity team next year,"
''1S that the height Of your ambi-
tion?' his parent returned bitterly. 81
am terribly disappointed in you, sir.
Are you to 20 on playing football for
ever and ever or what do you propose
to make Of your life? Perhaps you think
that your reputation as football player
viii provo an open sesame to all de-
sirablc positions. Do you suppose that
any one wants fellow who has will
fully wasted his best opportunities? l
had hoped to make professional man
of you-not professional athlete-and
had even aspiIcd to secinryou some day
in our leading law Office with my Old
friend Wilkinson Smallcy, hut its 10
use. Smalloy wants only young men Of
the Lishcst promise, and Mr. Bartlett
sighed wcarlly.
at does no good to talk to Roger, "
he conidcd to his wife aftcrWard, Tor
hardly ten minutes had elapsed after l
had been demonstrating with him about
the evils Of football before he inquired
ii | wouldn't bring you down to see the
game on Saturday and informed me that
he had saved two tickets for us.
Mrs. Bart IT regarded her husband
helploaslv. what did you say to him
them she Quercd.
Il told Ina certainly not Mr..
Bartlett exclaimed warmly, land l OK
pressed my surprise at his daring to
suggest such thing, Show me some
lasting benefit, or any abiding good,
that is to be derived from this ridicu-
lous game, | told him, and then come
to me to abot you in such folly but not
till then -
And 80 Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett failed
10 witness that memorable game in
which their youngest son gained for
himself such cnvi4ble laurels. Once in
the field, Roger was like one trans
formed Keen, alert, cool, rising splen-
didly to every emergency, no one would
have known him for the same slow, in
different easy going specimen of hui
mainly who grieved the ambitious souls
of his parents by his small aptitude for
Greek
Not that Roger was by any means a
Ounce, for his class standing was fairly
good, but what panied his father and
mother was the recognition of what he
might have accomplished had it not
been for that arch enemy, football.
The great game over, the victorious
team fastened back to their gymnasium
with all possible speed. They had some
little distance to 60, as the gymnasium
was not very near the ball grounds, so
that IL oId.r to reach it they were
obliged to traverse the center of the
town and cross the railroad tracks
Roger, who had been detained a mo-
mont or $50 longer than the others,
reached tAo station a short time after
they had crossed and found the plat,
forms crowded with people who wcro
returning from the game, mingled with
those who Wgre alighting from incom-
ing trains As he stepped upon the plat
form he hcrWno conscious that some
timing unusual was going On, and he i'm
mcdiateiy perceived that tho eyes of the
multitude were rivotod upon a figure
half way across the tracks, a figure paus-
ing there i'm hcWildcrment
"Thoro's train coming each way, "
tomebody easpcd "Why doesn't he get
Of of the track?'
The station agent and one or two
other officials We're shouting loudly, but
the man, who was old and very deaf,
appeared thoroughly dazed AS he pre-
pared to step upon the track nearest
him he had caught sight of one train
coming down upon him, and he now
staggered bac. and was about to plunge