Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1895-02-01
MisCellamenMs.
THE FOOTBALL BOY.

Bartlett that Roger was apparently quite
devoid of any worthy ambition. Their
two older boys were so utterly different
Sired had been. graduated from Yale
with highest hcnors, and Horace was
making remarkable progress at the scien
tjfc 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 kindle the
slightest enthusiasm in his sluggish
breast, and his father and mother argued
and expostulated with him in vain
"You are fritting away your valu
able time" they argued again and again,
land are letting slip golden opportuni-
ties, which, once gone, never will come
back to you, and what have you to show
for it all but broken nose and frac-
tured collar bone p
Is there any prospective benefit to
be derived from these hours spent in
scrabbling after football y his father
questioned severely, to which Roger
merely responder in his usual oif-hand
style, "Who knows but may be elected
captain of the varsity team next year :"
"Is that the height of your ambi-
ton p his parent returned bitterly 81
am terribly disappointed in you, sir.
Are you to go on playing football for
ever and ever, or what do you propose
to make Of your life ? Perhaps you think
that your reputation as a football player
will prove an open sesame to all do
sirable positions. Do you suppose that
any one wants fellow who has will
fully wasted his best opportunities ? |
had hoped to make a professional man
of you mot a professional athlete---and
had even aspired to seeing you some day
in our Leading law Office with my old
friend Wilkinson Slnaley, but it's no
use Smalloy wants only young men of
the highest promise, and Mr.. Bartlett
sighed YEARLY.
at does no good to talk to Roger"
he confded to his wife afterward, "for
hardly ten minutes had elapsed after |
bad been demonstrating with him about
the evils Of football before he inquired
if wouldn't bring you down to ace the
game on Saturday and informed me that
he had saved two tickets for US
Mrs. Bartlett regarded her husband
helplessly. "What did you say to him
then ?" she queried
81 ted him certainly not, Mr.,
Bartlett exclaimed warmly, "and ex-
pressed my surprise at his daring to
suggest such a 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 abet you in such folly, but not
till then
And so Mr. and Mrs Bartlett failed
TO witness that memorable game 10
which their Youngest son gained for
himself such cnviablc laurcIs. Once in
the field, Roger was like ono trans.
formed Keen, alert, cool, rising splcn.
didIy to every emergency. no onc wopld
| have known him for the same slow, in
different, easy going specimen Of hu.
manity who grieved the ambitious soul,
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 lint what paiuad his father and