The San Francisco call., 1896-04-26

as. well as for the cultivation of your
mind ?"
There you go with discipline againp' l
cried. What good end does this mental
discipline serve? Are good players of
whist any the more useful to the world for
that fact? l want you to think over that
before answering Ny opinion is that it
dwarfs their minds, making them mean
and narrow rather than expanding them
for broad conception of life"
She checked me by raising her hand.
You are getting away from my ques-
tion," she said.
mo; did not abandon whist because l
found that it was injuring my character,
bat | did abandon it at the moment when
l discovered that I could not be a very sue
cessful player without being as disagree
able at the game as the persons who are.
| was not ready to covet that hollow dis
tinction. But the main reason why
abandoned the game was that it was Civ
ing me too clear an insight into the char
acters of the persons with whom played.
When 1t comes to human beings [ want to
cherish my idols and not wantonly destroy
them"
What must you think of me-" she
asked, while her glance sought the carpet,
knowing that play whist?'
My opinion of you will continue the
same as in the past so long as keep hear
ing that you play a very poor game"
Her laugh at that sally carried all the
music of Mendelssohn and Chopin com
bined.
She returned to the assault and that was
encouraging. She said:
"You remember the old French adage
that we should give eight hours of the day
to work, eight TO play and eight to sleep.
\ ou surely believe in the value of whole
some games"
Most assuredly-but games, not prize
fights"
We'll" she said, ''of course we shall
agree that whatever the game it must have
some quality that appeals to the intellect
added, with sly glance. "Is there a
game that perfectly meets all the condi-
tlons, including refreshing sport p;
Eyes; billiards"
Billiards l know little of the game.
but remember to have read somew here
that ability to play good game of billiards
is evidence OF misspent youth"
| was cornered there and groveled help
less for time. 1t was so true in the CON
crete-so exactly fitted to the observation
OF every intelligent person-that I was in
convulslons of laughter over my awkward
ness. But presently my wits came home.
And whose fault is that?" 1 asked. at
has come about solely because the intelIi-
gent and refined elements of our people
eAAS Eiiuc anu lOTCeU IL into
drinking-s saloons. 1t is only in recent
years, when decent men who had learned
to play in saloons married and by brutal
exercise OF superior strength over their
wives brought billiard tables into their
homes. that the game has become respect
able. Its history is much like that OF the
violin in this country. The time was in
the United States when the fiddle was re.
garded as the devils instruments wicked
thing, conducting to sinful conduct. Its
struggle to gain admittance to church
choirs was the most pathetic in the
history of the country. But it is
safely anchored there now, as it should
always have been. seeing that instru-
mental music is regarded as an encour
ager, OF praise-giving in song. The homes
OF the well-to-do are not complete now
without billiard-ta able. The pity of il is
that women do not more generally take to
the game"
"Whv do they not?"
Perhaps because it is SO free and gener-
Gus and expanding"