Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-16
The English Love of Games.
london Spectator)


on Tuesday had an opportunity Of no
ticing a fact highly characteristic OF the
hour. The street was full OF newspaper
placards announcing that the Austrah-
ans were picking up" a great govern
ment had just suffered considerable
disaster; ominous kilograms were arriv-
ing every hour from South Africa;
and there was, Of course, the usual ~
OF MURDERS suicides, and social events
but the news which, in the Judgment
of the proprietors of evening newspapers,
would interest the public was struggle
on the cricket-held. There is no reason
10 suppose that these gentlemen do not
know their own business, nor are they
I'm the least peculiar in their notions as
TO the information which II pays news
papers to circulate. The conductors or
the Times are grave men enough but
they now frequently devote the longest
single paragraph in their jealousy COM
pressed news Of the day 10 statement
OF cricket events. and they give up
like every other daily paper, entire col
umns 70 reports OF races, cricket, foot
ball. golf. and sometimes other sports.
such as bicycling and billiards Every
assemblage FOR the purpose Of witnessing
games is attended by increasing crowds,
sometimes SO vast that. as at Lords
this week. they Illustrate their own OBJ
ject, and not only interfere with the
players but spoil their own enjoyment
OF playing. And, as we noticed some
weeks ago. games are becoming the lead
ing topic in universities and public
schools.
There Is. however no need to give evil
dences Of the thesis The Increase OF
the desire not so much for games as for
seeing games, reading about games, and
talking over games IS admitted on all
hands. and IS condemned by a good
many moralists as a sign that the ma
ton is deteriorating. and giving up both
work and thought for frivolous forms OF
recreation. The moralists are right In
part. but. as often happens when social
~uestions are discussed. they perhaps
cad into a social change more evil than
there is In IT. IL is quite true that the
nation IS a little more frivolous than II
was. that II is under the influence OF a
mood. which II has betrayed several
times beforg; a mood in which Il is I'M
patient Of hard thinking, wants every
thing short. even it's stories, likes no
plays that are not exciting. gossips with
gusto principally about the great. whose
movements fill columns even in grave
papers, and, I'm fact. is keenly DESTROYS
Of any distraction which does not burden
It's mental powers. All that IS regret
table. il only because there is in IL such
a dissipation OF energy, OF which there
Is never too much for the increasingly
heavy demands that fall upon every class
and every country in the world. We
should not admit, however, having some
notion OF what society was like In the
eighteenth century, that the English
public is more vicious than it has ever
been; II certainly drinks a great deal
less than It did, and. though its desire
for amusement has increased, the kind
Of amusement Is almost Infinitely less
barbaric. There are causes at work IN
favor Of amusements. and especially or
non-sedentary amusements, which In
themselves are by no means 70 be re-
GREETED.
One Is undoub tedly increased prosperity
among the masses Of the people. We
all talk about depression" and none but
the bad question the existence OF terrible
suffering from poverty among US. but
the majority are so much better Off that
they are inclined with the sanguine
temperament. which Is part OF the ma
tional character. TO be a little wasteful
OF money. More is spent upon diet.
much more upon clothes-God only knows
how the children OF working households
are turned out so trig-and more there
fore. upon amusements. Just look in
an evening at the crowds OF bicyclists
who pass. watch their dresses and their
faces. and explain. II you can. on any
theory except that OF the workingman's
prosperity how they get their machines.
They do not, OF course. pay the quoted
prices. the rich, I'm fact. in bicycling.
as in surgery. being taxed a good deal
for the benefit OF the poor, but they cam
not pay IN silver for any kind Of bicycle
and il they want one they always con-
trive 10 get II. Whoever IS ruined. the
steady workers are not. and after all.
I'm this country though there are loafers
at every street-corner. and though the
mass OF what must be described as the
precipitate of humanity Is enormous still
the steady workers are in an oyerwhelm-
ing majority