The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-11-03
81 & R." Route
Best line of Sweaters in town.
Az Ninth.
MARBLES THEN AND NOW.
A Veteran Plays His First Game
in Forty Years.

n veteran rays hls Fii>t Ndhts
in Forty Years.
OFrom tie New York Evening POst.D
I Dla Sei tais summer my first game of
marbles in lorty years OF thereabOutS. A
fouiteeU- vear-bld nephew from the city
lad yoIae on cue Of his rare visits to my
hermitage, aud it behooyed me TO put NY
best foot foremost I'm the matter " school
hoy sokes aud games. We had, indeed, but
Que 'gUIagate" between us, Clipped and
defaced -lcbe OF porcelain that, sauntering
one day some years ago round about the
Tonga Ia Dd,'ned - om house Of my own
school davs, | had kicked out Of the clay
in which il had been nibeddcd two score
years or more, and, half mOckingiy, hall
s,ntimeatalIy. La brought home and fOol-
ishly treasured away. Under no circUm-
stances, POSSIBLY, could a game Of marbles
in which tie 'fing-men' were represented
by pebbles Of varying shapes and sizes
theone tor being intercha ngea bic LetweeH
the pla vsrs Ia We been d satisfactory ~
scientific one. But l pass that over ms
object being u show now the universal de
teriorattou or things has invaded even the
reaIias Of pastime.
M drawing of the ring was. in the first
dra wing was. | oandidly acknowledge, IN
finnelv superior both IT, aCcura C y and bold
Ness of outline. IL was a perfect circle
thing Of g"un.ejry and of beauty. We
had not been taught the necessity, when
] was Young, of ha wing the radii froia
center TO circumference of a marble ring
of equal length all around. When. how.
ever, at last the ring had been made, and
the pebbles doing duty as ring men
had been placed ia position, and a base
OF operations csta blished. Come TO tor,
exclaimed. Nov. my Young aphew had
never heard Il tor. and again ] expert
enced that dampening of enthusia sm which
IautranY accompanies the necessity OF
explanation. ! could. indeed, give neither
the etymol1gy of the word. nor its leriva
tion, nor even its authorized photography.
But a. the best of my ability did explain
Il, and / required his 'toeing tie mark,
q regulation cG which he also seemed to be
IN ignorance.
These pTel.u,DaIies adjusted, 1 gaineo
(as / supposed a recognized advantage, 10y
calling out Farley me first go" The
young naa stared "po you mean, = he in-
quired, IN a calm tone of a seeker after
information inc doubt as one would adj
dress hihSelf TO a mummy for curious data
as 20 the pIaraohs do YOU mean that
you claim FIRST shoot" This appearing -
me a neRdleSSIy hara Ssng question. / re
piled 20 il iy taking my go" / shOt
tas is, indeed, the only just and credltabie
way TO do witl IA toes touching he mark
with my elbow steadiad OH nay hip, anG
] observed the ancient and undisputed rule
n acl iffpr iph
described beautiful para bola and fell into
orthodox position within foot II the ring
I: was now my Lephew's turn. He stood
loosely, with both feet halfway over the
mark, and he poked -positivelg pOked,
''Vauut We pokance," | shouted, but was
baffled by the serenC assurance that no
penalty attaches TO pokance under the
modern code, anG tina TINY phra seology was
obsolete and barlarous The chill OF Sc
questratlon had been gathering closely
about inv heart, aid the feeling pa ssel into
bitterness as. In defiance of all established
rules aud Of ga ygiUnnd ethics, the young
Fellows csuquerihg tOr swept pebble after
pebble out OF tiie ring, each new victory
giving hira new right as TO sequence or
''go." 1T w'as." as the old warrior de
clared OF another brilliant game, 'magnifi-
cent, but 81 WAS not marbles" And the
fellow played for keeps" There was no
playing for Keeps tO1ty years ago.