The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-07-08
RUSSIAN ADJUSTMENTS.
EAe Schoolboy Has Few Games and Gem
orally Id1es Away His Time.

XAe SchOOIbOy Has Few Games ana zen"
orally Idles Away His Time.
Unfortunately young Russia has
not the faintest glimmering of
knowledge of the practice or even
of the existence of such things as
football, cricket, fives, rackets, golf,
athletic sports, hockey or any other
of the numerous pastimes which
play SO important part in the life
of every schoolboy in this merry
land of England Therefore there is
no question for him of staying be-
hind at the school premises after
working hours in order to take part
in any game He goes home; that
much is certain. Most of his time IS
loafed away-that, too, is beyond
question. He may skate little,
perhaps, in the winter, if he hap
pens to live near a skating ground,
but he will not 60 far for it, and in
the summer, which is holiday time
for him from June till September,
he walks up and down the village
street, clothed in white calico gar
ments, or plays cup and ball in the
garden, fishes a little, perhaps, in
the river or pond, if there happen to
be one, and lazes his time away
without exertion. OF late years,
'lorteneece, E" as lawn tennis is call
ed in the czar's country, has been
slightly attempted, but it is not
really liked Too many balls are
lost, and the rules of the game have
never yet been thoroughly grasped.
A quartet of men will occasionally
rig up their net, which they raise
to about the height of foot and a
half, and play species of battle
dore and shuttlecock over it until
the balls disappear, but it is scarce
ly tennis. AS a matter of fact, a
Russian generally rushes at the ball
and misses it. On the rare occasions
when he strikes the object he does
so with so much energy that the
ball, unless stopped by the adver-
sary's eye or his partners, disap-
pears forever into 1.-THE blue. F" Gro
quet is a mild favorite, too, but it is
played very languidly and unscien-
tifcally.
Well do I remember a scene at the
custom house some years-a good
many years, fear ago. I was a
schoolboy at the time and had ar
rived from England in order to
spend the summer holidays in Rus
STA. Among my impedimenta was
box of croquet paraphernalia which
I had been commissioned to bring
out for an English resident. At that
time the game was as yet unknown
to the country, and the custom
house authorities on opening the
box retreated in horror and alarm
when they beheld it's awe inspiring
contents. Instruments of assault,
bombs, mysterious weapons of ev-
cry kind were contained in that aw
full box-not one of them would go
near it. Amid EXPLANATIONS of warn
ing and horror I drew forth one of
the bombs and placed it upon the
ground, then a second. To the ac-
compartment of cries of terror and
CONSERVATION | took from the case
a terrible weapon (known to Gro
quet players as a mallet), and to the
inexpressible alarm of all present [
commenced a little exhibition game
of croquet upon the floor of the Gus
tom house, in order to demonstrate
the uses of the various implements.
AS the hoops could not we'll be util-
lied on the wooden boards these in
nocent articles were gravely sus-
pected. [ believe the officials took
them to be boomerangs of a novel
and peculiar description, and the
whole box was consequently detain
ed for further and fuller investiga-
ton. believe they sunk it in deep
water and sent down scientifically
disposed diver to inspect it in safe
ty. Ny friends got their croquet set
eventually, but the balls bore marks
of careful testing. Those officials
had felt sure they were bombs and
had done their very best to convict
them of containing dynamite, F.
Wishaw in Chambers Journal.
NTo5a A-o@hax NT;SAoIro
At the DhrenOIOgiSt' S general in