Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-11-22
When Football
"Sand" Counted.
By Clinton p. Ticknor,

T I was great cross to Mr.. and Mrs
Crompton that Clinton was appar.
emily devoid of any worthy ambl.
l. ton. Their two older boys were
so utterly different. Harold had been
graduated from Yale with high hon.
ors, and Eric was making remarkable
progress at the scientific school. In
fact, they We're both exceptionally fine
I students, which made the contrast all
the more striking.
For Clinton was sadly unlike his
brothers. He seemed to labor under
the impression that he had been sent
to college simply and solely for the
purpose of learning to play football.
Apparently nothing else had the pow
er to kindle the slightest enthusiasm
in his sluggish breast, and his mother
argued and cXpOStulatcd with him in
vain.
you are fritterinG away your valu-
able time" she argued again and
again, land letting slip golden oppor-
tunities which, once gone. never will
come back to you. and what have you
to show for it all but broken nose
and a fractured collarbone:'
rs there any prospective benefit to
be derived from these hours spent in
scrambling after football" his father
questioned. severely. to which Clinton
merely responded, in his usual offh0nd
style: "Who knows but may be elect
cd captain Of the Varsity team next
year,
''ls that the height OF your ambi-
tion" his parent returned, bitterly.
II 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 rs foot
ball player will prove an open sesame
to all desirable positions. Do YOU
suppose that any one wants a fellow
who has willfully wasted his best op-
portunities? I had hoped to make n
professional man Of you-not profess
sional athlete-and had even aspircd
to see you some day in our leading law
office with my old friend Robert
Choate, but It's no use. Choate only
wants young men Of the highest prom
ise,' and Mr.. Crompton sighed YEARLY
ut does 10 good to talk to Clinton"
he cOnfided to his wife afterward. "for
hardly ten minutes had elapsed after
had been demonstrating with him about
the evils Of football before lie inquired
If wouldn't bring YOU down to see the
game on Saturday and Informed me
that he had saved two tickets for u.s.
Mrs. Crompton regarded her husband
helplessly. What did you say to
him?' she Qucried.
II told him certainly not" Mr.
Crompton exclaimed, warmly, "and
expressed my surprise at his daring to
suggest such thing Show me some
lasting benefit or any abiding good
that is to be derived from this ridic,l-
lous game told him. and then come
to me to abet you In such folly, but not
till then"
And so Mr.. and Mrs. Crompton failed
to witness that memorable game in
which their youngest son gained for
himself such enviable laurels. Once on
the field, Clinton was like one trans
formed. Keen. alert. cool, rising splen-
didly to every emergency. no one would
have known him for the same slow
Indifferent. easy-going specimen of hui
manity who grleved the ambitious
souls OF his parents by his small apti-
tude for Greek.
Not by any means that Clinton was
n Ounce for his class standing was
fairly good. but what panied his father
and mother was the recognition OF
what he might have accomplished had
It not been for that arch enemy foot
ball.
The great game over, the victorious
team fastened back to the gymnasium
with all possible speed. They had
some little distance to go, as the GYM
nisium was not very near the ball
grounds. so that in order to reach it
they were obliged to traverse the CEN
tire of the town ana cross the railroad
tracks.
Clinton, who had been detained a
moment or so longer than the others,
reached the station a short time after
they had crossed, and found the plat
forms crowded with people who were
returning from the game. mingled with
those who were alighting from the in
coming trains. AS he stepped from
the platform he became conscious that
something unusual was going on, and
he Immediately perceived the eyes of
the multitude We're rivcted upon n
figure half way across the tracks. n
figure pausing there in bewilderment.
There's train coming each way."
somebody gasped. "Why doesn't he
get off the track?'
The station agent and one or two
other officials We're shouting loudly,
but the man. who was old and SEEM
inely deaf, appeared thoroughly dazed.
AS he prepared to step upon the track
nearest him he had caught sight of one
train coming down upon him. and he
now staggered back and was about to