New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-15

ing chickens or the rat catching mice W.
little older. say. ten years. the competitive a.
ment is very strong. They want % Dit r.
strength against one another. Then Ne USE a.
relay idea as in relay races. They ike gar.-
involving the chase. From this time and d,sri,z
the adoIescent period generally games in wb'cS
organization is called for come into use. Tss0
team play becomes feature Of the games. ana
such games as prisoners base. and n Ia,s.
years captains BALI and 'basketbaH' ara
PLAYED Then individual characteristics appa.-
Some boys develop into pitchers. others into
sprinters. etc The interest in skill and in aoinv
more and raore difficult things increases Tbs
child is egotistic He says See ne Do this.
The older boys say our team won to-day IA
they grow older they recognize that there ara
others besides themselves. One of the great Oh
jects in games is TO lead children 70 realize TIA.
they are only a part Of q social whole.
Another thing I have observed Games tha,
will not interest American children beyond he
primary stage often viii interest foreign chil-
dren up to the graduating period Foreign girls
will play Sally Waters oats. peas, beans etc
and similar folk games up 10 the last year n Tho
grammar school 7 think il may Boz fecausa
they live simpler lives while tire American child
enters earlier into the more complex interests %
adults. Yet 7 have seen games involving the
same principle but little different in Town. 20
through several years Of school life. First ne
children will play eat and mice a little later
it is chicken and hawk and still later fox and
geese-games involving the same element az the
first one
To see some Of these games played is worth
going half a days journey With what interest
the girls bend over to draw with crayou on the
cement pavement Of the playground the white
the lines are uneven-onc on each side Of the
chalk line already drawn across the centre OF
the court for the game Of gathering sticks.
half dozen sticks are dropped in each oval with
a CHATTER. and the girls divide into two "s'des"
which take their places on either side Of The
line. Away scannpe-s one of the girls across The
line into the enemys territory. a swirl Of skirts
and hvina braids and curls, scream and she s
conducted 20 the ene.ny's goal, 20 remain until
touched by one of her own side no has run
the gantIet. Then the two return safely. while
another steals across toward the goal. bent on
picking up one Of those sticks, the captured one
having been redeemed And so il goes until one
side has conveyed all the sticks from The op-
pOnent's goal to its own.
In the boys playground at the same moment
two lines Of boys between ten and twelve years
old are unconsciousIy exercising their backs in a
game Of "Str1ddle club. Inere are tWO lines OF
boys. each made up Of a dozen or more. All are
standing with legs apart, but those in one Of the
lines are all erect with the exception Of two OF
three at the rear end. One OF these is engaged
i'm passing an Indian club between his legs to
the boy next behind him. Every boy whose
duty in passing 10 along has been performed Is
intently watching the progress Of the club in the
other line. Hurry up VIII shout the boys at
the top II the line as the club reaches 'WuL"
the last hoy. jim has started back jim"
was the last boy in the rival line. WITS feet
slipped on the pavement as he tfiei 20 scramble
out behind Jim Pick yourself Up VIII"
shouted b; Il q dozen in one breath. and WIZ
did pick himself UP. WILL gaining on -'Jim."
the two boys smoked along the line. Jim mad
too much Of a lead. however. and, with the aid
of Wits" slip. re was able to reach the head
first
This game created so much interest when IL
troduced in a school in one Of the poverty
stricken districts Of Brooklyn that the boys
'chipped in and bought pair Of clubs. that
they could play the game out Of school hours,
when the clubs belonging to the school were not
available
In another schOOlyard a class Of girls who
were rounding into the sweet curves Of woman
hood were engaged in a relay race. Their skirts