Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-03
Old Time Games.

There are two splendid games which have
held their own through ten centuries, at
least In Great Britain. and IN later times
have spread with the race to remotest
parts-games that might be played on tens
of thousands of lawns In America, to the
greatest advantage to the players and to
the enhancement of the pleasure Of coun-
try life. These are jack o. the green, or
lawn bowls, and quoits. -
Lawn bowls can especially be recommend
ed, because it is a gentle and skillful out
door exercise which can be INDUCED In by
either sex, or any age, from grandson TO
grandsire. The game can be played any
where that there is grass, as the green
needs no preparation for It other than that
given to any ordinary garden lawn. No
lawn is too small for it's operations. and
the more flower beds. trees shrubs or wind
ing paths enter into the gardens design.
the more delightful the game becomes.
No garden and no garden party In Eng
land, in the country, is complete which
docs not include the basket of biased bowls
and the white jack. from which the game
obtained its oId-time title. Jack o. the
green" The very "Reminiscences of the
game arc enough to attract one to It. Cen
tie and simple folk through all Anglo
Saxon history have played It Even the
froclked friar did not find II beneath his no.
uce; nay, II was the solace of many a Mon
astery. and even IN these later days learned
professors may be seen playing jack o. the
green on the monkish lawns which good
Queen Margaret and King Henry VII of
pious memory consecrated to the new learn
Ing. Warriors of old In earlier times in
more than one lordly western castle played
bowls on an improvised lawn on the top Of
their highest keep, one eye on the ball and
the other on the horizon The spell Of the
game was fascinating through many gem
eratfons. and the story Is well based which
made Sir Francis Drake insist on finishing
his game Of bowls on Plymouth Hoo when
the news was brought him that the Spanish
Armada had been sighted in the chops of
the channel.
Each of these two games has its merits.
but both have tffs IN common, that they
can be begun and left of at almost any
mlnute-An attribute which fits them adj
mirabiy into those odds and ends OF time
OF which many fragments hang In the course
OF week in country home. Not that
they tn are mere stop,saps, for they can OF
ties over considerable time. Many q sum
mers evening Is whiied away at both Of
them, far into the cleaning, In oid-fash-
Toned gardens. Of proportions which Ameri-
frequently they engross the attention OF
great crowds. in tournaments of giants,
whereat the spectators apparently receive
an amount OF pleasure nearly equivalent to
Lawn bowls may be played by two, four
or six, but In any case the number Of Play.
ers II divided into opposing sides Il u
started by one OF the players throwing the
JACK. or white ball, to any spot be pleaSeA
Within the limits OF the lawn. and thsp
bowling his ball as near to the jack a. %
possible to him. The balls used are Of
rser thsn VIII snsy sfs 0s hs
They are biased on the irafde edge, their
diameter through the back exceeding that
on the front: consequently, whom cast, they
ment Of this. and the he direction ana forcs
put into the ball. are the puzxles which
only practice can settlA ThA next oppoMng.