The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-08-30


game OF ring top is queer sort Of an
affair. The boy who accidentally
makes a hash Of throwing mis- top has
to permit the top TO remain within
the big chalk marked ring. Then
all of the other boys take a whack
at il with their tops. The boy who
hits the top in the ring with the
spikes of his top (Which must remain
spinning after the impact of the blow,
and remain within the circular ring
besides) becomes the pOssessor OF the
dead top. The skilful lads know
how TO strike a dead top without
splitting 1t.
And, while the boys play marbles
most OF the year out where | live,
this is the big marble season, too.
The boys have got game Of marbles
now that / don't remember having
played when | was young 'un. The
ring is only about foot in diameter,
and the taw line is dozen feet away.
From the taw line the boys plump
at the marbles in the ring, and, they
are not allowed to roll their marbles
on the ground at all. This is a game
Of marbles that requires a steady
hand and first rate craftsmanship.
Only the most scientific marble play
ing boys play this game. The others
stick TO the old time big ring, about
five feet in diameter.
'Snatching up still goes, note.
It will probably always endure as
long as there are naturally preda-
tory boys. The youngsters of to-day,
however, seem to be possessed of a
hawklike vision for snatchers up, and
when they perceive these bandits in
the offing they knock off playing un-
til the pirates get out Of the way.
Now here is a curious thing about
boys. They thing splitting the girls
tops is all right; perhaps it appealSA
to them as something funny; but they
don't snatch up the girls marbles.
Some of the boys play the game
of marbles called 'purgatory' on
vacant lots. Golhsh sort of game.
this purgatory, except that instead OF
using clubs the boys direct the mar
bles into the purgatory holes by
knuckle force, as in the regular game
of marbles. The boy who is last to
get his marble into the final purga-
tory note has, as of old, to permit
his knuckles to be shot at by the
taws of the other boys as many times
as the prearrangement calls for. 1t
has always been a moot question, |
believe, whether boys are naturally
cruel or not, but the purgatory play
ing boys certainly seem to enjoy the
sharp cracking of the beaten boys
knuckles when they shoot their heav-
lest taws at the vanquished ones
knuckles with all their force.
THE old time prejudice Of prop
erly masculine boys against the girls
game Of jacks still seems to prevail.
Whenever you come across a party of
girls playing jacks, with a solitary
boy engaging in the game with them,
you may stand by to hear all the
other boys around call him girl
names.
Jacks, viewed from a grownup
point of view, is a good deal better
game when it is played on a smooth
carpet, but the little girls don't think
so, and as they do the playing, grown
up opinion doesn't amount to any
thing. They play the game on the
sidewalks, alongside the curbing, or
on the front steps. Little girls who
like to play jacks usually have the
discretion not TO play the game in
front of their own houses, where they
are within the sight of their moth
ers, because their mothers expect
them to engage in active running
about play when they are out, and
consider that if they are inspired to
pass their time at such a sedentary
game as jacks they might just as well
be inside practising their piano les
sons.
Both girls and boys play mumble-
peg nowadays. When l was a tyke a
girl was considered tomboyish If she
played mumblepeg. Mumblepeg Is
another game that seems to've
changed a good deal since played It..
When was a shaver we played II on
boardwalks or planks. and II was
mighty scientific game. The young
sters OF to-day play the game on the
sod, and they're not. therefore. COM
PEELED to be so unerring in judging
the aims of their jackknives.
II don't see many girls with a skip
ping rope nowadays. though. Mod
ern medical men, l am told, have de-
veloped a prejudice against skipping
ropes. and IL there are any little girls
there used to be many OF EN-
who try to skip the greatest number
OF times compatible with keeping any
breath at all in their bodies. they un-
dertake the performance we'll out of
view OF their mothers. 1t seems a
pity that the skipping rope is passing
In obedience to the mandate OF the
physicians-event though the mandate
be we'll based. as 1t undoubtedly is
for there could hardly be anything
prettier or more graceful than the
picture OF two little girls OF a size