Middletown transcript., 1909-12-11
THE LITTLE CANDLE .
BY JAMES WEBER LINN

Rodney w. Pinkham, sir.
You want to play football?
Yes, sir.
Why, said the coach good na-
turediy, you're no bigger than q
Christmas candle!
boys who heard hin laugh,
ed, butPinkham was not disturbed
/ weigh more than you'd think
sir, he said. ! weigh one hun
dred and eight and one quarter
pounds, and most Of it is muscle
sir.
The coach smiled again.
Well, Mr.. Christmas Candle
Pinkham, he said, | like your
spirit, anyway, aud we'll see
what you can do.
The first day there were exact
" thirty-four men at practlce,
and when the three elevens lined
M for signal practice, Pinkham
found himself the one left over.
But he trotted along beside
the coach without the least sign
of annoyance, looking up at
him seriously and listening at
tentively to what he said. The
coach put him in at end for the
last five minutes of formation
work.
When it was over, he had all
the candidates run from one end
of the field to the other. Pink
ham finished sixth. Hello said
the coach. You can run, can't
you ?
Yes, sir, said Pinkham.
Hello, Candle! said Tom my
Horton, the halfback, winking
to big Sloan, the centre. Aren't
you afraid the rain'll melt you?
No, sir, answered Pinkham.
After a moment he smiled, shy,
embarrassed smile. Iguess that
was a joke, wasn't il ? lie said.
Sloan and Horton doubled them
selves up with laughter. After
that every cne called him Candle
Pinkham.
He appeared on the field every
day, rain or shine. Football was
his passion. When he got a
chance in the scrimmage, which
he soon did, he showed that bis
size was not altogether q disad-
vantage, for he could wriggle
through hole that nobody else
on the squad could find and he
was a very difficult person to
dodge. In two weeks he was
playing end on the "scrub" and
was the proudest boy in Valley
side.
There's one thing about you,
Candle, said the coach, one day.
It's a real pleasure to see you
play, you enjoy it SO much.
Why, don't you think iU's fun,
sir?asked Pinkham, wonderingly.
Vallegside had excellent pros
poets that year. Sloan, the cen,
tire; Jimmy Edwards, The quarter
back and captain, and Horton,
the left half, were all remark.
able players, and the rest Of the
eleven we're at least average,
with the exception of the right
end. After three weeks the
makeup of the team had been
practically settled, save for that
end position. After tie Mount
fort game, Edwards and the
coach were talking it over.
There's just one manin Valley
side who could make good there,
I'm perfectly sure, said Edwards.
That's Babb. But be won't come
out, confound him You know
he played for Blount School last
season and he was star. When
l heard he was coming here, ]
gave up worrying about one end.
But I've talked to him dozen
times, and l can't move him; he
won't try.
What's the matter with him !?
asked the coach.
He's got bee in bis bonnet,
answered Edwards, Grossly. He
says he doesn't like the game.
Why notG
Says it's bad for man. He
isn't afraid of getting hurt, t,either,
but you see, he was ruled off
twice for hitting q man last year,
and he has never got over it. l
don't think he's a dirty player;
they say he had provocation both
times. But he's queer chap; I
can't make him out. He says
that he loses his temper when he
plays, and does things be has no
business tc do, and SO he has
made up his mind not to play.
He'd better make up his mind
TO keep his temper, said the
coach.
nhaf,s what told him Ed.