The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-04
BY JEROME H. JEROME.

chronicles are to be trusted. there
used to be bouts of quarter-stan.
wrestling ana archery. The Maypole
was a permanent fixture on the village
green. The boys and girls danced;
their elders got vehement and cited
over bowls.
Political propaganda Is excellent.
Let us build up a sane, far seeing
party that win one day make laws,
try worth the living In. But mean
while don't forget that the important
thing, after all. is the people who
are going to Hive In H.
An eight-hours day is going to be
no good to a people too dull to know
what TO do with the other sixteen.
| Make a healthy. merry people capa-
Bile Of enjoying their leisure when
they get It.
Waterloo--so 1t has been said, and
denied--was won on the playing fie1ds
of Elton. Roughly speaking, there
was truth in 1t. The governing class.
es have always been the playing
classes. Before the working classes
can be At to govern they will have
| to be got out of their apathy. The
| man who can captain baseball team
| Is learning how to rule. The man
who learns the combination necessary
for the football field is learning to
| be a good citizen.
| / want to see the woman playing
! ALSO. At present she thinks, too,
much without knowing how to think.
! want her to learn nimbleness of
thought, clearness of PERCEPTION.
want her to learn patience and good
! temper and understanding. so that
| when she gets the vote she may know
of what to do with 1t. 7 want to
see the factory girl mixing with the
| boys and learning to understand. Why
shouldn't she Join the hockey club,
| the tennis club, play golf on a Sun
! day?
want healthier children, and youth
! get them quicker by consigning eu-
| genics and all suchlike aueckery to
! the rubbish heap and teaching the
girls who are to become mothers TO
swim, to row. to run and leap and
laugh. would like to see at least
/ half Of the money that is wasted on
so called amusements saved and given
| to sport. The dismal movtngpicture
| theater. with its imbecile humor: the
| cheap music hail. with its glare and
vulgarity: the coarse farce and the
snobbish melodrama; leave them
alone. my friends, come out into God
| air, and learn to be strong. clean
lfmDed men ana W0HnSH- 1ou WIi
| find you will get a better taste for
amusement, and you'll wonder that
you ever put up with the twaddle that
| IL foisted upon you.
| I want to see the working classes
doing these things for themselves not
trusting to the squire and the clergy
| man and well-meanng lady bounu>
| full. Teach your children to play
| Show them there are better games
| than playing school on doorstep.
There Is a lot you can't do at present.
| But this thing you can do and You
/ auSst to do. There. Is, fun In this
| world, and there Is health and there
ts laughter: and you let it go by for
| want of little energy, for want Of
a little thinking, for want OF little
| planning.
| You have learned how TO work
| Centuries of struggle have won you
a little leisure, will win you more;
| but 1t is going to be no good to you
| IL you don't know what to do with
IT, You have got to learn to play
you have got to want to play. be-
cause until you do you are not hnish'
ed men and women.