The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-27
KNUCKLE DOWN AND SHOOT
HARD!
Philosophy Of Marbles Is Philosophy
for Life,

Now that once more The sun with
Taurus rides and intempestively linger-
ing winter has called off his pack,
suburban seeds are in and lawn now
ers out, trees green and the God
astir. oxfords and straws beginning to
bloom vernally and the Bockbler get
ting old. the small boy returns to
tipcat. or roly-poly in the street. one o.
cat in vacant lots, tops and marbles
everywhere-but by preference under
the feet and between the legs Of
pedestrian elders. At least we sup
pose tops and marbles. hoops and dolls
have not yet entirely loY their charm
for Young America, even though We
have heard the precoc!ous sophistica-
ton of both sexes held in horror by
the unco gu!d.
Marbles is a game--thus the books
played with balls OF baked clay,
porcelain, glass. agate or other mineral
substances. possibly Of resilient wood
or metal. popular in ancient India and
chlna and in modern America. There
are many varieties of the game, but
the common principle is the shooting
Of one marble at another by swapping
It from between the tip Of the index
finger. crooked. and the middle Joint
of the thumb. with the end OF the
thumb held under the middle finger Of
the loosely closed hand. the knuckles
Of the hand resting upon the playing
surface. commonly the ground.
Millions. millions OF millions OF mar
bles have been made in Germany each
year for the American market. Has
the war affected the trade? Have the
! mothers of the boys of to-day the pa
ticnce the boys grandmothers had for
the making of marble bags. puckered
~Capacious pouches made out Of rag
bag remnants. with drawstrings. and
are there colors in the rag bag treas
ures Of these dyeiess days? How the
patterned ginghams and calico.s Of the
dads when they were lads frightened
the land. And have marbles even vet
the same merry. mischievous habit
they had "A few hundred weeks ago of
rolling out OF i'll guarded pockets in
such public places as schoolrooms and
the church? How far they always
went. with what "A din OF disorder,
DO twentieth century homes know the
menace OF the ankle turning globules
spilled ali over the house? Do house
keepers sweep them out from under
bureaus and behind bookcases?
Will some authority" at or near
the confident and competent age Of
twelve. inform those To whom marbles
is a memory whether the 1916 boy
plays hest on n chuck or in the ring.
for fun or for keeps? Are there
thrifty lads whose treasure grows and
grows. OVERLOOKING pouches and cigar
boxes and secret rcccptaclcs. and UNI
lucky ones, always losers three or
1--WE or ten. prodigals Of good property
whose stores. in spite Of repeated re-
punishment by the Kindness of donors
Of pennies or n!ckcls. never last over
night? Lay me in" may be the fore
cast shadow of "a drag on the pot" or
| of a check book habituaily overdrawn.
The child is father OF the man.
Does the old lingo survive? Is It
"mibbs' or 'miGss"? And are they
still thirteen for n cent? Agates.
alleys, catseyes. and Is a pure" or
real" still valued by the moons" that
mark il? Do the laws still call for
knurkl!ng down, are h!st!n' and
inchin' and punchin' tolerated; IL
the rich id!om OF "dubs' and 'thribs,'
Zen dubs. zen on the agate" main
tanned?
How many a boy Of day before yes
terday who now has boys Of his
thrills to the old cry as he passes
through tho streets. telling himself the
kids are right and the way TO get
along In the world. playing or work.
ing. Is 70 "knuckle down and shoot
hard"