Year: 1859

went to Hohoken with Damphool, who,
although an American, is a cricketer-I hope
Damphool may be forgiven, and indeed I think
there is salvation in store for him, provided he
speedily repents Of cricket and takes to base ball
Damphool told me | would sec great sport--got
TO the ground-bestowrd myself under tree
while Damphool went TO the CIb House to attire
bimself-presently he appeared again dressed in
white flannel from head to ioot--he had jockey
cap on his head and buckskin slippers his feet.
just before the game commenced he tied a bed
quilt on each leg, and put on some leather gloves
then the people took their places-thr men
who were not bowling all took the same position,
with their hands on their knees, and their chius
elevated at an angle of forty-Gve degrees-then
the umpire called ont pay"-thcn the bowler,
disheartened ing man, took up the ball.
which was as hard rs brick, and threw it with
all his might at a lugubrious individual with a
two handed pudding stick in bis grasp, who stood
in front of some little sticks which we're stuck in
the ground like an unfinished hen coop.


There we're two melancholy bowers, two droop-
ing batsmen and two unfinished hen coops-
when the detected man saw the ball coming he
made poke at il with his pudding stick, but
didn't hit it then he sadly rested from his laSors.
while number of dOeful men on the other side
wearily sought for the ball-then the other bow
Ter with a sad cOuntenance threw the ball at the
other gloomy bat-man, who made another dispr-





he hit it-then he ran towards the other hen
coop, while the man at that ran TO his hen coop
then the marker put down one mark for his
sde-then they all rested in dcspondng silence
for five minutes during which time everybody
religiously kept monrniully still expected to
hear some one lead in prayer, or begin an eXhor-
tation, or commence reading the funeral service,
or some inspiring thing Of that kind. but no one
volunteered any amusement, and pretty soon the
downcast players resumed the mysteries of crick
et--there was more throwing at lhe hen coOps--
and pretty soon one was knocked down-then the
batsmen who ought to have stood before it and
stopped the ball with the bcdquilts on his legs
was declared to be out''-then he retired dis
comlted, while the rest Of his eleven set up q
dismal groan.


Then Damphool went in and took the pudlng
stick-then the grave men threw the ball at
Damphool- Damphool pokcd it maniully-then
he run for the other hen COOP, and the man who
presided at the other pudding stick run for his
hen coOp-the bedquilts Damphool's legs in
terfered with his speed, and he didn't get along
very iast-so the man pensivey tool. the ball
and knocked down DampAo0ls hen coop-lheu
Damphoo was out They prrsevered in the joe
nlailty until sunset, at which time the funereal
state of things came to cnd--then the eleven
whose pudding stick men had made the most
journeys between the hen coops were declared to
be the wlnners-ihen they united the bcdquilts
from their legs, took Off their llannels and went
home. This is all there is of the game Of cricket.
1t may be a very brisk amusement for some men.
but would as soon think of taking pleasure in
hearse, or of going to a dozen pedestrian iunc-
rails for days pleasure, as of participating in
the gloomy ceremonies of cricket for the same
length of time, have heen low spirited ever
since the great Jersey match, and am rapidly
sinking under the remembrance of the dismal
doings on that oppressive occasion.


DiscOnsoatcly,


q. X. pHiLANDER D0EsTrCEs r. r.