Newspaper Page Text
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
UNCLE OLLAPOD TALKS TO THE
boys about base ball.
OOD morning, little read
era of the Weekly. I
propose to have an occa
sional chat with you,
cA || r about all sorts of things,
useful and amusing; to tell you
some things you do not know,
and about others of which you
Iff already know something; and to
relate some adventures of my school-boy
days, with occasional anecdotes and inci
dents of my later years. I want every
little reader of the Weekly to start with
me, and to go through the journey with
me, although it may take us more than a
year to finish it. If any of you get tired,
don’t hesitate to say so, for, although I
am an old man, I can recollect very well
how tired I used to get of prosy old peo
ple. But I shall try not to be prosy, and
hope, therefore, that I shall
not be considered tiresome.
First of all, I propose to tell
you something about this new’
game of Base Ball, which
seems to have turned the heads
of half the boys and young
men in the country. When I
was a boy, w r e had a good, old
fashioned game known as
Town Ball, which was a good
deal like this new game, and
in some respects I think it Avas
a better game, too. There
were not so many rules, and
the game w T as consequently
simpler. Any number of boys
could play Town Ball, while only nine on
each side can play this new game. In
Town Ball, the pitcher belonged to the
“ins,” and it was his interest to deliver
fair balls to the one who held the bat, but
in this new’ game the pitcher and batsman
belong to opposite sides, and the former,
of course, tries his best to put the latter
“out.” Now, boys, these are old fogy
objections, no doubt, but you must remem
ber that I am no longer a boy, and can
scarcely be expected to like these new
fangled games better than the old ones of
my day.
I have another objection—and a \ r ery
serious one—to Base Ball. I am afraid
it is already engrossing more time than
it deserves, and is likely to prove an in-
J u ry, rather than a benefit , to some young
men Avho are engaged in playing it. I
a m a little afraid of clubs. In my day,
they were considered dangerous to young
people, and I am afraid they are no bet
ternow. Base Ball clubs meet frequently
BURKE’S W EEKL Y.
at night, and I am old fogy enough to
think that boys and young men are in
danger when they get into the habit of go
ing out at night, Stay at home, boys,
and read to your mothers and sisters; or
if you are away from home, at school or
in business, spend your evenings in your
room, with a good book, and beware of
Base Ball and all other clubs.
One argument in favor of this neAv
game is, that it developes the muscles,
and furnishes an innocent and healthful
out-door amusement. Now’, this thing of
out-door exercise can be carried too far.
A fe w Aveeks ago I read in the Weekly
of the death of a young man at BroAvn
University, Rhode Island, from inflamma
tion of the muscles of the loin, brought on
by excessive playing at this same game
of Base Ball. Be careful, and dont allow
your passion for this game to tempt you
to exertion beyond your strength.
But I must Avind up my “talk,” for fear
of being considered “prosy,” and in doing
so let me define my position clearly. I
don’t object to this new game, or any
other honest, manly out-door game, if
played in moderation. I particularly ob
ject to its being engaged in to the neglect
of other things of more importance, or to
the detriment of health. I object to the
formation of Base Ball clubs, attendance
on Avhich will take boys and young men
aAvay from their homes at night; and I
still insist that the good old game of
Town Ball is just as amusing, a great deal
simpler, and much less expensive—requi
ring less time for its practice, and otter
ing feAver temptations for the neglect of
business or study.
Next week I shall tell you a story of
my younger days, connected with a game
of Town Ball.
w r as the saying of a heathen,
that he Avho would do good, must either
have a faithful friend to instruct him, or
a watchful enemy to correct him.
The Children in Heaven.
'* A little child who loves to play,
And read his Bible too,
Shall rise above the sky one day,
And sing as angels do;
Shall live in Heaven, that world above,
A\ here all is joy, and peace, and love.
Look up, d< ar children ! Sec that star
AA'hich shines so brightly there !
But you shall brighter shine by far,
AVhen in that world so fair;
A harp of gold you each shall have,
And sing the power of Christ to save.”
HARRY’S SERMON.
1)DIE,” said Harry, “let’s
play at going to church,
and I’ll be the minister
an d preach you a ser
“Well,” said Eddie, “and I’ll be
the people.”
i jjjcK So they event up stairs together.
* | Harry set an old fire screen up in
front of him, by evay of a pulpit, and thus
began;
“My text is a very short and easy one,
‘Be kind.’ There are some
little texts in the Bible on pur
pose for little children, and
this is one of them. These
are the heads of my sermon :
“Firstly. Be kind to father,
and don’t make a noise Avhen
he has a headache. I don’t
belieA’e you knoAv w’hat a head
ache is, but I do. I had one
once, and I didn’t want to hear
any one speak a word.
“ Secondly. Be kind to mo
ther, and don’t make her tell
you to do a thing more than
once. It’s A r ery tiresome to
say, ‘it’s time for you to go to
bed ’ half a dozen times OA’er.
“ Thirdly. Be kind to baby.”
“ You have left out, ‘Behind to Har
ry,’ ” broke in Eddie, forgetting that he
was ‘the people.’
“ Yes,” said Harry, “ I don’t mean to
mention my OAvn name in my sermons.
“Fourthly. Be kind to Jane, and don’t
scream and kick when she Avashcs and
dresses you.”
Here Eddie looked a little ashamed and
said: “ But she pulled my hair with the
comb.”
“People musn’t talk in church.”
“Fifthly. Be kind to kittie, and do
what will make her purr, and don’t do
what Avill make her scratch and squeak.”
“Isn't the sermon nearly done?” asked
Eddie. “I Avant to sing,” and without
waiting for Harry to finish his discourse,
or to give out a hymn, he began to sing,
and Harry had to stop ; but it Avas a very
good sermon after all. Don’t you think
so ?
173