MANLY EXERCISES.
Bodily exercise is one of the most important means provided by nature
for the maintenance of health, and in order to prove the advantages of
exercise, we must show what is to be exercised, why exercise is
necessary, and the various modes in which it may be taken.
The human body may be regarded as a wonderful machine, the various parts
of which are so wonderfully adapted to each other, that if one be
disturbed all must suffer. The bones and muscles are the parts of the
human frame on which motion depends. There are four hundred muscles in
the body; each one has certain functions to perform, which cannot be
disturbed without danger to the whole. They assist the tendons in
keeping the bones in their places, and put them in motion. Whether we
walk or run, sit or stoop, bend the arm or head, or chew our food, we
may be said to open and shut a number of hinges, or ball and socket
joints. And it is a wise provision of nature, that, to a certain extent,
the more the muscles are exercised, the stronger do they become; hence
it is that laborers and artisans are stronger and more muscular than
those persons whose lives are passed in easy occupations or
professional duties.
Besides strengthening the limbs, muscular exercise has a most beneficial
influence on respiration and the circulation of the blood. The larger
blood-vessels are generally placed deep among the muscles, consequently
when the latter are put into motion, the blood is driven through the
arteries and veins with much greater rapidity than when there is no
exercise; it is more completely purified, as the action of the
insensible perspiration is promoted, which relieves the blood of many
irritating matters, chiefly carbonic acid and certain salts, taken up in
its passage through the system, and a feeling of lightness and
cheerfulness is diffused over body and mind.
We have said that a good state of health depends in a great measure on
the proper exercise of _all the muscles_. But on looking at the greater
portion of our industrial population,--artisans and workers in factories
generally--we find them, in numerous instances, standing or sitting in
forced or unnatural positions, using only a few of their muscles, while
the others remain, comparatively speaking, unused or inactive. Sawyers,
filers, tailors, and many others may be easily recognized as they walk
the streets, by the awkward movement and bearing impressed upon them by
long habit. The stooping position especially tells most fatally upon the
health; weavers, shoemakers, and cotton-spinners have generally a sallow
and sickly appearance, very different from that of those whose
occupation does not require them to stoop, or to remain long in a
hurtful posture. Their common affections are indigestion and dull
headache, with giddiness especially during summer. They attribute their
complaints to two causes, one of which is the posture of the body, bent
for twelve or thirteen hours a day, the other the heat of the
working-room.
Besides the trades above enumerated, there are many others productive of
similar evils by the position into which they compel workmen, or by the
close and confined places in which they are carried on; and others,
again, in their very natures injurious. Plumbers and painters suffer
from the noxious materials which they are constantly using, grinders and
filers from dust, and bakers from extremes of temperature and irregular
hours. Wherever there is physical depression, there is a disposition to
resort to injurious stimulants; and "the time of relief from work is
generally spent, not in invigorating the animal frame, but in
aggravating complaints, and converting functional into organic disease."
But there are others who suffer from artificial poisons and defective
exercise as well as artisans and operatives--the numerous class of
shopkeepers; the author above quoted says, "Week after week passes
without affording them one pure inspiration. Often, also, they have not
exercise even in the open air of the town; a furlong's walk to church on
Sunday being the extent of their rambles. When they have the opportunity
they want the inclination for exercise. The father is anxious about his
trade or his family, the mother is solicitous about her children. Each
has little taste for recreation or amusement." The various disorders,
generally known under the name of indigestion, disorders dependant on a
want of circulation of blood through the bowels, biliary derangements,
and headache, are well known to be the general attendants on trade,
closely pursued. Indeed, in almost every individual, this absorbing
principle produces one or other of the various maladies to which I have
alluded.
The great remedy for the evils here pointed out is bodily exercise, of
some kind, every day, and as much as possible in the open air. An
opinion prevails that an occasional walk is sufficient to maintain the
balance of health; but if the intervals of inaction be too long, the
good effect of one walk is lost before another is taken. Regularity and
sufficiency are to be as much regarded in exercise as in eating or
sleeping. Sir James Clark says, that "the exercise which is to benefit
the system generally, must be in the open air, and extend to the whole
muscular system. Without regular exercise out of doors, no young person
can continue long healthy; and it is the duty of parents in fixing their
children at boarding schools to ascertain that sufficient time is
occupied daily in this way. They may be assured that attention to this
circumstance is quite as essential to the moral and physical health of
their children, as any branch of education which they may be taught."
Exercise, however, must be regulated by certain rules, the principal of
which is, to avoid carrying it to excess--to proportion it always to the
state of health and habit of the individual. Persons of short breath
predisposed to determination of blood to the head, subject to
palpitation of the heart, or general weakness, are not to believe that a
course of severe exercise will do them good; on the contrary, many
serious results often follow over-fatigue. For the same reason it is
desirable to avoid active exertion immediately after a full meal, as the
foundation of heart diseases is sometimes laid by leaping or running
after eating. The great object should be so to blend exercise and
repose, as to ensure the highest possible amount of bodily vigor. It
must be recollected that exhausted muscles can be restored only by the
most perfect rest.
In the next place, it is a mistake to consider the labor of the day as
equivalent to exercise. Work, generally speaking, is a mere routine
process, carried on with but little variety of circumstances, in a
confined atmosphere, and in a temperature frequently more exhaustive
than restorative. The workman requires something more than this to keep
him in health; he must have exercise as often as possible in the open
air,--in fields, parks, or pleasure grounds; but if these are not at his
command, the streets of the town are always open to him, and a walk in
these is better than no walk at all. The mere change of scene is
beneficial, and in walking he generally sets in motion a different set
of muscles from those he has used while at work.
To derive the greatest amount of good from exercise, it must be combined
with amusement, and be made pleasureable and recreative. This important
fact ought never to be lost sight of, since to ignorance of it alone we
owe many of the evils which afflict society. And it would be well if
those who have been accustomed to look on social amusements as
destructive of the morals of the people, would consider how much good
may be done by giving the mind a direction which, while promotive of
health, would fill it with cheerfulness and wean it from debasing
habits. The character of our sports at the present time, partake but
little of the robust and boisterous spirit of our forefathers; but with
the refinement of amusements, the opportunity for enjoying them has been
grievously diminished. Cheering signs of a better state of things are,
however, visible in many quarters, and we trust that the good work will
be carried on until the whole of our population shall be in possession
of the means and leisure for pleasurable recreation.
While indulging in the recreative sports which are to restore and
invigorate us, we must be mindful of the many points of etiquette and
kindness which will do much, if properly attended to, to promote the
enjoyment of our exercise, and we propose to review the principal
exercises used among us, and to point out in what places the delicate
and gentlemanly attention to our companions will do the most to
establish, for the person who practices them, the reputation of a
polished gentleman.
RIDING.
There are no amusements, probably, which give us so wide a scope for the
rendering of attention to a friend as riding and driving. Accompanied,
as we may be at any time, by timid companions, the power to convince
them, by the management of the horse we ride, and the watch kept at the
same time on theirs, that we are competent to act the part of companion
and guardian, will enable us to impart to them a great degree of
reliance on us, and will, by lessening their fear do much to enhance
the enjoyment of the excursion.
With ladies, in particular, a horseman cannot be too careful to display
a regard for the fears of their companions, and by a constant watch on
all the horses in the cavalcade, to show at once his ability and
willingness to assist his companions.
There are few persons, comparatively speaking, even among those who ride
often, who can properly assist a lady in mounting her horse. An
over-anxiety to help a lady as gracefully as possible, generally results
in a nervous trembling effort which is exceedingly disagreeable to the
lady, and, at the same time, dangerous; for were the horse to shy or
start, he could not be so easily quieted by a nervous man as by one who
was perfectly cool. In the mount the lady must gather her skirt into her
left hand, and stand close to the horse, her face toward his head, and
her right hand resting on the pommel. The gentleman, having asked
permission to assist her, stands at the horse's shoulder, facing the
lady, and stooping low, he places his right hand at a proper elevation
from the ground. The lady then places her left foot on the gentleman's
palm, and as he raises his hand she springs slightly on her right foot,
and thus reaches the saddle. The gentleman must not jerk his hand
upward, but lift it with a gentle motion. This method of mounting is
preferable to a step or horse-block. Keep a _firm_ hand, for a sinking
foot-hold will diminish the confidence of a lady in her escort, and, in
many cases cause her unnecessary alarm while mounting. To any one who is
likely to be called on to act as cavalier to ladies in horse-back
excursions, we would recommend the following practice: Saddle a horse
with a side saddle, and ask a gentleman friend to put on the skirt of a
lady's habit, and with him, practice the mounting and dismounting until
you have thoroughly conquered any difficulties you may have experienced
at first.
After the seat is first taken by the lady, the gentleman should always
stand at the side of the lady's horse until she is firmly fixed in the
saddle, has a good foot-hold on the stirrup, and has the reins and whip
well in hand. Having ascertained that his companion is firmly and
comfortably fixed in the saddle, the gentleman should mount his horse
and take his riding position on the right or "off" side of the lady's
horse, so that, in case of the horse's shying in such a way as to bring
him against the other horse, the lady will suffer no inconvenience. In
riding with two ladies there are two rules in regard to the gentleman's
position.
If both ladies are good riders, they should ride side by side, the
ladies to the left; but, if the contrary should be the case, the
gentleman should ride _between_ the ladies in order to be ready in a
moment to assist either in case of one of the horses becoming difficult
to manage. Before allowing a lady to mount, the entire furniture of her
horse should be carefully examined by her escort. The saddle and girths
should be tested to see if they are firm, the stirrup leather examined,
in case of the tongue of the buckle being in danger of slipping out by
not being well buckled at first, and most particularly the bridle, curb,
headstall, and reins should be carefully and thoroughly examined, for on
them depends the entire control of the horse. These examinations should
_never_ be left to the stablehelps, as the continual harnessing of
horses by them often leads to a loose and careless way of attending to
such matters, which, though seemingly trivial, may lead to serious
consequences.
On the road, the constant care of the gentleman should be to render the
ride agreeable to his companion, by the pointing out of objects of
interest with which she may not be acquainted, the reference to any
peculiar beauty of landscape which may have escaped her notice, and a
general lively tone of conversation, which will, if she be timid, draw
her mind from the fancied dangers of horseback riding, and render her
excursion much more agreeable than if she be left to imagine horrors
whenever her horse may prick up his ears or whisk his tail. And, while
thus conversing, keep an eye always on the lady's horse, so that in case
he should really get frightened, you may be ready by your instruction
and assistance to aid the lady in quieting his fears.
In dismounting you should offer your right hand to the lady's left, and
allow her to use _your_ left as a step to dismount on, gently declining
it as soon as the lady has left her seat on the saddle, and just before
she springs. Many ladies spring from the saddle, but this generally
confuses the gentleman and is dangerous to the lady, for the horse _may_
move at the instant she springs, which would inevitably throw her
backward and might result in a serious injury.
DRIVING.
In the indulgence of this beautiful pastime there are many points of
care and attention to be observed; they will render to the driver
himself much gratification by the confidence they will inspire in his
companion, by having the knowledge that he or she is being driven by a
careful horseman, and thus knowing that half of what danger may attend
the pleasure, is removed.
On reaching the door of your companion's residence, whom we will suppose
to be in this case a lady,--though the same attention may well be
extended to a gentleman,--drive close to the mounting-block or curb, and
by heading your horse toward the middle of the road, and slightly
backing the wagon, separate the fore and hind wheels on the side next
the block as much as possible. This gives room for the lady to ascend
into the wagon without soiling her dress by rubbing against either tire,
and also gives the driver room to lean over and tuck into the wagon any
part of a lady's dress that may hang out after she is seated.
In assisting the lady to ascend into the wagon, the best and safest way
is to tie the horse firmly to a hitching-post or tree, and then to give
to your companion the aid of both your hands; but, in case of there
being no post to which you can make the rein fast, the following rule
may be adopted:
Grasp the reins firmly with one hand, and draw them just tight enough to
let the horse feel that they are held, and with the other hand assist
the lady; under _no_ circumstances, even with the most quiet horse,
should you place a lady in your vehicle without _any_ hold on the horse,
for, although many horses would stand perfectly quiet, the whole race of
them are timid, and any sudden noise or motion may start them, in which
case the life of your companion may be endangered. In the light _no-top_
or _York_ wagon, which is now used almost entirely for pleasure drives,
the right hand cushion should always be higher by three or four inches
than the left, for it raises the person driving, thus giving him more
control, and renders the lady's seat more comfortable and more safe. It
is a mistaken idea, in driving, that it shows a perfect horseman, to
drive fast. On the contrary, a _good_ horseman is more careful of his
horse than a poor one, and in starting, the horse is always allowed to
go slowly for time; as he gradually takes up a quicker pace, and becomes
warmed up; the driver may push him even to the top of his speed for some
distance, always, however, allowing him to slacken his pace toward the
end of his drive, and to come to the stopping-place at a moderate gait.
Endeavor, by your conversation on the road, to make the ride agreeable
to your companion. Never try to _show off_ your driving, but remember,
that there is no one who drives with so much apparent ease and so little
display as the professional jockey, who, as he devotes his life to the
management of the reins, may well be supposed to be the most thoroughly
good "whip."
In helping the lady out of the wagon, the same rule must be observed as
in the start; namely, to have your horse well in hand or firmly tied.
Should your companion be a gentleman and a horseman, the courtesy is
always to offer him the reins, though the offer, if made to yourself by
another with whom you are riding, should always be declined; unless,
indeed, the horse should be particularly "hard-mouthed" and your
friend's arms should be tired, in which case you should relieve him.
Be especially careful in the use of the whip, that it may not spring
back outside of the vehicle and strike your companion. This rule should
be particularly attended to in driving "tandem" or "four-in-hand," as a
cut with a heavy tandem-whip is by no means a pleasant accompaniment to
your drive.
BOXING.
In this much-abused accomplishment, there would, from the rough nature
of the sport, seem to be small room for civility; yet, in none of the
many manly sports is there so great a scope for the exercise of
politeness as in this. Should your adversary be your inferior in boxing,
there are many ways to teach him and encourage him in his pursuit of
proficiency, without knocking him about as if your desire was to injure
him as much as possible. And you will find that his gratitude for your
forbearance will prompt him to exercise the same indulgence to others
who are inferior to himself, and thus by the exchange of gentlemanly
civility the science of boxing is divested of one of its most
objectionable points, viz: the danger of the combatants becoming angry
and changing the sport to a brutal fight.
Always allow your antagonist to choose his gloves from the set, though,
if you recommend _any_ to him, let him take the hardest ones and you the
softest; thus he will receive the easier blows. Allow him the choice of
ground and position, and endeavor in every way to give him the utmost
chance. In this way, even if you should be worsted in the game, your
kindness and courtesy to him will be acknowledged by any one who may be
with you, and by no one more readily than your antagonist himself. These
same rules apply to the art of fencing, the most graceful and beautiful
of exercises. Let your opponent have his choice of the foils and
sword-gloves, give him the best position for light, and in your thrusts
remember that to make a "hit" does not require you to force your foil as
violently as you can against your antagonist's breast; but, that every
touch will show if your foils be chalked and the one who has the most
"spots" at the end of the encounter is the beaten man.
SAILING.
Within a few years there has been a most decided movement in favor of
aquatic pursuits. Scarcely a town can be found, near the sea or on the
bank of a river but what can either furnish a yacht or a barge. In all
our principal cities the "navies" of yachts and barges number many
boats. The barge clubs particularly are well-fitted with active, healthy
men, who can appreciate the physical benefit of a few hours' work at the
end of a sixteen-foot sweep, and who prefer health and blistered hands
to a life of fashionable and unhealthy amusement. Under the head of
sailing we will give some hints of etiquette as to sailing and rowing
together. A gentleman will never parade his superiority in these
accomplishments, still less boast of it, but rather, that the others may
not feel their inferiority, he will keep considerably within his powers.
If a guest or a stranger be of the party, the best place must be offered
to him, though he may be a bad oar; but, at the same time, if a guest
knows his inferiority in this respect, he will, for more reasons than
one, prefer an inferior position. So, too, when a certain amount of
exertion is required, as in boating, a well-bred man will offer to take
the greater share, pull the heaviest oar, and will never shirk his work.
In short, the whole rule of good manners on such occasions is not to be
selfish, and the most amiable man will therefore be the best bred. It is
certainly desirable that a gentleman should be able to handle an oar, or
to steer and work a yacht, both that when he has an opportunity he may
acquire health, and that he may be able to take part in the charming
excursions which are made by water. One rule should apply to all these
aquatic excursions, and that is, that the gentleman who invites the
ladies, should there be any, and who is, therefore, at the trouble of
getting up the party, should always be allowed to steer the boat, unless
he decline the post, for he has the advantage of more intimate
acquaintance with the ladies, whom he will have to entertain on the
trip, and the post of honor should be given him as a compliment to his
kindness in undertaking the preliminaries.
HUNTING.
Gentlemen residing in the country, and keeping a stable, are generally
ready to join the hunt club. We are gradually falling into the English
sports and pastimes. Cricket, boxing, and hunting, are being more and
more practiced every year, and our horsemen and pugilists aspire to
conquer those of Britain, when a few years back, to attempt such a thing
would have been considered folly. In this country the organization of
hunt-clubs is made as much to rid the country of the foxes as to enjoy
the sport. We differ much from the Britons in our hunting; we have often
a hilly dangerous country, with high worm and post-and-rail fences
crossing it, deep streams with precipitous sides and stony ground to
ride over. We hunt in cold weather when the ground is frozen hard, and
we take everything as it is, hills, fences, streams, and hedges, risking
our necks innumerable times in a hunt. In England the hunters have a
flat country, fences which do not compare to ours in height, and they
hunt _after_ a frost when the ground is soft.
Our hunting field at the "meet" does not show the gaudy equipment and
top-boots of England, but the plain dress of the gentleman farmer,
sometimes a blue coat and jockey-cap, but oftener the every-day coat and
felt hat, but the etiquette of our hunting field is more observed than
in England. There any one joins the meet, if it is a large one, but here
no one enters the field unless acquainted with one or more of the
gentlemen on the ground. The rules in the hunt are few and simple. Never
attempt to hunt unless you have a fine seat in the saddle and a good
horse, and never accept the loan of a friend's horse, still less an
enemy's, unless you ride very well. A man may forgive you for breaking
his daughter's heart but never for breaking his hunter's neck. Another
point is, always to be quiet at a meet, and never join one unless
acquainted with some one in the field. Pluck, skill, and a good horse
are essentials in hunting. Never talk of your achievements, avoid
enthusiastic shouting when you break cover, and do not ride over the
hounds. Keep a firm hand, a quick eye, an easy, calm frame of mind, and
a good, firm seat on the saddle. Watch the country you are going over,
be always ready to help a friend who may "come to grief," and with the
rules and the quiet demeanor you will soon be a favorite in the field.
SKATING.
Though we may, in the cold winter, sigh for the return of spring
breezes, and look back with regret on the autumn sports, or even the
heat of summer, there is yet a balm for our frozen spirits in the
glorious and exhilarating sports of winter. The sleigh filled with
laughing female beauties and "beauties," too, of the sterner sex, and
the merry jingle of the bells as we fly along the road or through the
streets, are delights of which Old Winter alone is the giver. But,
pleasant as the sleigh-ride is, the man who looks for health and
exercise at all seasons, turns from the seductive pleasures of the
sleigh to the more simple enjoyment derived from the skates. Flying
along over the glistening ice to the accompaniment of shouts of merry
laughter at some novice's mishap, and feeling that we have within us the
speed of the race-horse, the icy pleasure is, indeed, a good substitute
for the pleasures of the other seasons.
So universal has skating become, that instruction in this graceful
accomplishment seems almost unnecessary; but, for the benefit of the
rising generation who may peruse our work, we will give, from a
well-known authority, a few hints as to the manner of using the skates
before we add our own instruction as to the etiquette of the skating
ground.
"Before going on the ice, the young skater must learn to put on the
skates, and may also learn to walk with them easily in a room,
balancing, alternately, on each foot. A skater's dress should be as
loose and unincumbered as possible. All fullness of dress is exposed to
the wind. As the exercise of skating produces perspiration, flannel next
the chest, shoulders, and loins, is necessary to avoid the evils of
sudden chills in cold weather.
"Either very rough or very smooth ice should be avoided. The person who,
for the first time, attempts to skate, must not trust to a stick. He may
take a friend's hand for support, if he requires one; but that should be
soon relinquished, in order to balance himself. He will, probably,
scramble about for half an hour or so, till he begins to find out where
the edge of his skate is. The beginner must be fearless, but not
violent; nor even in a hurry. He should not let his feet get apart, and
keep his heels still nearer together. He must keep the ankle of the foot
on the ice quite firm; not attempting to gain the edge of the skate by
bending it, because the right mode of getting to either edge is by the
inclination of the whole body in the direction required; and this
inclination should be made fearlessly and decisively. The leg which is
on the ice should be kept perfectly straight; for, though the knee must
be somewhat bent at the time of striking, it must be straightened as
quickly as possible without any jerk. The leg which is off the ice
should also be kept straight, though not stiff, having an easy but
straight play, the toe pointing downwards, and the heel from six to
twelve inches of the other.
"The learner must not look down at the ice, nor at his feet, to see how
they perform. He may, at first, incline his body a little forward, for
safety, but hold his head up, and see where he goes, his person erect
and his face rather elevated than otherwise.
"When once off, he must bring both feet up together, and strike again,
as soon as he finds himself steady enough, rarely allowing both feet to
be on the ice together. The position of the arms should be easy and
varied; one being always more raised than the other, this elevation
being alternate, and the change corresponding to that of the legs; that
is, the right arm being raised as the right leg is put down, and _vice
versâ_, so that the arm and leg of the same side may not be raised
together. The face must be always turned in the direction of the line
intended to be described. Hence in backward skating, the head will be
inclined much over the shoulder; in forward skating, but slightly. All
sudden and violent action must be avoided. Stopping may be caused by
slightly bending the knees, drawing the feet together, inclining the
body forward, and pressing on the heels. It may be also caused by
turning short to the right or left, the foot on the side to which we
turn being rather more advanced, and supporting part of the weight."[A]
[A] Walker's Manly Exercises.
When on the ice, if you should get your skates on before your companion,
always wait for him; for, nothing is more disagreeable than being left
behind on an occasion of this kind. Be ready at all times when skating
to render assistance to any one, either lady or gentleman, who may
require it. A _gentleman_ may be distinguished at all times by the
willingness with which he will give up his sport to render himself
agreeable and kind to any one in difficulty. Should you have one of the
skating-sleds so much used for taking ladies on the ice, and should your
own ladies, if you are accompanied by any, not desire to use it, the
most becoming thing you can do is to place it at the disposal of any
other gentleman who has ladies with him, and who is not provided with
such a conveyance.
Always keep to the right in meeting a person on the ice, and always
skate perfectly clear of the line in which a lady is advancing, whether
she be on skates or on foot. Attention to the other sex is no where more
appreciated than on the ice, where they are, unless good skaters,
comparatively helpless. Be always prompt to assist in the extrication of
any one who may break through the ice, but let your zeal be tempered by
discretion, and always get a rope or ladder if possible, in preference
to going near the hole; for there is great risk of your breaking through
yourself, and endangering your own life without being able to assist the
person already submerged. But should the rope or ladder not be
convenient, the best method is to lay flat on your breast on the ice,
and push yourself cautiously along until you can touch the person's
hand, and then let him climb by it out of the hole.
SWIMMING.
So few persons are unable to swim, that it would be useless for us to
furnish any instruction in the actual art of swimming; but a few words
on the subject of assisting others while in the water may not come
amiss.
It is a desirable accomplishment to be able to swim in a suit of
clothes. This may be practiced by good swimmers, cautiously at first, in
comparatively shallow water, and afterwards in deeper places. Occasions
may frequently occur where it may be necessary to plunge into the water
to save a drowning person, where the lack of time, or the presence of
ladies, would preclude all possibility of removing the clothes. There
are few points of etiquette in swimming, except those of giving all the
assistance in our power to beginners, and to remember the fact of our
being gentlemen, though the sport may be rough when we are off _terra
firma_. We shall therefore devote this section of our exercise
department to giving a few general directions as to supporting drowning
persons, which support is, after all, the most valued attention we can
render to any one.
If possible, always go to save a life in company with one or two others.
One companion is generally sufficient, but two will do no harm, for, if
the service of the second be not required, he can easily swim back to
shore. On reaching the object of your pursuit, if he be clinging to
anything, caution him, as you approach, to hold it until you tell him to
let go, and then to let his arms fall to his side. Then let one of your
companions place his hand under the armpit of the person to be assisted,
and you doing the like, call to him to let go his support, then tread
water until you get his arms on the shoulders of your companion and
yourself, and then swim gently to shore. Should you be alone, the utmost
you can do is to let him hold his support while you tread water near him
until further assistance can be obtained. If you are alone and he has no
support, let him rest one arm across your shoulder, put one of your arms
behind his back, and the hand under his armpit, and tread water until
help arrives. Never let a man in these circumstances _grasp_ you in any
way, particularly if he be frightened, for you may both be drowned; but,
try to cool and reassure him by the intrepidity of your own movements,
and he will be safely and easily preserved.
CRICKET.
When in the cricket-field, we must allow ourselves to enter into the
full spirit of the game; but we must not allow the excitement of the
play to make us forget what is due to others and to ourselves. A gentle,
easy, and, at the same time, gentlemanly manner, may be assumed. Always
offer to your companions the use of your private bat, if they are not
similarly provided; for the bats belonging to the club often lose the
spring in the handle from constant use, and a firm bat with a good
spring will prove very acceptable. In this way you gratify the player,
and, as a reward for your kindness, he may, from being well provided,
score more for the side than he would with inferior or worn-out tools.
This game is more purely democratic than any one we know of, and the
most aristocratic of gentlemen takes second rank, for the time, to the
most humble cricketer, if the latter be the more skillful. But a good
player is not always a gentleman, and the difference in cultivation may
always be distinguished. A _gentleman_ will never deride any one for his
bad play, nor give vent to oaths, or strong epithets, if disappointed in
the playing of one of his side. If he has to ask another player for
anything, he does so in a way to establish his claim to gentility. "May
I trouble you for that ball?" or, "Will you please to hand me that bat?"
are much preferable to "Here, you! ball there!" or, "Clumsy, don't carry
off that bat!" Again, if a gentleman makes a mistake himself, he should
always acknowledge it quietly, and never start a stormy discussion as to
the merits of his batting or fielding. In fine, preserve the same calm
demeanor in the field that you would in the parlor, however deeply you
enter into the excitement of the game.