[Sidenote: Limitations in Play]
“One, two, three,” and all the boys and girls passed out of the room,
Miss O’Gorman following. “Remember now, Phil, no hard snowballs, as I
told you in the school-room.” “Now wait until we get out of reach of the
windows before you begin.” “Are we divided up evenly, just the same
number on both sides? Let’s count and see. Yes, just fifteen on each
side.” “Now, ready, everybody.”
Miss O’Gorman let her ball fly along with the others, as she was to play
a few minutes on each side. She kept a keen eye for illegal conduct and
spurred all of them on in the fine fun.
This had been prearranged with parents’ consent to occur just at the
close of school so that the children could go home and dry up their
clothes at once if it became necessary.
By the end of twenty minutes one side gave away and yielded the honors
to the others and the game ended. On her way home Miss O’Gorman
remarked:
“I like to have the snow come because then I can snowball, but children,
I never make hard balls or throw at a building. I never throw at
anyone’s head. It would make me feel very sad to hurt someone or break a
window.”
Directing the sport of snowballing is far better and wiser than
prohibiting it. The discreet teacher will not even try to suppress it,
but will use every occasion to get into the snow with the boys and girls
and have fun and frolic.