any one is so generous as to offer hers. But if you can have a hall or
chapel you can offer yet greater variety. Arrange to keep seats in the
centre of the hall, and have tableaux and songs for an hour. If it is
possible, drill those of you who can sing, or perhaps some singer would
volunteer to accompany the tableaux. Otherwise ask some one who reads
nicely to recite the words appropriate to each tableau. "Little Bo-peep"
appears as the curtain rises, looking for her sheep, while "Polly
Flinder" will make two tableaux, one for each two lines of the rhyme.
"Georgie Porgie" should appear kissing a tiny girl, and, in the second,
running away when a group of school-girls come in sight. "Seesaw,
Margery Daw," is another pretty tableau. "Bobby Shaftoe" should show his
faithful little maid waiting for him, while the second one shows Bobby's
return. When this is done by two yellow-haired children it is effective.
"Old King Cole and his fiddlers three," "Little Jack Horner," "Simple
Simon," "Ba-ba, Black Sheep," "Little Miss Muffett," "Tom, Tom, the
piper's son," and "When I was a bachelor," are all capable of being
arranged in tableaux. There are two editions of "Mother Goose"
published, with the words set to music, and with pictures that would
give suggestions for costumes.
Of course a fair without refreshments is a good deal like plum-pudding
without currants and raisins, and even here Mother Goose comes to our
aid. What do you say to "Jack and Jill" drawing the lemonade at the well
in small pails, and then pouring it into glasses? Would it not add to
the fun if part of the evening Jack's head should be mended with brown
paper? "Little Tommy Tucker" must not be forgotten, and should have a
stand to himself, where he can sing for your supper, and offer
sandwiches of every sort neatly wrapped in waxed paper and fancy
crackers. Close at hand "Mary Morey" should give you a chance to tell
her story while you drink your chocolate and eat your sandwich.
A pretty booth should have for sale fancy cakes, loaves, and buns, while
its attendants should ring a bell, and sing, "Hot cross buns," etc.
"Little maid, pretty maid, wilt thou be mine," etc., is an appropriate
legend for the ice-cream corner, while "Sing a song of sixpence," with
as many waiters as may be in black dresses and red sleeves for
blackbirds, would add a finishing touch to the evening with Mother
Goose, if it is thought best to undertake a hot supper to coax the
nimble sixpences for the poor children's holiday.
[Illustration: INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORT]
The New York Interscholastic Athletic Association publishes a monthly
paper, which is called the _Interscholastic Record_, and is edited by a
board composed of one member from each of the schools represented in the
Association. It is fair for the general public to assume that the
opinions expressed by the _Record_ are official and endorsed by the rank
and file of the members of the Association, and, consequently, of the
New York schools. But in justice to the true and straightforward
sportsmen of New York, of which there are many in the schools, I want to
say to the readers of the _Record_ in other cities that the opinions
expressed by the paper are by no means those of the better element among
the scholastic athletes of this city.
The Editor-in-Chief of the _Record_ is Mr. William J. Ehrich, of the
Harvard School. Mr. Ehrich attended the College of the City of New York
for a term in 1894, but for some reason did not continue his course, and
returned to the Harvard School. He caught upon their baseball nine last
spring, and was protested by the De La Salle Institute because Section I
of Article X. of the N.Y.I.S.A.A. constitution states that no member of
any school is eligible to compete in any athletic contest who has been
enrolled as a member of any college. Mr. Ehrich was fully cognizant of
this law when he played. Mr. Freeland, the principal of the Harvard
School, must have been fully cognizant of this law. Nevertheless, Ehrich
played. The result of this has been that at a recent meeting of the
Arbitration Committee of the N.Y.I.S.A.A., the Harvard School was found
guilty of fraud, the penalty for which is expulsion from the
Association.
In commenting upon this action of the Committee the _Record_ says: "Now
that the football season is practically over, the delegates to the
I.S.A.A. have found it necessary to 'keep the pot boiling' by rehashing
old protests and concocting new ones. For example, the time-honored
protest against Harvard School for playing Ehrich on her baseball team
last spring is being resurrected. This protest was, we are certain,
finally decided and buried last June immediately after the baseball
season closed. Being a party directly interested in the failure of the
protest, we do not care to discuss the question of its validity. Suffice
it to say, that after riding in the bicycle-races of eight scholastic
and interscholastic athletic meetings, and receiving his medals for
these races; after playing on the Harvard baseball team in every game
but the last without having his well-known attendance at C.C.N.Y.
brought up against him--after all this, we ask, is there any right or
reason in protesting Ehrich for playing in the championship games
between De La Salle and Harvard?"
It is possible that Mr. Ehrich did not write this himself, but whether
he did or not, the statement is certainly not published without his
knowledge and consent, and he is consequently severely censurable for
such an expression of opinion. It is contrary to the spirit of
amateurism, it is harmful to the best interests of honesty in school
sport, and it is insidious in that it may lead younger boys to believe
that such statements are just and correct. And another thing: Mr. Ehrich
has no business to criticise the action of the N.Y.I.S.A.A. in the paper
which claims to be the official organ of that Association.
But this is not the worst offence committed by the _Record_ against
amateur and school sport. Farther along in the editorial column we read:
"If we had our choice all those technical rules governing athletics in
the schools would be stricken out of the constitution; and any _bona
fide_ member of a school who is under age would have a right to compete
in the games. We have frequently heard intelligent fellows say that this
would not do, as the college athletes would come back to school to
compete. It evidently never occurred to them that an athlete would much
prefer competing in college, and that an athlete whom it would pay a
school to support would be able to do very well at a college." Among the
"technical rules" that Mr. Ehrich and the _Record_ do not like is the
one which caused the conviction of the Harvard School for fraud. This
easily accounts for the opinion expressed. But the rule is not a
"technical" one. It is a very practical rule, a very good rule, and a
necessary rule, and the Association was perfectly right in enforcing it.
And now, parents and guardians, and principals of the New York
schools--Dr. White, Mr. Lyon, Messrs. Wilson and Kellogg, Mr. Freeland,
Dr. Cutler--all of you, is not it time that you should look into this?
What does the editor of the _Record_ mean when he says that "an athlete
whom it would _pay a school to support_ would be able to _do very well_
at a college"? I beg of you to consider this! Does any New York school
"support" any athlete? If so, do you know of it? And is there any doubt
as to what sporting men understand by the term "to do very well"? Is it
possible that the _Record_ suggests to the lurking professional spirit
in certain school athletes that there is money "in it" for the boy who
will go to college and try to enter sport for money? Does the _Record_
believe this of the colleges? Does the experience of the editor of the
_Record_ at his own school lead him to believe that there is money to be
had for playing baseball at college?
My own opinion about this editorial is that the young man who wrote it
did not realize what he was saying. I don't think he meant to convey the
idea which his words clearly state. But even if he did not, he has done
a great wrong to the schools of this city, and the Association under
whose name these dreadful fallacies are published should interfere at
once.
[Illustration: ST. MARK'S SCHOOL, SOUTHBORO MASS.]
[Illustration: ST. JOHN'S MILITARY ACADEMY, DELAFIELD, WISCONSIN.]
[Illustration: CHELTENHAM MILITARY ACADEMY, OGONTZ, PENNSYLVANIA.]
[Illustration: FRIENDS' SCHOOL, WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.]
FOUR FOOTBALL TEAMS.
The four pictures in this number represent teams from widely separated
districts of this broad country of ours. The St. John's Military Academy
eleven, of Delafield, Wisconsin, is one of the prominent school teams of
the West. The Cheltenham team is a member of the Philadelphia
Interscholastic League, and although this season has not been successful
from the point of view of victories, it has served to develop excellent
material that ought to be heard from next year. The St. Mark's eleven is
a champion team, having defeated its old-time rivals from Groton 6-0 on
November 9th. The victory was earned through superior team-work and
generalship. The Groton players averaged heavier, but were not the
equals of the Southboro' men in scientific work. The Friends' School
football team, of Wilmington, closed the season with a victory over its
especial rival, the Swarthmore Grammar School, November 8th. The score
was 4-0, and the game was as exciting as the figures show. The best
playing was done by Brownfield, S. G. S., and by Pyle, Neary, and
Warner, F.S.
The season that has just ended in Boston has been the best in almost
every respect that the League has had. More good individual players and
better team-work have been developed than ever before. The teams have
been much more evenly matched, and the spirit shown by each school, by
the Captains and players alike, has made the season very interesting and
satisfactory. The reason for this is that this year every team in the
League was out for the championship. Heretofore it has generally
happened that one or two teams have developed good football early in the
season, and the others, contented with winning one or two games, have
allowed the championship to go, almost by default, to one of the better
teams.
But this year a different feeling crept into the League. Every team
played every game to win. The consequence was that the usual one-sided
games, with scores of thirty or forty to nothing, have been missing.
Instead, every game has been hard played and interesting, and the
attendance at two of the games, at least, has reached up into the
thousands. The heavier teams, which used to go into a game relying upon
their mere weight to win, have been forced to learn how to play
scientific football, and the lighter teams, instead of going on the
field beaten before the game began, have discovered that science and
sand are worth more than bluff and brawn.
The scores of this year's games show very justly how close the season
has been. Twenty-four points are the most that have been scored in a
championship game, and in this game the points were divided 16 to 6. The
worst defeat was that of Cambridge High by Brookline High, 18 to 0. One
game resulted in a tie, neither side scoring, and four games have been
won by the score of 4 to 0. The champions, instead of a record of 100 or
more points won and none lost, managed this year to get through with 56
won and 14 lost. Boston Latin, who are tied for second place, won 14
points and lost 14.
The one feature of the year that is to be regretted was brought into
conspicuous prominence by this very closeness of the games. That feature
was the poor umpiring that occurred in some of the games. One or two of
the schools resorted to the trick of securing officials who could be
relied upon to give them an advantage of decisions. Cambridge Manual was
the worst offender in this line, and Hopkinson the most successful.
Hopkinson owes one of its victories to an exceedingly unjust decision
made by a referee whom they had appointed. All the other teams, however,
seemed very anxious that impartial and competent men be secured; and
that honesty is still the best policy is exemplified in the case of
English High, the champions, who were more in earnest about good judges
than any other school.
One of the unpleasant features of many of last year's games--the
darkness that interfered in the second half--was done away with this
season. That was because the Captains were sensible enough to see that
short halves of twenty minutes were much better than the full thirty
minutes, and because all the teams were willing to make an effort to
begin the games early enough so that they could be finished about
sunset. The result has been most satisfactory. No disputes have arisen
from this cause, and the spectators have not crowded on to the fields to
add to the delay of the game. Another of last year's unpleasant
features--the bitterness between some of the teams--was lacking. While
the rivalry was much more intense, the feeling was much more friendly.
The disputes that have arisen have been settled most amicably, and the
meetings of the Executive Committee have been free from the
recriminations that have heretofore characterized them. Everybody seemed
to be working for this "era of good feeling," Captains, managers,
players, and graduates all lending a hand to smooth over any petty
troubles. One bit of courtesy will bear mentioning. When two teams were
playing, the players of the other teams were always furnished tickets to
the game free of charge.
All the teams have been managed in a very business-like manner. The
schedule was made out carefully, and was very just. The arrangements
about securing grounds, providing police, advertising, and the other
details necessary to a successful game were promptly and well attended
to. Altogether, the season must please the Harvard football management
and the Boston Athletic Association, under whose joint patronage the
League is conducted. Harvard must see in the League a great and reliable
feeder for her Freshman and 'varsity teams, and after a few seasons like
this one the university will be able to place more reliance than ever on
the preparatory schools.
English High must feel an immense amount of satisfaction in winning the
championship after such a hard struggle. The fast gait that they struck
early in the season they kept up to the last game. They played the game
as never before. Quick starts, hard interfering, sure tackling, a spirit
of "do or die," and just the right amount of confidence in themselves;
their Captain and their coach carried them through the season, and
earned, as a reward, the custody of the silver bowl. The team was
excellently managed, nothing being left undone that could help the team
to victory, and the support the boys received from the school and the
graduates was very flattering.
Boston Latin, who came so near defeating the winners, deserve the
greatest amount of praise for the season's work. They started out in
September by beating Andover--a feat never dreamt of before by a Boston
school--and tying St. Mark's. That gave them an idea that they could win
the championship. It was the first time the school had ever had that
idea; as usually they have been contented with finishing near the foot
of the list. They put in some hard practice, and succeeded in making
third place. This is a remarkable feat, considering that they went
through the season without a coach. The only instruction they had was
from their Captain, who devoted an immense amount of labor to his team,
and was rewarded by gaining the admiration of every boy in the League,
and seeing Boston Latin finish better than it had ever finished before.
Hopkinson's team this year was remarkable more for its even, steady,
plucky playing than for its stars or brilliancy. They pulled out more
than one game by displaying their sand at the critical moments. They
played excellent team-work, and, thanks to a very competent coach, were
up to all the latest tricks of the game. They had more luck than any
other team, and that accounts for their standing second.
Brookline won the junior championship last year, and, by defeating
Newton, earned the privilege of playing in the senior league. They were
counted as winners by a great many wiseacres; and indeed started in with
good football. But they were really outclassed. They were the lightest
team in the league, and averaged the youngest in years. They found the
season too hard for them. This, together with their losing the services
of a valuable coach, caused a marked falling off in their play. Their
backs and ends were, taken together, the best set in the League, and
they had at one time the best interference; but their defence was not
always reliable, and they were sadly in need of a quarter-back who could
do something besides pass the ball.
Cambridge High and Latin, with the best team they have had for years,
are tied for last place. They were very much hampered by restrictions
imposed by their school committee, and by unnecessary interference on
the part of the masters. To this they attribute their poor showing. They
undoubtedly had material for a fine team, and it was being handled in a
most careful and vigorous way. Their Captain was the sort of fellow who
gets an immense amount of work out of his men, and puts all kinds of
ginger into them. After beating Hopkinson and Boston Latin, they were
looked upon as the only team that could possibly beat English High. But
before that decisive game the school committee got in its work, and the
little nerve left to the players was lost when the Executive Committee
of the League deprived them of their two victories, on protest.
The first steps toward the formation of a National I.S.A.A. will be
taken next Saturday at a convention to be held at the De La Salle
Institute. I hope every association that can possibly afford to do so
will send one or more representatives to this convention. The interest
all over the country is growing greater every day, and I feel that the
association, when formed, is bound to be a success. I am informed by the
president of the Iowa State H.-S.A.A. that in view of the formation of a
National Association the schools of Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and
Minnesota have abandoned the plan of forming a large Western league,
which I spoke of last spring. In speaking of this my correspondent says:
"The matter was brought up, but as soon as they found out that a
National Association was to be formed they dropped it. They would
rather have their State meet, and then send a team to the National
meet. They will do nothing towards the formation of such an
association till they find out whether they can join the National
Association or not. It will cost but little more to go East, and
they are all willing to go. The Clinton Association will, if they
can become members, send one of the best teams that any Iowa
High-School can produce. They have already engaged Mr. Moulton, the
veteran trainer, who has handled Crum so well in his running-work
this year. The school means business; they have the entire support
of the business men of the city, and have a course of entertainment
laid out which will bring them in ample means to pay all expenses."
Unless something unforeseen prevents, the All-New York Interscholastic
Football eleven will be announced next week.
THE GRADUATE.
ADVERTISEMENTS.
Highest of all in Leavening Strength.--Latest U. S. Gov't Report.
[Illustration: Royal Baking Powder]
Arnold
Constable & Co
* * * * *
Winter Underwear,
Hosiery,
Gloves,
Umbrellas.
_Best qualities and special Importations for Christmas presents._
* * * * *
Broadway & 19th st.
NEW YORK.
[Illustration]
Songs.
Franklin Square Collection.
It would be difficult, if not impossible, to gather more features of
interest into a work of this kind. Not only are many of the best songs
and hymns in the English language here given--both old and new--but
there are also songs and hymns for children and the schools. There are
songs of home and of country, of love and fame, of heart and soul, of
devotion and praise, with their sad and sweet or lively melodies, and
with grand old chorals that stir the heart and lift it in worship.
Besides the words and music, explanatory and historic notes are given to
indicate their origin and significance. These books cannot fail to
become immensely popular.--_Lutheran Observer_.
Sold Everywhere. Price, 50 cents: Cloth, $1.00. Full contents of the
Several Numbers, with Specimen Pages of favorite Songs and Hymns, sent
by Harper & Brothers, New York, to any address.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: BICYCLING]
The Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject.
Our maps and tours contain much valuable data, kindly supplied from
the official maps and road-books of the League of American
Wheelmen. Recognizing the value of the work being done by the
L. A. W., the Editor will be pleased to furnish subscribers with
membership blanks and information so far as possible.
CIRCUIT RIDE.
[Illustration: Copyright, 1895, by Harper & Brothers.]
Starting from the Ericson monument on Commonwealth Avenue, go westward,
joining Beacon Boulevard, which follow direct by the electric-car tracks
to Chestnut Hill Reservoir. After passing car station at end of route,
keep to left around the reservoir, and a short distance on Beacon Street
beyond reservoir; then turn to left on to Hammond Street, following it
southward, and turn to right at Brookline Street. Turn to right at
Dedham Street, and bear to the left out Nahanton Street, going over the
Charles River and up the hill by direct road to Highlandville. Turn to
left on to Highland Street, following straight road south to Needham.
Thence the course is down hill on Dedham Street, leading over the
Charles River, after crossing which you bear southeast by direct road
into Dedham; go under the bridge beyond the station, and from there take
direct road to Paul's Bridge. Turn to right at fountain, and go, _viâ_
Brush Hill Avenue, to the base of Blue Hill. There turn to the left, and
take the direct road for Mattapan, _viâ_ Canton Avenue, and turn to left
at Mattapan Street into Mattapan. From here follow Blue Hill Avenue
direct to Franklin Park. Enter, and make circuit of park, keeping to
right and then to left, or keep to left on Morton Street direct to
Forest Hill Station. At the drinking-fountain turn to the left after
passing tracks, and go through the Arnold Arboretum; pass out of the
Arboretum by the Centre Street entrance, and, turning to the right, take
Centre Street, and then go through the Arborway and Park system to
Jamaica Pond. There is a good roadway around this pond both to the right
and left, and the distance is about the same either way. After passing
the pond keep direct road, _viâ_ Park system, to the Fenway Parks, in
passing through which keep to the left, and it will bring you across the
bridge, over the railroad tracks, and on to Commonwealth Avenue; there
turn to right, and ride direct to Ericson statue near Massachusetts
Avenue. Distance covered, about thirty miles.
By taking this circuit ride one gets a fair idea of the new boulevards
and public parklands of the Metropolitan system, which is making rapid
strides of development, and promises to be in the near future one of the
finest in America, if not in the world. The roads are good throughout
the entire distance, and it is a fine country ride from Chestnut Hill
Reservoir through Highlandville, Dedham, Blue Hill, to Franklin Park.
[Illustration: THE PUDDING STICK]
This Department is conducted in the interest of Girls and Young
Women, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the
subject so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor.