From
-The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness by Cecil B. Hartley
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]
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment