Chums No. 785, Vol. XVI — page 8: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

128 a a master, or a mistress, at our expense. ys rightly hang together, and regard masters as the enemy. To attempt to curry favour with a master is, in some way, to go over to the enemy. This your true British boy would never do. And he is quite right ‘to resent others doing it. From a Footer Chum. I have a nice letter from ‘“‘Half-back,”’ of Cheltenham, who has begun to practise for the footer season, and has read many books upon the subject of our national winter game. “Half-back,”’ despite this reading, remains of the opinion that you cannot play football by reading a book, and that it is a great mis- take to form your style of play upon the finest maxims laid down by eloquent writers. “Why not get a style of your own?”’ says he; and I thoronghly agree with him. This observation, my Chums, applies to other sports than foot- ball. I think there is far too much reading about games nowadays; far too many con- ventions to bother us, and far too little in- dividuality. Too Closely Followed. Just watch boys at some of our greater public schools when they are practising at the nets. Every boy tries to bat just like every other boy. Perhaps one of the masters coaches them. He tells them what are the regulation strokes, how to play forward, how to play back, how to cut, and how to glide to ae. And every man-jack tries to do the thing in the same way as the master does it, regardless - of his height, his reach, or his natural ability. When he goes to Lord’s and-sees really great erickcters busy, he is astonished to discover that there are as many styles almost as there are geil and he sees some shocking breaches of those very conventions which have been im- pressed upon him with such care. Hirst, for instance, receiving a ball on the off-stump, will often spring out nimbly and pull it to leg. And then what a groan from our victim of convention! He would never have been al- lowed to do that—the most ordinary hook says that he should not. As a @ase in Point. Do not play games by convention, my Chums, when your own individuality shows you a better way. I think that everyone is right to acquire the first principles of whatever pastime one takes up. Learn the secrets of playing all the balls that a bowler can send down to you, and then adapt your own personality to that play. Tf you are very quick upon your feet, do not hesitate to take up unconventional attitudes. What would have Seoote of Ranjitsinhji, for instance, if he had always played according to the standards laid down in a shilling guide to cricket? His batting would not have been worth twopence-halfpenny. But he knew that he possessed @ wonderfully supple wrist, an amazingly quick eye, and a foot action which has never been bettered. These he called in to help his batting, inventing new strokes and teaching other cricketers how to play them. Vory few of you will be Ranjitsinhjis; but you will all do in if you play as commonsense teaches you to play and as your physique permits you. What is his Age? Ly I have a note from ‘“Fag,’’ who is in & uandary in_ connection with his reading. ap » "has been advised to read only very light books at present, and to wait until he is older before he takes up serious literature. Unfortunately he does not tell me his age; and when he asks me to advise him, he neglects to supply those facts which alone would permit the pe to be of any value. I do not elieve that young boys, or young girls either, should tackle big anud_ serious books. Firstly, be cause they would not understand them if they did; and secondly, because they might easily cultivate a distaste which would put them off ali serious reading whatever. This would be 3 thousand pities. It is perfectly true to say that by good roading a love of reading comes; buf then that reading must be within the understanding of the reader. What on earth would be the good, say, of —¢ > youngster of fourteen to read Boswell’s Life of lekeaust He would think it a fearful bore, and after a handyed pages would never wish to hear anything of the amiable doctor as lon ‘as he lived. Sot him down, on the other hand, CHUMS. to “Treasure Island,’ and he is face to face with a story which must fascinate him; while, although he is not aware of it, he will be reading as fine an example of English prose as any in the language. Begin with These. So you see that I am, on the whole, of “Fao’s” opinion. So far as his facts permit me to form a conclusion, he is a youngster, take it, with certain literary tastes. Let him, as his friends advise, begin by reading good adventure books, and a taste for other books will follow when he is a little older, *,* Letters from Chums to the Editor are invited, and if of general interest will be dealt with in these columns. Suggested. : Tur old man was visiting a distant relation in London, and this distant relation had a son, a boy of twelve or thirteen, who practised on the piano every morning. The muscular lad, banging false notes from the instrument with tremendous vigour, tried the aged visitor not a little. “What on earth are you playing there, Jimmy?” he called from the next room one morning. “An exercise from the boy answered. ; “Ah, I thought you were playing with your fect,” said the visitor; “but would you mind 5» stepping a little lighter on the keys’ Can Animals Think? Oprxtons differ on the question whether ani- mals can reason, but it is certain that some of them act as though they had the intelligence of human beings. Take, for aenyle, the case of a dog which sells newspapers for its master, a newsboy in the American city of Boston. The boy is a cripple, and instead of walking about selling newspapers, he gives one to the dog. The animal runs to the passers-by and offers the paper, returning with the money that the pur- chaser drops into a bag which the dog carries fastened to its body by a strap. Then there is another dog owned by a gentle- man in New England. This animal shows its cleverness in an undesirable way, for it steals money. It began by finding a two-dollar note in the street and bringing it to its master, who Geer and patted the dog for its intelligence. at gave the animal an idea. It did not wait to find lost notes after that, but paid a visit to a shop, and snatching a five-dollar note from a Gok. brought that to its master, who now began to be suspicious. oon afterwards it reappeared, on this occa- sion carrying in its mouth a note for ten dol- lars. But this time it was pursued by the en- raged shopkeeper, who explained that the dog had snatched the note from the cashier! Of course, the money was restored with apologies, and the dog was taught the differenee between finding a thing and stealing it. A certain farmer’s horse shows instincts of quite a trade union character. Hach morning at six o’clock the horse leaves its stable and ig put to work in the fields. It works cheer- fully, never baulking even at the heaviest loads. But nothing will induce the animal to work after six o’clock at night. At that hour a whistle is blown as a signal to the farm hands, and the horse at once starts for the barn. It cannot be tempted to do another stroke of work. A Canadian backwoodsman tells a story which shows that even the lynx can perform re- markable feats. He had set snares for a fox, but in one of them a young lynx was caught. Approaching the trap stealthily, the trapper noticed that the mother lynx had arrived on the scene, and was making desperate efforts to free its young one. It bit savagely at the trap and at the chain which held it. Finally, when the animal found all other means useless, it took the desperate course of piting at the leg of its little one. Soon it had gnawed the bone quite through, and the young lynx leaped from the trap and limped off with its mother. Only a fierce love for its young could have induced the old lynx to re- sort to such a rigorous measure, Rabbits are such shy and timorous creatures ‘First Steps in Music,’” ot it is curious to hear of one tept being for protection. Yet doctor tells how, while shooting | rabbit came running towards him at his feet. Looking Up, he saw pounding after the rabbit. time to oad. bis oe ‘ ava ature at bay wi is ; soning th, Byen then the rabbit away, but stood quietly by, looking though grateful for the service he had it. —— Repeated. Wren Willie returned from school out his elder brother with tears in “J got a thrashing m™ school | said, “and it was all your fault. “My fault!” echoed his brother. as it my fault?” ¢ waewell,” said Willie, “you told me that a million was a thundering lot, : the master asked me this afternoon million was I told him it was @ lot, too, and—and he gave me the b hiding I've ever had.” ; Our New Correspondence Exch HE “Cacms” CorRESPONDRNCE EXCHANGE is: _ of Chums ab home and abroad who wish to with each other; and it will, we hope, help to “Cyems” League. It will work in this way: Let us suppose that a Chum living. in Au open up correspondence with a Chum in the United He will address a letter, marked on the envelope “ to the Editor of ‘“‘Causs,” signifying the fact, an open letter to the home Chum stating his desir We shall keep a list of names and addresses of he seeking correspondents in other lands, hee sele one which appears most suitable, shall fo: the I the Australian Ohum. The English Chum has onl} write a letter in reply and send it, properly stan to Australia. Correspondence will be thus opened y A girl-Chum has merely to adopt the same p) brother. The same remarks apply to the homi desires to correspond with one abroad. Two stipulations must be made, Chums re who wish to be put in communication with Chums @ must, in writing to us, enclose a penny stamp, or its eq lent, in the postage of their particulat countries, Chu home, in the same circumstances, will enclose letters to us stamps to cover the colonial or forei (id. or 23d. per half ounce, as the case may be). — which we are asked to forward must be left o inspection. Once the two Chuns are placed in ence with each other, there will be no need for intervention on our part. Readers who are not actually living within the | ey are none the less Chums—will also be ine eme, To Schootmasters.and Schoolm It has been pointed out to us that schoolm muistresses, all of whom naturally have the in’ Education at heart, may like to encourage their pup advantage of our New CorREsPoNDENCE Exel z interchange of letters would undoubtedly I understanding of other lands and the people livi as wellas to a broadening and valuable outlook shall be glad to co-operate with heads of s direction ; and it will give us much pleasure to d letters from their pues which they may be in: getting neve ani betes to us in connec “*Cuoms” Correspondence Exeha’ like to call attention to this fact, dh THE “CHUMS” LEAGUE and the “CHUMS” HE ‘‘Cavms” Badge can be worn can be obtained as scarf-pin, or lone or for the buttonho pairs) as solitaire si or for girls as a lr in the form of a G, in bh with a gilt edge, en i anchor, the Ie! mari AS BROOCH OR FOR TUR nfs hee: cap, | with the “Curus” Badge, exes have in view, the bond of Fellowship, as well of Brotherhood and Comradeship, which every good —boy or girl—should feel for every other Chum, no formal code of rules. “het ‘© become a Member re! letter to the Editor of “ coment aie Belli Hill, London, B.0,, giving name and addn Penny Stamps for the Bad: which is obtain the office of ““Cnums"—and indicating whether | Badge | Pendant, Brooch, or ton! as Hg should be ‘on ed “Bu : © Badge is supplied at the forwarded post rg neatly The es ean also be ob’ 9-carat gold (price 10s, od.) fn 1S-carat gold and in 18-earat gold (price 15s.), In = a days may be required for the delivery tne Badge.