Page:Hockey, Canada's Royal Winter Game.djvu/36

 must have a powerful influence, not only on the frame of man, but on his mind likewise. Frank wishes that skating were universally introduced, as I know of no kind of motion so beneficial to the human body or more capable of strengthening it." Add to this the pleasure, the excitement afforded by a good, clean game of hockey, and we have an ideal sport.

2.&mdash;The men who play are, as a general rule, those who excel in other lines of athletic sport. If it is an easy matter to point out a foot-baller, or a lacrosse player, who is ignorant of other games, it is difficult to mention a hockey player who does not shine as an athlete in other branches. It seems that a hockey player, in playing the game, makes use of all the science he acquires in practising other sports, without the roughness. So much time is required to master the science of the game, to merit the name of expert, that circumstances have excluded from it the ruder, undesirable element, and it shall remain our royal game, because, in the clearness, the conciseness of its rules, in the scientific points of its play, in the social standing and the "bon hommie" of its players, it has yet to find an equal. So long as it remains free from the taint of professionalism it will remain dear to the hearts of all true sportsmen, all good athletes, but as soon as this vice creeps in the knell will sound for its death as a popular