Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 37.djvu/675

Rh of nine strikes. This was the most exciting part of the game, but was not a standing privilege.

Our good town-ball players developed into good base-ball players, and took to it quite naturally. In fact, the two might almost be called the same game under different names and at different ages. I believe it is quite common to speak of them in that way. Our town-ball was probably called base-ball in that part of the country where the game first began its rapid development; but, by the time the developed game had reached us, it was so different that for some years the two games were played side by side, each retaining its old name.

What caused this sudden development? The ingenuity and the wrangling of the boys had refined the game until adult men all at once saw the merit in it. Up to this point its rules had been wrought out and fought out on the vacant town lot or in the meadow surrounding the country school. It was pretty well understood that, unless fair rules were agreed on and held to, somebody would get hurt. The cry of "'Tain't fair!" would be raised and persisted in by the party infringed on. The other boys would soon tire of having the game delayed; and many a time have I seen them stop right there and adopt a new rule covering the case. It was always, as in the affairs of men, the courage and determination of the oppressed which brought about evolution and progress. It was the necessity of admitting reasonable claims and adopting acceptable rules in order to keep the peace and save time and strength.

When by these processes of ingenuity, goaded on by conflict, the boys had made it really a fine game, the men took hold of it and pushed it forward more rapidly, as men ought. They held their quarrels and set their rules in hotel parlors. They are still at it; and I should not like to say that many legislative bodies are engaged in business either more harmless or more profitable. Certainly a good many persons recuperate in worse ways than watching

 Jist a passel o' big men a-playin' A little boys' game with a ball."

in orientation usually result from some incidental and temporary bewilderment, which may, under peculiar circumstances, overtake any one. Instances are cited by Sir Charles Warren in which they are chronic. Erroneous conceptions formed by children as to distances and positions may grow up with them undetected till near their maturity. Then, when the defect is revealed, it will be too late to apply any other remedy than to recognize it, and make such allowance for it as is possible. Probably few persons have grown up without forming some errors of the kind which they have found it impossible to get rid of. The defect may account for some of the accidents that occur on railways and shipping.