A LITTLE BOYS 1 GAME WITH A BALL. 657 



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 dif- 

 ferent 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 dif- 

 ferent 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 un- 

 derstood that, unless fair rules were agreed on and held to, some- 

 body 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." 



Mistakes in orientation usually result from some incidental and temporary 

 bewilderment, which may, under peculiar circumstances, overtake any one. In- 

 stances 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. 



vol. xxxvn. — 18 



