94 Ahout Betting and Gambling. 



and handicapping at athletics is the root of this betting 

 evil amongst many youngsters ; they will go on just the 

 same, and the mastei's' wives will give the prizes and have 

 a large party of ladies ; but if I was to publish all the 

 letters which I have received from the first men in England, 

 who have been in their school, university, county, and gen- 

 tlemen of England's eleven, and in their college and uni- 

 versity boats, on this subject, I think the schoolmasters of 

 England, who profess always to have more knowledge of the 

 world than men who have lived in it, would rather open 

 their eyes. Their boys leave them at eighteen years of age, 

 when we make their acquaintance and see their proclivities, 

 and, I am sorry to make the imputation, but I believe it is 

 true, that these pot-hunting athletics are advertisements for 

 many schools. I must wind up wath a little incident in 

 gambling, which is one of the greenest spots in my memory. 

 It was at an hotel abroad. The rain came down as rain will 

 come in a mountainous country, and meant lasting as it did 

 for twenty-four hours. We had breakfasted, and were 

 lounging about in a glass-covered galley, smoking and 

 grumbling, when a Yankee said, "Well, I am miserable, 

 and feel ' very mean ' — bring me a large bottle of cham- 

 pagne and a soda water glass, I guess I can do it in twice ; 

 and if I'm not more cheerful afterwards, I will have 

 another." Pop went the cork, and landed a few yards off 

 on the cocoa-nut matting. A young Oxford fellow, a 

 stranger to me, who was with a reading (?) party, pitched a 

 sous at it. I pitched another. " Have a game of pitch and 

 toss ? " he asked. " Done," said I. " Take me in," said a 

 high church curate, who had been climbing mountains, and 

 was in knickerbockers, and a pepper-and-salt shooting 

 jacket and waistcoat, and a white tie — I like a parson who 

 is not ashamed of the cloth ; — " and me," says the Yankee, 

 " as I found the cork." For the benefit of the uninitiated, 



