Red Room and Other Chat 35 



mas trees and Christmas dinners to village children 

 are still in vogue, and long may they prevail. 



All Myopians, besides enjoying sport, enjoy nature. 

 To quote from what Carlyle called the " ghastly " 

 science of political economy, nature never whispers 

 anything about Taxes. Still it is admitted that Taxes 

 are necessary to the social order. Myopians at Ham- 

 ilton are very close to nature in this respect, as Taxes 

 are very low ; and this is due indirectly to the Myo- 

 pia Hunt Club. The farmers are very generous in 

 allowing us to ride over their lands, and many of 

 them have sporting tendencies. Doubtless they are 

 pleased at lower tax rates and the increasing values 

 of real estate. It is to be hoped that these factors 

 have their influence in soothing their irritation when- 

 ever an overlooked broken rail is not replaced by 

 a sound one. 



Though it is claimed that parsimony is a funda- 

 mental principle in nature, yet to the casual observer 

 she is at times quite prodigal, and furnishes sufficient 

 ground for those who are not close students of natu- 

 ral laws to indulge in a little conservative sporting 

 extravagance. Sport is considered by many to be 

 a waste of money, and probably not a few of the 

 devotees of Carlyle's " ghastly " science think the 

 sums spent ought to be added to Capital. 



We diff^er from this view ; because some few in a 

 community are benefited — they are consumers and 



