THE INFLUENCE OF FIELD SPOETS ON 

 CHAEACTER 



Field sports have been generally considered solely 

 in the light of a relaxation from the graver business 

 of life, and have been justified by writers on econo- 

 mics on the ground that some sort of release is 

 required from the imprisoned existence of the man 

 of business, the lawyer, or the politician. Apollo 

 does not always bend his bow, it is said, and timely 

 dissipation is commendable even in the wise ; there- 

 fore by all means, let the sports which we English 

 love be pursued within legitimate bounds, and up to 

 an extent not forbidden by weightier considerations. 

 But there seems to be somewhat more in field 

 sports than is contained in this criticism. The 

 influence of cliaracter on the manner in which sports 

 are pursued is endless, and reciprocally the in- 

 fluence of field sports on character seems to deserve 

 some attention. The best narrator of schoolboy 

 life of the present day has said that, varied as are 

 the characters of boys, so varied are their ways of 

 facing or not facing a " hilly," at football ; and one 

 of the greatest observers of character in England 



