THE NEW METHOD OF FENCING 
methods of physical training, which, 
if faithfully and persistently carried 
out, will produce great bodily advan- 
tages; but the trouble with them is 
that not one in a hundred persons will 
persevere with them. Though faith- 
fully performed for a short time after 
they are taken up, they soon become 
burdensome and are consequently ne- 
glected. The reason for this is that 
they do not appeal to the mind; they 
are simply and purely physical, and 
the mind has absolutely no part or in- 
terest in them. 
Not so with fencing. Here is an 
exercise which, thovgh requiring the 
most strenuous physical effort, has to 
be guided by the mind, and guided 
with intelligence, acumen and decision. 
Not one moment of indifference or in- 
attention is permissible. That is what 
makes fencing the sport of brainy 
men, and fascinates its followers. It 
is a mental relaxation because it de- 
mands concentrated attention, and 
thereby diverts the mind from the or- 
dinary worries and thoughts of hum- 
drum existence. The sport is refined, 
because it precludes roughness or bru- 
tality; it equalizes between the most 
diverse personalities. The short man is 
a match for the tall one, the slight for 
the strong; and skill is the only factor 
which bears weigha in sword play. 
4Il 
The stimulus of personal contest 
between man and man is one of the 
most attractive features, and a bout 
between evenly matched fencers is a 
sight worth seeing. With it all, there 
is an entire absence of danger from 
personal injury, the head, body, arm 
and hand are effectively protected, and 
after the most spirited passage at 
arms there will not be found a scratch 
on either contestant. 
The entire absence of roughness 
makes it essentially a sport of gentle- 
men, and in late years women of re- 
finement have taken up fencing with 
great benefit and no drawbacks. 
Our President, who is certainly a 
model sportsman, has taken an inter- 
est in and is learning the art. In dip- 
lomatic circles in Washington it is 
practised assiduously. In Europe, 
fencing as a sport is enjoying a great 
revival, thanks to the new _ school, 
which has revolutionized the old, 
worn-out methods. 
It is to be hoped that men of leis- 
ure, as well as professional and busi- 
ness men in this country, will give 
this sport the attention it deserves. 
Those who will try it will persevere 
and those who persevere will be re- 
warded beyond their expectations with 
health and enjoyment. 
HARD EGGS. 
GEO. A. WILLIAMS, M. D. 
I buy some egg on hardware store, 
Maybe she was some bone; 
Two day, two night, she cook all right, 
She was so hard like stone. 
I put Lim on some hen for set, 
Maybe she hatch bimeby; 
I leave him stay ‘bout sixty day, 
Dem hen, she almos’ die. 
I'll tink dem egg she was too hard, 
Maybe she was too old; 
Dem hen she sneeze, she almos’ freeze, 
She catch so much bad cold. 
I take some ax for break dem egg, 
She knock him on stone wall; 
For ‘bout half day, | work dat way, 
She nevare break at all. 
Dem egg she was so awful hard, 
I'll don’t like any more; 
She make me mad, I feel so bad, 
Like I nevare was before. 
