SPARE HALF HOURS

Otago Witness, Issue 1795, 17 April 1886, Page 1

SPARE HALF HOURS

By Henry Lapham.

IN TOWN.

There is one class of country visitors that may always be recognised in town — a class it is in which the harpies of both sexes find their easiest and most unresisting victims. Here is a specimen. A moon-faced youth, with a pasty coinplexio/i, a weak, always-gaping mouth, and a propensity to smile at nothing at all. His hat is always set on the back of his head ; instuad of a collar he wears a white handkerchief knotted loosely about his neck, and the strap that confines his pantaloons shows too conspicuously below his waistcoat. He buys apples and plums, and will lounge against street cornurs munching them. He will actually eat a jam-tart openly before the public. You will fuul him at the racecourse, not betting much, nor greatly interested in the horses, but lost in delight at watching the games like thimble-

rigging, or Aunt Sally, or the merry-go-round.

And to-night from the pit of the theatre you will hear his slow, bovine " Ha ! ha ! ha ! " as thi: funny man says or does something that tickles his fancy. There is no harm in him. He is as simple and silly as one of his own

hheep, and, when there are wolves about, just a-, much in need of a shepherd.

Here is a pleasanter figure. A tall, well-built fellow, with a shrewd, good-humoured face. Hi.-, clothes, though evidently only the best

" slops " from a country store, yet fit him not t'adly, and the crimson silk sash at his waist is -.t any rate a more presentable affair than the •father strap. The man is a digger, very likely, -.ud is quite keen and knowing enough to take .an: of himself. He has an eye for a bit of good horseflesh, and will survey the favourites knowingly. The totali.sator has attractions for him, and he is often lucky ; besides, he invested months ago in the Grand Sweepstake as soon as the advertisements appeared in the papers. His evenings will be spent at the theatre unless Professor Bbick is lecturing somewhere in the city. He is calm, uuemotional, and critical, but X able to appreciate good language, solid sense,

and graceful delivery. You will often see him in the Museum examining the mineralogical specimens with care. You would find amongst his luggage when leaving town some excellently selected books of science, a good novel or so,

and perhaps the last of Browning or Tennyson. Young moon-faced Hodge will likely have a song-book with the newest Christy minstrel

atrocities, and will make himself a nuisance by trying to reproduce some of the comic songs at the first dance he gees to.

It is a pity there is no better amusement for this class of youth than the billiard-room and

the bar.

The low-browed, heavy-headed, weak-

chinned creature is as soft and pliable as a bit of putty, ami as easily led as a child. He is proud of his skill at billiards, and with reason, tor he boasts a firm hand and an unerring eye. He smiles, a little too broadly perhaps, when he makes a good shot, and knits his brow in severe contemplation when his ball is left in a dangerous position. But is it absolutely necessary that he should go to a public-house for his favourite game ? I think that if some body of social reformers — Good Templars or what not— would be daring and unconventional enough to provide a good billiard-table for the exclusive

use of members of their Order in one or two of

their lodges, these tables would prove more attractive and do infinitely more good than all the Blue Ribbon Armies or all the blatant, selfassertive lecturers that have been before the world. Dr Watts did not see why the Devil hhould have the good tunes, nor can I see why ho should keep all the good amusements.

Again, there are now to be bought certain ring*, and pockets, and nets, whereby a largesized table — just such an one, your reverence, a>i I noticed at the parsonage ; or stop ! was it in the manse dining-room ? — at any rate whereby such a table may be turned into a very excellent miniature biHiard- table. How much more eagerly the young men would accept your invitation to an evening party if you could offer them a game of billiards, and out of sheer gratifcade I fancy you would find ju«t twice as many joung men listening to your sermon next Sunday. Indeed, I am by no means sure that the ambition to be an excellent billiard-player is a bad thing fpr a young fellow— at all events it protects him from some worse evils. It prevents

him from becoming a hard drinker, for instance, i, .simply because to obtain anything like excel!;lj7^°.nce in billiard-playing he must have a clear lirain and steady nerves. Nor do I see that billiard -playing necessarily leads to gambling. Of course, if one goes in for " Devil's pool " every night in the week, he won't find himself much richer in the end ; but it is not more necessary that he should do so than that you, my most respectable sir, who dearly love your rubber, should therefore lose money over euchre or poker. lam compelled to own that a game of billiards does often lead to a visit to the bar and the imbibing of half-a-dozen drinks ; but that is the fault of the hard-and-fast temperance people, who will not furnish a place where the young man may enjoy his favourite game without the temptations presented by the public-house. After all this special pleading in favour of

Jthe game, lam not myself a billiard-player. I do not suppose I have had a cue in my hands Jialf-a-dozen times, and I am sure I never played £hree games in my life. At tbe same time, I pan appreciate the attractions of the game ; I /can admire the science and skill that it calls forth; I can see that it requires good temper {Hid forbearance on the part of the players ; I pan see that the hasty, angry man has less chance than he who keeps cool and watchful ; find I can discern a good discipline in it, because tie who proudly struts cock of the walk to-day js likely to get very thoroughly beaten by some putsider to-morrow, and a little taking down

now and then is a good thing for everyone, young and old. Further still, I see hundreds of my countrymen, decent young fellows, who make this game their chief relaxation and amusement, and this being so, and likely to continue, I think it is a pity if nothing is done to remove the temptations to evil that now surround the billiard-table. As long as young men are young men they will be amused, ami will have the amusement they like best. In town, of course, they have a wide choice. They can go to the theatre, or to evening classes ; they can attend lectures, or go to the dancing-school. If they are very, very good young men, and desirfe to parade their virtue, there are numbers of Christian young brothers ready to welcome them with open arms, or they can go a step lower and join the Salvation Army. But in country townships for ordinary young men belonging to the numerous class who are " not very good and not very bad," there is really no other place of amusement but the billiard-room. It is open every evening. On stormy nights it is warm, and cosy, and comfortable. You can sit there and smoke your pipe and pass a pleasant hour with no expense, and if you care to have a game the charge is exceedingly moderate. All these advantages tell heavily against the would-be reformers, Good Templars and the like. They open their lodge-room but once a week. The entertainment provided js not of the most attractive and elevating description. There is about the whole affair a childish mummery, a feeling of unreality — I had almost written hypocrisy — that in time disgusts a man. There is certainly the attraction of female society, but it is an open question whether the walk home in the darkness, with its accompanying flirtation and folly, is a good thing for either man or maiden. So once more it seems to me that it would be well if temperance reformers and clergymen of different denominations were to try the effect of a temperance billiard-table. I believe these tables are rather expensive luxuries, costing with their various accompaniments as much as £100 ; but, on the other hand, they could be made to pay a good interest on the money, for every player who will give say threepence for a game on a public table will not grudge to pay the same for the use of the lodge table. Again, ministers with sons growing up, and whom they intend to make bankers and merchants of, will perceive that it is just as well that their boys should learn the game in the home dining-room as wait a little longer and learn it in the public billiardroom ; for they must and will learn, not merely because the game is a favourite one, but also because a billiard-table is looked upon as a necessary adjunct to every well-appointed establishment, and a young man who cannot handle a cue with some little skill feels rather foolish at times. Besides, it is a game suitable to both sexes, and both ladies and gentlemen play nowadays. The question of what we are to do to amuse and keep our young men out of temptation is a very serious one. We are told that we must do something more than amuse — that we must endeavour to instruct and elevate ; and this indeed is true. But how if the young men will not give us the opportunity? If we pipe and they will not dance ? If we lecture and they have not ears to hear ? If we perform brilliant experiments and they have not eyes to see ? If we offer them the solid, well-baked loaf of general knowledge, and they prefer the pretty but unsatisfying white and purple grapes of general amusement? Is it not possible that we might gather the fruit and press therefrom a light and toothsome wine, a sip of which might induce the young men to accept that more nourishing aliment which we know is so much better for them.