THE PASSING SHOW.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 36, 6 November 1907, Page 5

THE PASSING SHOW.

' - TEE ■ BOWLER ; ''JJCST ..-ANI) • YOUTHFUL, JOLLITY. ( - Jones; lmmme<l homo from his office, ro-moved'his'work-jwlay clothes,- replacing the carefully/cut sorgo with flannels. Jones $en. piirtooli" of' a:• hasty lunch ' and, was .of? OiWhis' way- to enjoy his Saturday, afternoon. He .carried :iiy-the handle , a tidy little'round ;leathqr';bundle':in; which was . the' mysterious .Apparatus';..with'- which -he,". was going .'to 'Tended qhliyjbus all the carkirig caros of the pastWoek,. and'to''demonstrate to his follow mon' tHat -ho wasn't, aitch a bad sort . after all: Hiir'pace, quiclccnod as he drew near a 'higli' s fence,! and his. hand:' went out readily to;turn "the handle of: the gate. .Open'the gate Jones the -'hard, implacable,-. the unimpressionable, uriresporisivo;. enter 'Jones the -r— . ■■,' '■ .

.'-'Hello I: hey,? Jones I".' cries a boisterous voice ore the gate/has hardly closed, "I say, play number. three ' for us. We want - another to icoriipl t 6to -our rink." . ? ■' "Capital idea I" replies ' Jones, and more •perspiration -falls -off as/he hurries ,-away to the ;pavilion, there •■to'.;'unbucklo his;-' little brown leather "carrier", and remove, his bowls, -open .his locker,- tako out a. pair'.of /the latest /fri Jawn - shoes and'' encase .his feet; aiid lastly,'to hang his cap on a peg -iii the looker and ; substitute,in.-its place, iwith .a, particular feeling of pleasure, his; how soft felt hat encircled by its band of the:',club's' colours,,and- showing the club's monogram; ■' Now Jones is happy,. and ;he toddles 'off' along the narrow raised path amid a running fire of salutations and,witticisms ,to play - number, three.'../ _• ,: ; .. ; ; : Hero -;we'leave 'Jones.'; -It would ; bo'invidious, to follow him further. 1 They aro all . Joneses ive see b'eforo us—-or at .least Jones is a;, typical ;'sample..of. them;, all. ; r . .' . [Cloarlng ; Cobwebs from 1 the Brain. : , / / ' ' ' There are-eight.brink's on the -green and each'' is fullj s which_ means' tli.at sixty-four of- Wellington's leading" 'citizens';are clearing tho:cobivcbs;from the oirains that keep Wellington of other ''cities,- f and- storing up fresh -supplies .of ".mental and, physical energy for' :next week. 1 The sparrows ;i that • Qy ; around iniid hop about the ; fences "sis'/if pa&rt and' parcel of ; the. gay scene are' not biorg.! chirpy ithiin • the flannelled ocenparits of/th§-verdant, springy ."green."- Tho sun is as exhilarating; as a maiden's smile',.'-aiid the,players bask in it'and fcel'that they live. Now. here ive have, a portly old gentleman •whom hardly resognise • minus ' silk hat and frock' coat. Ay, and" he handles his greasy bowl, without -lavender- gloves I Clerks have: gladdened. or grown -.mehinchply at-'his smile' orZ frown. Legs apart,' hands driven hird dowji'-'into " th'e_ pockets 'of his short flannel"cojat,rhis. importance'.in':life just'"now ;is".measured; by. thefact "'that he' is -a'.'skip; Will ho;- be , a .winning skip.? That's the rub!. .. .- Hpar- him:. "Smithl- you're' not jjp, .not up,- ntfnl ' Put- less- water "in it-.'next jiifoe, ,ha I ha; !; remember- that, Smith ! There, ■tfia'tV: better, , man 1 no I raging, ,'rhgJtf'g 1.;:;, - No., not'. though,' /you're' just' i.tho ' thing,:■ the'thing 1 _ Smith, ypii're a-play'er!" ■And he. screws him&elf about arid caVorts rpurid as -ball takes 'its. bias.' tillV' one jwonld.',think; he'd been going • through - a ctiursei of.: .calisthenics specially for the tacasiori. Then -a's l his number three'dblivers ;his' last bowl he , trots, down »to\ the otherend .with a. •;.proper ..meditative ajr ;■ picks :Up;-hisj l 'bbwl,Mivfl'riaers ii'f .the ladies ; on I the 'banks fire: ..watching closely, thon.'dolivq'rs'■'his'.'shot'; and listens to the plaudits that foljow V.with / greater relish ; - tlian., he !6xperiqil'ced ,when informed last , month that his profits .:for the ycsir were £2000;' . ;Tb'o /'head" .is a close' one;, Beforo' playing . h'is . ' ,shpt "Smith" walks up, .dcr Jffibftt|yy.,'.'to ! .''Vi6w the" position, carefully measures with -Jiis .eyo the lay of . the bowls/ ..with- his; number three,. Walks up to' the other end, again hopes the ' ladies ;.ate delivers, his sh'o.t-f----,he',has/don6 it l ( - : "Good- shot I Capital shot 1". .rings, out'- from ' the group . rouhef the jack ;i ■and, §mith,. whb. has . Wriggled and- squirniod 'down th.e.-'grcen after, the bowl,'goes back ;to' his-piabe-happier than 'a king. . No One-Argues. . ' -.■, , i„"A'n ; . old-, man's;/game," ,says the- fobt-ball cynic.f ~ HaVe you ever heard a. bowler, .young or old, argue that it was or it,wasn't?. iThat, aspect never ' trouble's . him. . ' Hp 'doesn't care'so-long as ho obtains his game. Moreover, no one argues over bowls ; it is ■bad' foriq. \ On this '.'green.' tlie/rules forbid it. s 'The, number' threes decide- upon - the |shots,. and if; the .lay is too .close wr..-them, a\referete /n'lipse Verdict is final,, is. called-in. But .wrap'gle ,6r quarrel ?—never.. No' one Would i dare to/ so disturb the atmosphere. .This .is not/'a/fbotball ifioid. 1 'Ladies, hav's yo'u; ever h/rard. ari tinmannerly squabblo on a :bowlinß green, .and yet do. you rio't,rej'ccignise''. h6re' keen M;H;R. debaters," city ■cpuriciiiors/.Vh'd' expert lawyers? ' Never! /Nothing' b'ut banter,.-barrack, and: boisterous daughter. "Sport that' wrinklSd, card derides,/ and laughter • hojdirig'h'otli 'liis sides;" Happy he. indeod whose tongue - is;- keiaictlged, ;.l)ut. keen-edged only, only, in witticism': and anecdote—"quips; arid cranks arid . waijt'ori wiles;" Tho great irian •jokes vrjyltli 'i'••the'' v h'umblo ' clerk a bowling ■ grobn is: sooiillism/ run 'rampant. There, is more pr'actical display, of, idealistic ;sbcialisfn..i.n a square inch of bowlirig-greeri than' in; tho • ocean's of impassioned eloquence that hasflowed/ from the lips of dreamyeyed time first set the miriute hand going. Could a man speak .s'o' pe'r- ! suasiv6ly f t'p,» bowl, that seemed/inclined to pull up, too soon.or' fail to take i'ts tbias, .or could he indicate so oxactly.-.the green.fpr his number .two if .thoughts wero in his mind of 'his 'fellow-skip's social inferiority? Governor -'or .greaser, /mayor or mud-shifter'it would make ;no > difference once membership ! ha'd jjiiion proclaimed. .

The': Merr^^Elf.

. A few heads require to ,go. before.-the' merriment Von a ' b6wling "green commences. Thb merry fclf, howvejy wants little [wooing,' and once a good joke is cracked, a medley of • boisterous sli6iits and laughter .announces! that tho .sprito is busy digging the'ribs and tickling; the .mind. , Bowlers' language is •as peculiar as howlers' antics, and quite as ori-i gi'nal.* C The'ladies on the bank uridorstainf andCenioy both; they love, to see the, old gentlemen-out and-looking so young' again. *'What .'a fine big man Mr. ltohinson: isj he must 1 have boon an athlote -when- n young .roan.''.' (Hanpy R., could he .havo overheard). Why,. I declare, Mr. Quill look's ..quite youthful in flannels!" (Don't you know 'it, SlyOul Qui]], and isn't that why ydu v ar6 just so?).. ."How : firmiv: Dr. Powders .walks!" ('!I. feel as' fit as when .1 walked' Sawbones for the cup at Cambridge," thjnks Dr. Powders), "and there's dear lit-. J'?-\Smiles; > hpw • he keeps laughing I Isn t he, nimble. , But,loh, how the ladies watch the proudly, ercet figure of Dodds as ho .pauses deliberately for a drive that .will burn .a head m; which hp can't-draw to IPX®*. •: Happy. Dodds the shot' speeds, .the bowls open. out like spattered rain-drops I raen' nimbly , jump aside . while ''Kitty l scuttles/across tho. green.. The hea<l is ."burned'..' and Dodds begins to . get, normal again-, and' to tho tune of loud • b'ravos and '!Dpdds iyou,re a' player!" "slowly unwinds ' ' -'Thon'.ani.important moment-arrives. Two •by,':,two, tho .players , stroll .. across to tho piivillipn .vrhero they, .-regale with tea—or SHmething stronger. And the ladies' know that ' their turn also lias come, l and say -':|yes, ''thiink. you" .'in:' answer, -to' a courtly enquiry. ' r-.Th'ehl . jater in■ the'.eyeninc,, when the sun has siink 'I'owi and. the shadows of the. hip-h fence .cr.eep further up the the breeze haying dropped to the faintest, of "whispering zyphers;» Jones calls '"'out,.' "Last heads gentlemen!'' Playing down ho picks up ;Kia" them over to the pavilion, carefully' oils and packs them 'in,'his littlo leather 'carrier. Ho next puts away his shoes 'and..his hat, cracks his- last; joke and 'with many .. hearty good-byes treads, off homecards'. 'His step is.now rejuvenated and Springy, his.,back.is straighter, and;, Without doubt'Jonds the bowler feels a .new mail !.V.