Lacrosse conies next in importance. It has many of the good qualities of the two first-men timied games, and it certainly occupies the mind. But a moment's reflection will show that in la crosse the legs and leg muscles arc developed at the expense of the chest, back, and some abdomi nal muscles. Lacrosse, however, is also confined to young men as a rule. Lawn tennis is more available for the average man; it has the advan tage of being to women and requires less training. less preparation, fewer players, and a shorter time each day. The expense is much less and its availability is therefore much greater. Again, however. one side of the body is exercised and therefore developed at the expense of the other, which is a serious objection, and also an element is wanting that plays an important part in the games already mentioned. In polo, foot ball, lacrosse, and such games the element of personal contact is a most beneficial factor, even though it adds materially to the danger of the games. When injuries occur they are to be de plored, but they do not destroy the good there is in the games, and the moment the personal con tact feature disappears. just so soon does the individual lose all the training in self-reliance, self-control, dignity, forbearance, and courage, which are as important in physical culture as arc digestion, good circulation, and normal urns clos. The loss of these in such games as lawn tennis is a serious drawback, and yet, following the principles already laid down, lawn tennis is infinitely better than nothing. The game can he played almost three-quarters, of the year in the northern half of the United States and all the year round in the southern half. Baseball, con sidered from the point of view of physical cul ture, is not equal to any of the games already mentioned. It is first irregular in its muscular development; then, the very nature of the game requires sudden unnatural spurts of exercise with many periods of nerve-straining delays inter spersed. Golf is now thoroughly established in this country, and becomes much more available as a means of physical training than any of the games so far mentioned because it is possible and feasible for ninny men and women. It has not the physical culture that other games have, because it. involves no personal contact and be cause it is slight in its development of muscular tissue. And yet for the present purpose it is very valuable, since men and women of all ages from childhood to old age can play it. and it is available nearly the entire year over the whole of this country. Furthermore, if played regular ly, it furnishes a training to the man who could not stand the more vigorous demands of other games.
Ice sports may be compared in merit with la crosse. They offer the invaluable quality of being available at a time when most outdoor games are impossible on account of weather con ditions, and as such they are the winter equiva lent of other sports. The open air, the stimulant to circulation, the optimism engendered by the bracing qualities of the wintry out-of-doors are all valuable, but the limited I irate of their use confines them to the class of substitutes for other forms of physical culture.
In a general way, track sports and rowing cover the other forms of games for out-of-doors, and both of these should come last in any physi• cal culture category, since they have certain tinctly meretricious elements Bowing in oared shells, in in pairs, in singles involves good in other sports, works for evil here. There can he no question that the strain of a boat race of any kind is injurious to the heart and the lungs. In
contradistinction to other games, rowing is one continuous strain and effort from start to ish. There is no respite. no temporary delay for an instant the organs of the body can snatch a little rest. And the same is in a ure true of running of all kinds, while the ad4led disadvantages present in all track sports is fest in the absence of any personal contact.
\Va1king, 'much abused as it is, will do notch for health if properly conducted. But walking, as here considered, is different from the employ ment of to conduct a body front one point to another, lit the first place, the walk should be taken at the same time each day. The individual should dress for it in loose ing to give the freest possible play to all the cles. The head should be held up. shoulders well back, chest thrust far forwanhand the arms bent a little, while the hands grasp two pieces of cork like the handles of a bicycle. The stride must be long and starting from the shoulders and including the In so that the whole body swings forward on one side and then on the other as each step is taken, and the side and abdominal muscles are kept constantly at work. The pace should he fast and there should always be a definite point to he reached at a definite time. One would say that any human being, no matter how busy lie might be, could find time for a half walk during the day or night, and if he would prepare for it in suitable clothing and follow it out as an exercise, and not as a tory way of getting an opportunity to think over some problem of business, be would receive terial benefit therehy. Its great disadvantage, however, is that even carrying out the stride, the position of the body and the regularity of the ercise, he still secures no rest for his mind, since the mere physical act of walking does not neces sarily require constant mental attention. It only requires a problem of life that is sufficiently ab sorbing, to divert the thoughts from surrounding objects or from attention to the operation of walking to the problem itself. In fact, walking often helps the mind to work. Riding has this advantage over walking, that it does give the mind relaxation, since the management of the horse requires a certain of attention. But. again, riding has not the amount of cal exercise in it that walking has when the hit ter is properly carried out. and riding is not as easily undertaken in view of the expense keep ing a horse. In the order of importance as regular outdoor forms of speeM1 development cise come swimming. bicycling. running. putting. and so on. They are all is. better than nothing, better than the same things properly and rwnilarly earried out; but they all have distinct disadvantages. For example, bieyeling develops the legs without doing much for arms or ders, and the bicyclist too often leans heavily upon the bending far forward. coin his lungs, training his shoulders to come and forgetting entirely the dominal muscles that need the regular gentle development of constant movement. Swimming, which is very general in its use of the body. has its distinct advantages. hut it can only be undertaken at limited times in the year, and then only by him who live, near the sea or some large body of water. It i; questionable for the individual, since they are many people whose circulation is far from being benefited by bathing in the constant manner whieh is necessary if any physical good is to come of swimming as a lar exercise.