Show SCOTCH WINTER GAMES A curling is ft a good preparation ki or ll ai en the chief scottish diversion in winter Is neither gok golf norwald nor wild fowl shooting but buethe the old national game of 0 curling this Thi hag not conquered the world like JIL e golf though it ia is played wherever Scotch men and jack frost fo in la prin principle ciple it seems to be merely a winter form ot of bowls A rink la to an expanse of ice rather longer than a pitch bt at cricket crick ct at either end there is 1 a tec tee or cock tt a spot on which anu used to bo be placed by the old players now a little red lead la is scattered on it here elands stands a thing like a wooden bottle which is the point of aim circles are designed in the ice around the tee to facilitate the processor PrOc proceed essof of ec scoring oring the object of the came game bel baloff to lay the curling a tone as near the tee as a possible and to noce ara the tones of the I 1 opposite sida ade I 1 I 1 I 1 11 I 1 I 1 sak ps party tilLy on ent chii i ii batts tat ts s adjip j or captain who directs tho the maneuvers of 0 his ills men the first player launches his stone thundering over tho the ice the rest follow and aa As stones stone increase round the tee the taek task ie Is to steer well between them and secure a nearer place or to send a stone which will drive a hostile stone to a distance meanwhile the players with brooms la in their handa hands sweep the ice in front of 0 a lagging stone and indulge in wild shouts ot of encouragement by this manner of play the game deserves ita its name of roaring and to tho the surprise and admiration of the spectator the men keep themselves warm and amused indeed curling and the em enjoyment which it manifestly gives are rather mysterious to tho the observer who sees little more fun in it than a russian sees in cricket or a F frenchman hman in rugby football but perhaps this thil mystery is not peculiar to curling its admirers yield to nobody in enthusiasm and when they dine on the traditional beeland beet and greena greens and fight their battles over again to an accompaniment of toddy they need not envy kings a class indeed far ar from enviable curling really does br bring ln 9 all sorts and conditions of men together i in perfect equality except as far as skill la is concerned where the shepherd may be lid I 1 immensely the superior of the laird even everybody Y plays ministers and all indeed curling was never under the ban of the kirk which was otherwise not partial to amusements that most diverting historian ot of the covenant wodrow Vo Arow speaks of a singular savory christian a minister in fri days when ministers mini stera were apt to be stalked like deer on the bills hills hanged put in the most severe torment of the and generally dragooned and worried this old preacher avowed that it if he knew he had bad to die in the afternoon ho be could conceive no more edifying and appropriate way of passing the morning than in curling lie ile had his moral accounts made up and would have up with the best beat of them on the day lay appointed for his decease london news |