The Free lance., October 01, 1895, Image 9

Tammany Hall ruffians here in our government to tell me how it
"was?”
‘ ‘ That can I, Aristophanes. Thou knowest how that I am
never in a hurry in the teaching of truth to my friends. I will
tell thee all about it. Well, to begin thou must know that
Xanthippe, my beloved wife, sent me yesterday, with three pieces
of money, to our only store to buy a fish in the Agora. With
my usual desire to do my duty well, I hurried away upon mine
errand. But just around there by the porch I met the young
Athenian Alcibiades. He was dressed in what he told me was a
‘ sweater, ’ and with a football under his arm and accompanied
by his two family physicians and a retinue of slaves with a litter
was hurrying by when he hailed me in his usual bright and cheer
ful manner.
‘' * Hallo, Socrates, well met old friend. Come with us to the
Ilissus to our game to-day. As you see we are to have a game of
football. Those Eleusinians have come over with their country
team, and young Eumolpus, the priest’s son, their captain, tells
our boys they are going to do us up. I don’t think they can do
it, Socrates, and we arc going to try, and if we don’t teach those
chaps from Eleusis what it is to play football then you may use
my head for a football to-morrow. But anyhow we want you
along, Socrates. Come over and umpire the game and see us
uphold the honor of our noble Athens. ’ Well, thou knowest,
Aristophanes, how I like the lad Alcibiades, and the fact is I for
got all about the fish I was to purchase for dinner and to the
Ilissus I went. There we found the Athenian team practicing to
pass the ball about the field, and when I saw that giant Athenian
Cleopas with muscles like a wrestler in the Olympic games and
found out that he was to play center and that Alcibiades was to be
half-back, and that our boys had two of the fleetest runners from
the gymnasium to play at the ends, truly, Aristophanes, I felt
that the Athenian team must make a pretty good game. Still
those Eleusinians were goodly fellows, too. Young Eumolpus is
a giant, and verily his mouth was open before the game began
with claims of what he and his heroes could do to our Athenians;
but I told him that boasting best became the man who wins the
game, and that the game was yet to be fought, and he got ready
for the contest.
“ The Eleusinians got the kick-off and the priest’s son sent the
ball well down towards the goal. But Alcibiades was ready for
The Free Lance .
[OCTOBKR,