Though the love of hockey has been growing so rapidly in England, and each season shows a tremendous increase in the number of matches (when traveling in the autumn in England, one is always encountering eleven ladies with their sticks, off to their county or town match, and, if the women's colleges and schools are "going down," instead of the old stampede of bicycles at the stations is seen a forest of hockey sticks), this last season has seen still greater advances, among them the formation of a women's Scotch eleven to contest for national honors with the "all England," "Irish" and "Welsh" elevens, also many leading sportswomen forming their own private elevens for contest, which fashion promises to come greatly into vogue. French clubs have begun to challenge the English clubs, and hockey is rapidly being taken up abroad. This year Germany and Belgium have started ladies' and mixed clubs, Berlin's Anglo-American being amongst the notable. The fever has even been carried to Uganda!

There is much talk nowadays of the dangers of "over athleticism." Among the severest criticism is that of Mr. Kipling: "Then ye returned to your trinkets, then ye contented your

soul.

With flanneled fools at the wicket and the muddied oafs at the

Whatever your heart has desired ye have not withheld from your

eyes,

On your own head, in your own hand, the sin and the saving lie."

There is truth and a wholesome lesson to be learned from such attacks and Mr. Kipling gets at the root of the matter. It is not athletics, but the athletes, who destroy their own cause. We are too apt to forget that our athletics are only one side of life, but an important side withal, and to be governed by the same laws of honor, courtesy and unselfishness that rule the rest of our conduct. The greatest and finest athletes the world has seen, the Greeks, sum up the description themselves in this: "We are lovers of the beautiful and simple in our tastes." But while Mr.

Kipling shows us the dangers in games Henry Newbold in his book of ballads gives us an encouraging glimpse of their value:

“VITAÏ LAMPADA.”

There's a breathless hush in the close to-night,
Ten to make and the match to win;
A bumping pitch and a blinding light,
An hour to play and the last man in.

And it's not for the sake of the ribboned coat,
Or the selfish hope of the season's fame,
But his Captain's hand on his shoulder smote;
Play up; play up, and play the game.

The sand of the desert is sodden red-
Red with the wreck of the square that broke;
The gatling jammed and the colonel's dead
And the regiment blind with dust and smoke.
The river of death has brimmed its banks,
And England's far and honor a name,

But a voice of the schoolboy rallies the ranks—
Play up; play up, and play the game.

And this is the word which year by year,
While in her place the school is set;
Every one of her sons must hear,
And none that hears it dare forget.
And this they all with a joyful mind,
Bear through life like a torch in flame,
And falling, fling to the host behind,
Play up; play up, and play the game.

-Secretary A. F. H. Association,

23 Landseer St., W. Roxbury, Boston.

The Ground and Outfit

The dimensions of the regulation hockey field are 100 yards in length by not less than 50 yards nor more than 60 yards in breadth. This space must be marked out with whitewash lines and with a flag at each corner. Care must be taken that the angles are right angles. The longer lines are called the "side lines" and the shorter ones the "goal lines."

Across the ground 50 yards from each goal line is marked the "center line." Each half of the ground is again divided by a line called the "25-yard line."

Five yards inside each side line is marked a dotted line, parallel with the side line; this is called the "5-yard line.”

In the middle of each goal line and four yards apart are placed the goal posts. These must be uprights seven feet high with a horizontal bar stretching from one to the other. In the front of each goal and 15 yards from it is drawn a line 4 yards long, parallel to the goal line. The ends of this line are carried round in a curve, forming a quarter circle, until they reach the goal line at a point 15 yards from the center of the goal. This half-circle is called the "striking circle."

The field must be a level, smooth stretch of turf, kept short and well rolled.

The better the condition of the ground the greater can be the accuracy and skill of the play. Cricket, tennis or foot ball fields can often be hired for one or two days a week during the hockey season, and if reasonable care is taken of the ground it should in no way be the worse for hockey.

When no better is available, an ordinary flat field, if rolled and looked after a little, will answer the purpose in the beginning; then when the game is well started and the players reach the stage of skilful and accurate play a flourishing hockey club will have less difficulty in procuring a suitable ground for the coming

The Stick-A good stick is of greatest importance. Sticks should weigh from 19 to 25 ounces. The most useful weight for a beginner is 22 ounces; with this she can play in any place on the field. The general custom is a 19 to 22 ounce stick for the forwards, 21 to 23 ounce stick for the half-backs, 23 to 25 ounce for the backs and goal keeper. The average height is about 3 feet 2 inches. But in this, as in the weight, each individual is the best judge as to which suits her particular mode of play, and which, while long enough to prevent stooping, is not so high as to impede easy and free wrist play.

Stick with Rubber Ring to Protect Fingers

The sticks are made of ash or hickory, or the better kind with ash blades and cane handles. The cane handle gives a spring to the stick which sends a clean driving hit without any jar to the hands.

A regulation "American Association hockey stick," made from an English pattern, has been brought out, and can be relied on. All these sticks are stamped “Applebee” on the handle.

A useful addition to the stick is a thick rubber ring about two feet from the top to prevent other sticks slipping up and "barking" the fingers.

The Balls.-These should be the size and weight of an ordinary cricket bali and painted white. The American Hockey Association have also brought out a very good ball which, while as good for play as a cricket ball, is not so expensive.

The Goal. It is now the general custom on hockey fields to have nets affixed to the back of the goal posts. Though not an actual necessity they are a great convenience. In the case of a