THE DECAY OF ENGLISH GAMES.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—All lovers of our national games must agree with every word of the admirable article in the Spectator of May 16th anent their decay, and especially with the sturdy denunciation of the prime cause thereof, the abominable auri sacra fames. It is cheering, however, to note that in an age when cosmo- politanism and other agents have driven from our country districts so many of their pleasant old-time characteristics and institutions, village cricket is still honest, pure, and wholesome ; that genuine local patriotism largely enters into it; that the game is played to the letter—no waste of time over such a degeneracy as the tea interval, no labour shirking through the medium of ridiculous and unnecessary boundaries —and with the one object of deciding the game. As regards village football the same may be said, and I may be pardoned for quoting my own East Kent village as an instance. One Saturday during the past season by some mistake twO " foreign " teams turned up to do our club battle. For one moment there was a question as to what had best be done. Before the second moment bad run its course the decision was come to,—ut veniant ommes ! We played them one after the other—and beat them ! Professional football is rife in our Kentish towns, although it was an ignominious failure in our own market town of Ashford ; but whilst the spirit mani- fested in the above anecdote prevails there is hope that the contamination will not spread.—I am, Sir, &c., Kennington Hall, Ashford, Kent. FRANCIS ABEL L.
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