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The Spike: or, Victoria University College Review October 1911

The Age of Chivalry

page 41

The Age of Chivalry.

It was in a Saturday afternoon tramcar, wending its way to the Athletic Park and football, that they came into contact with each other. Fate, the clever stage manager of the theatre of the world, had arranged that they should be strap-hanging side by side; and when the motorman suddenly applied the brake to avoid mangling a motor-car or destroying a dog, the jerk that followed drew these two together in a rather uncomfortable and unceremonious way. Immediately anathemas against obstructions and emergency brakes, combined with mutual apologies, raised the curtain of conversation.

"Wonder what kind of a match we'll get at the Park to-day," said the man of commerce. "It's not often Victoria College play on No. 1 Ground, but if they beat Athletic, Oriental will win the championship."

The Learned One smiled. "There are more unlikely things than College winning to-day," he said.

"No chance," quoth the man of commerce. "Victoria College are not class enough for senior championship; should he playing junior football."

You are much mistaken in that idea," ventured the other. "Do you know that in Wellington there is no team that plays cleaner football? The College team always sets out to play a fast, open game, and they lose only because their training fails them. You see, they have more serious things in view, and can't spend too much time over football training, and they don't make a business of the sport, as others do; they play for the love of the game."

"Dare say that's all true enough." replied the man of commerce. "Haven't studied the subject much, but I should say—"

"Of course it's true enough." The Learned One was warming to his favourite topic. "Indiscriminate kicking in scrums, and the rough play that goes on right and left, is ruining Rugby, and disgusting every clean player. Any footballer who wilfully strikes another should be ordered off for all time. Yet you consider the College team, which strikes for clean football, is superfluous in senior Rugby."

page 42

"You bet I do," replied the Man of Commerce. What do you know of football, anyhow?"

"A good deal. I'm one of the College forwards, and see what the man in the Grandstand misses," was the rejoinder. "It comes back to the old argument that a University training improves a man in every way, even in football."

"Of course you're in favour of that argument, I guess," said the Man of Commerce, "but it's only a theory, and I won't believe it till it's proved."

"Certainly I believe it." was the reply. "Take the serious side of life in business and the commercial world for example. A fellow who has had a 'Varsity training has an excellent ground work to start with. Stands to reason that his brain gets better developed and more fit for the work. And as for proof, you've only got to remember how, in America, a business man prefers University men for his office every time. Surely that's proof enough."

"Not it," said the Man of Commerce. "That is only America's little way. She's got a reputation for being the exception that proves the rule, and she thinks she's got to live up to that reputation always."

The Learned One laughed. "That's a good point." he said, but I can't say I agree with you. My opinion is that if you put a man with a University education alongside any other man its the College chap that will come out on top in the end in nearly every case."

Now this was a point upon which the Man of Commerce felt very hotly. He considered himself an excel- lent business man, and the idea that this young know-all should venture such opinions made him feel like a man in a Turkish bath. "You will excuse my saying so," he remarked politely, "but you haven't any idea what you are talking about. Ask any fellow down town for an opinion. An ordinary business man knows more than twenty of your College noodles put together, and, what's more, he knows how to apply his knowledge. Take a University man and send him round the country with a pack of samples. He would probably make up some charming rhymes about" them and explain their scientific merits so thoroughly that people wouldn't understand a word of what he was saying, but how many would he sell?"

page 43

"Probably the lot," was the reply. "The, rhymes and the scientific merits would come in handy by way of advertisement. It's just the same in every other walk of life—domestic and social."

"How do you make that out?" requested the Man of Commerce, beginning to look cynical.

"Well," said the other, "don't you agree with me that the more knowledge one gains the more one learns to understand and sympathise, while it's the business of a man of commerce to be hard and unsympathetic more or less. I don't say that this is so in every case. There are numbers of exception on both sides, but I do say that a University man is generally more sympathetic in his hearing towards a woman than a commercial man is. Business men have come practically to look upon women as their equals—beings to he treated just as one treats fellow men."

"Don't agree with you," said the Man of Commerce. "Seems to me that the fellows I've met in business are as chivalrous as the tin-plated ancients, while the University chap is often a snob."

It happened at that moment that an elderly lady, heavily laden with a large brown paper parcel, stumbled just as she was passing our friends.

The unexpected jerk burst the paper wrapping of her burden, and its contents were at once scattered broadcast in the car. "Diable." murmured the Man of Letters, as a white stream of flour made its way down the front of his suit, while the Man of Commerce made some other similar remark, as a heavy tin of jam fell gently on his toe.

But, after all, it was the train conductor who gathered up the scattered groceries and returned them to their owner.

—R.M.T.