nations, athletics are a necessary development for the physique of our rising manhood. Never was the desire for amusement stronger than it is now. The exchange of agriculture for that of factory life, the rush and competition of business instead of the quiet monotony of the country, forcing the rural population into England's large towns, those "vast hives of toil," where "labour crowds in hopeless misery"—these conditions have done much to depress and sadden modern life. The age has been called one of "growing and inevitable sadness." Gone are the gay-coloured garments of medieval England, gone the merry manners of Elizabeth's light-hearted subjects, gone the boisterous jokes of the century that is past. And in place of this there is a dim yearning for amusement, a restless love of excitement, a desire to drown depression and stifle worry. Men, women, and even children, flock to places of cheap amusement for recreation which endeavour to supply the pathetic demand, thereby deteriorating public taste without satisfying morbid discontent. It is the same with cheap literature. Though the world's masterpieces are within the reach of all, the cry is for something sensational, adven-
