Page 42 - 1923 VES Meteor

88
disappointed. This beginning was discouraging, but he was sure he would yet get in one game at least.
The S<'cond game of the Reason wus played uwa.v from home and Johnny did not make the trip. This made him feel rather down and out, but instead of fooling his time away, hc got several other boys and practiced mo::.t of the day. That evening when the team got back, he found out that they had been beaten. Thinking over this fact for awhile, he convinced himself that if he had been along they would have won.
Johnny's father, who was quite a foot-ball fanatic himself, bought a book for his son. This valuable volume told how to play foot-ball. Every spare moment Johnny read this work and within a week's time he knew most of the contents by heart. Every day he would try some new way of tackling or of running with the ball. Every day he became \vorse and worse. It really seemed as if he were not intended to be a foot-ball player.
The fifth game_of the season was a very easy one. Every- one knew that Nowhere would win with little effort. The conch was so sure that his team would win with a walkaway that he told the scrubs they would all get in the game. Johnny was personally told to be sure to be ou time for the game. This made him feel very important. lie was be- ginning to see his success as a foot-ball player.
The night before the fifth game Johnny ate a little too many oysters, and on awaking the next morning, he felt very sick. His mother was always carcfnl with him; so she made him stay in bed. He tried in every way to pretend he was all right, but nothing could prevent his mother from keeping him at home. Johnny missed the game ancl be found out later that every substitute had gotten in play. Johnuy now got a Bible and swore that he would ne\·er touch another oyster as long as he lived. All that night he sta~·cd awl\ke,
thinking what he would have done if he had been in the