unquestionably the American National Game. Secondly, the splendid
display of fielding exhibited by the American ball players has opened
the eyes of English cricketers to the important fact that in their
efforts to equalize the attack and defense in their national game of
cricket, in which they have looked only to certain modifications of the
rules governing bowling and batting, they have entirely ignored the
important element of the game, viz., fielding; and that this element is
so important is a fact that has been duly proved by the brilliant
success of the American base-ball players in cricket, a game in which
the majority of them were mere novices, and yet by their ability as
fielders in keeping down their adversaries' scores they fully
demonstrated that skill in fielding is as great an element of success in
cricketing as bowling and batting, if it be not greater, and also that
the principles of saving runs by sharp fielding is as sound as that of
making runs by skillful batting. But, moreover, they have shown by this
self-same fielding skill that the game of base-ball is a better school
for fielding than cricket, the peculiarity of the play in the former
game requiring a prompter return of the ball from the outfield, swifter
and more accurate throwing, and surer catching than the ordinary
practice of cricket would seem to need.

"Another result of the tour has been to show our English cousins the
great contrast between the character and habits of our American
base-ball professionals and those of the English professional cricketers,
taking them as a class. One of the London players warmly complimented
the American players on their fine physique as athletes and especially
commented on their abstemious habits in contrast, as the paper stated
'with our beer-drinking English professional cricketers.' In fact, the
visit of the baseball players has opened old John Bull's eyes to the
fact that we are not as neglectful of athletic sports as he thought we
were, for one thing, and in our American baseball representatives we
presented a corps of fielders the equal of which in brilliancy of play
England has never seen even among the most expert of her best trained
cricketers. So much for our National Game of base-ball as a school for
fielding in cricket. We sent these ball players out to show England how
we played ball, but with no idea of their being able to accomplish much
at cricket; but to our most agreeable surprise they de