15. XV.
BILLIARDS.
Evryboddy seems tew be gitting crazy over a new
game, which haz jist bin diskovered, called billyards.
It iz played on the top ov a tabel which iz a little
longer than it iz square, and the game seems tew konsist
in pushing sum round red bawls agin sum round
white bawls, until they drop into sum little pudding
bags which are hung unto the outside ov the tabel.
It takes 2 men tew play the game, but 4 or 5 can
look on.
They take oph their coats, and stand clus up to the
tabel, with a short piece ov a fishpole in their hands,
which has a chalk mark onto the end ov it.
Then one begins, by giving one ov the bawls a
punch in the belly, which sends it agin the next
one's belly, and so on, till the other fellow's turn fur
punching comes on.
But yu ought tew see the game; it kant be delineated
bi words.
One feller generally beats the other feller, and then
he pays the landlord ov the consarn 25 cents fur the
privilege ov gitting beat, and buys sum gin, with
lemonade in it, and aul hands drink.
Then 2 more takes holt ov the fishpoles, and they
punch fur a spell, and so it goes on till 2 o'clock in
the morning; then each goes hum, having enjoyed
fine exercise, a little drunk perhaps; but the muscles
in their breast are so expanded that they can't ketch
the consumption nor the smaul pox.
This iz billyards.
