Excuses
Boden and Bird were favourite opponents for 25 years and though very opposite in styles were, in the long run, singularly even in their series. It was the practice of both to resign at the proper moment. Bird, once it was thought, gave up too early. “Oh, it is hopeless,” said he. “I have my misgivings, I cannot contend against such forebodings, one Boden is too much, for me.”
One player, who rarely scored a game, was likened to a very great musical composer—“Beethoven”—(Beat often)!!
The excuse made for our old friend L., the hatter, that he was not playing in his best tile hardly applied. Buckle, with his proverbially ‘bad hat’, usually under the table, yet invariably played superbly.
A man of leather found his efforts to excel, bootless. The retired fishmonger Umpleby played but a (f) visionary game. The tailor complained that he played more like a goose than a bird.