The uncle was still gloomy, and appeared to be waiting the first favourable opportunity for "coming to the point." The opportunity, however, never occurred.

After a long and lively talk on all sorts of matters, Jim adroitly turned the conversation on to the subject of athletics by appealing to his uncle to add his voice to that of Reader's other friends in rebuking him for never taking any exercise.
"Look at his pale face!" he exclaimed; "isn't it a disgrace ?" George bore this attack good-naturedly, and began to excuse himself; but the uncle, who had not before noticed his looks, interrupted him by saying,-- "Pardon me, sir, but I quite agree with James.

If is very wrong to cultivate the brain at the expense of the body." This observation brought down Charlie's hearty approval, who forthwith launched into a rhapsody on athletic sports--particularly football-- appealing in every sentence to the uncle, who now found himself fairly in the toils.
"If it were for nothing more than the moral training it gives a man," said Charlie--"for the pluck, manliness, and endurance it puts into him--we couldn't over-estimate the value of athletics; could we, sir ?" "No--er--that is to say--" "Why, look at Jim, here! Upon my word, sir, if you'll excuse me saying it, it does you the greatest credit the way he has been brought up to value healthy exercise.

Why, there are some parents and guardians who, instead of encouraging that sort of thing, would positively so far wrong their sons as to forbid it.

I can't make out that sort of training, can you ?" "Eh?
Well, possibly not," faltered the uncle, turning very red.
"Of course not, and you'll have your reward in seeing Jim turn out a far better clergyman than your mollycoddles, who don't know the way to look their fellow-men straight in the face.