St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-04
OXFORD GIRLS AT CRICKET.
Holly Contested Matches That
Afford the Fair Students Recre-
alton aud Exercise.


Albany Express.
Peace and seclusion were not the DOM
inant impressions received by visitor
on the sunny afternoon that found me
walking along the Norbury road. There
was cricket match in progress, and
the Oxford AIRY, bare-legged and half
grown, had found it out. No wonder
AIRY flOcked to the scene. No wonder
he shouted until his lungs were sore.
1t was a tOwn-and-gown match, and
both town and gown were represented
by fresh, red-cheeked girls. The long
vacation had not expired, but students
eleven from Lady Margaret hall had
scores to settle with an eleven of Oxford
girls, and a September date had been
chosen to have the pretty forward play
and the smart back play and the dexter
Gus fielding all over before the return
of masculine undergraduates and Dons
with their critical gibes on the pitching
and the catching of the daughters of
Eve. The New park, to the north of
most OF the colleges. was the scene of
the play, and AIRY. though he had not
learned OF the fun in season to turn out
en- masse, made up what he lacked in
numbers In unfeigned enthusiasm.
The college girls were in their second
inning. They wore uniform of dark
jersey blouse and short gown, with
white girdle and yisored cap. and the
captaineSs had sent in two tall twin
blondes, whose yellow curls blew about
their eyes. but whose light steps and
splendid muscular development fold no
tales OF midnight oil or facilitating
effects of the higher education. They
were wonderfully graceful in their
movements and grace-pardon an awk-
ward truth-the rarest OF all character
iStics in a woman out of doors. Their
cheeks were flushed, their fingers
tingled and they trod as if on air.
81 there, II H'ain't she bloomin'
good un, though?''
A ten-year-oId AIRY behind me had
thrown up his cap in his zeal. The
prettler of the two blondes had slugged
the ball right over 'Arry's head and
away off the field.
She was good one. She was patient
aud she was stubborn in her defense,
quick in her attack and played with the
same ease all around the field. She was
mistress of the situation. She knew it.
Her breath came quick and her eyes
Sh0ne. She scored thirty-twO runs and
was not run out.
IfC toNu SlIIS WOIo SlIHplc SOWHS Vi
red and white flannel with red caps.
They played good cricket, but were
hardly equal to the students in agility
and grit. In their inning the pretty
cricketing blonde took two wickets con-
sccutively with well-pitched balls.
whereat AIRY roared delightedly, and
the pretty blonde redoubled her efforts
and i'll course of time took ten wickets
more.
The captainesses-that is English,
you know--showed excellent judgment
on both sides in sending in their women.
The captalness of Lady Margaret Hall
was plump little brown-curIed crea-
tnre whose balls were deadly. They
looked easy, fatally easy, but the
wicket-keeper who trusted them was
seduced to her arm.
1t was merry afternoon full of fun,
and for an American, of novelty. When
it was over there was afternoon tea
served for the cricketers and their
guests in the rooms of the captainess
and her lieutenants in the college halls.