Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-22
BATTING SATAN'S CURVES.
Sunday, of the Pittsburg Team, breaches
to the Y. VI. G.. A.

From the New York World
W. A. Sunday, of the Pittsburg base ball club
Familiarity known as Billy" discarded the bat
for the Bible yesterday afternoon. He spoke
for an hour at Association hall to an audience
which filled the long room from door to pulpit
Among the listeners were many old bleachers,
who came through curiosity, and went away
thoroughly convinced of the errors of their
way. kuehne, the big third baseman, and
krumm, the new Pittsburg pitcher, were there
TO see that things were run on the square, The
rest of the Pittsburg team remained at the
hotel. He simply talked right on, in plain,
unvarnished way, much in the manner of Mark
Antony over the dead body of Caesar. He was
dressed in light trousers and black frock coat.
and his marvellous base-stealing legs trod the
diamond of Christianity with the same quick
zeal he exhibits on the ball field
When introduced, Mr.. Sunday leaned easily
over the rostrum and attentively sized up a
young man who was sitting at about the
pitchers distance in the audience The Young
man fee ling himself marked for life, fidgeted
and grew red i'll the face. Having located the
positions of an imaginary first and third base
man, which were played respectively by re-
constructed Chinaman and man with a bloom
ing full-blOwn nose, Mr.. Sunday proceeded in
soft-and-easy way to scatter the hot ground
ers of light IN every direction. In each instance
he hit home.
The men on the bench behind Mr.. Sunday
smiled as the little right-ieldcr raced out over
the basc-lines of truth on the three-baggers of
rhetoric. and ran through the opposing team of
sin and darkness. MIR. Sunday held up before
the mental vision of his hearers the comparative
scores OF SIN and Christianity. the one black
with unacccpted chances. the other white and
orrOrlcss. Having routed the team of Satan,
Mr.. Sunday turned his attention to coaching.
in, t1,.
life not to steal so far alvey from the bases of
religion. He pictured the hOrrifyinG dangers
OF being eternally put out. and asked his audi
tors to slide IN upon every opportunity.
With vague motion of his hand towards an
Imaginary third base. the speaker made the
statement that the devil trembled whenever he
saw SINGER upon his knees The man with
the red nose fumbled the evident liner and re-
tired III confusion.
Turning his face in the direction of first base
Mr. Sunday spoke OF the pitfalls which dragged
young men to ruin. The Chinaman pIayed his
position without an error He took the fiv with
ease and Acknowledged innocence, said nothing
and sawed several cords of mental celestial
wood. Warming up with his subject Mr.. Sun
dOy discarded his notes and stepped out from
the little stand against which he was leaning
lie decl"Imcd upon the difficulty of scoSng q
Christian home run. and said in substance that
there was a remedy in religion for the most OBJ
stinate case of spiritual charlcy-horse
After short pause thy speaker looked fxedly
at his auditors and remarked substantially that
the happicst day OF his life was the one on
which he was signed to play position in the
right field of Christianity. He asked the audi
ence collectively If they were not tired of the
mufs and juSgles OF sin, and implored them to
take up the bat of truth and slug the outcurves
of Satan.
BY way of encouragement he called attention
to the fact that the umpire of creation was just
and wise. Turning again towards first base
Mr.. Sunday animated III general way that
the batters i'll the game of life should have no
fear OF yellow" decisions. The Chinaman
never turned a hair.
Mr.. Sundays remarks were received with
deep attention by the audience. and at their
conclusion hymn was sung after which the
meeting ended. An after-mee ting was held in
the parlor. just across the hall. at which Mr.
Sunday was chief spokesman. On the occasion
OF the f1ttsburg teams next visit to the city
the little right-felder will again mount the
rOstrum.