The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-10-31
A FEMALE BASEBALL CLUB.
They Tried 1t ns an Experiment. but II
Didn't work


ball club occurred last week It was
rather an incipient affair, but it demon
Erated everything necessary, aud in
that particular answered every purpose.
The idea was cogitated and carried out
by six young ladies. 1t was merely de-
signed for an experiment on which to
ttlse future action. The young ladies'
were at the house Of one Of their mum Der
when the subject was brought up. The
| premises are capacious, and include
quite a piece of turf, hidden from the
street by several dropping, luxuriant,
old fashioned apple trees The young
lady of the house has a brother, who is
fond of baseball and has the necessary
machinery for game This was taken
out on the turf under the trees, The
ladies assembled and divided themselves
into two mines Of three each.
The first three took the bat, and the
| second three went to the bases, one as
| catcher, one as pitcher and the other as
chaser, or, more technically, fielder. The
| pitcher was lively brunette, with eyes
full Of dead earnestness. The catcher and
! batter were blonds, with faces ahame
with expectation. The pitcher took the
ball, braced herself, put her arm straight
out from her shoulder, then moved it
around to her back without modifying
in the least its delightful frigidity, and
then threwit. The catcher didnot catch
it. This was owing to the pitcher look
ing directly at the batter when she aimed
it. The fielder got a long pole and soon
succeeded in pokiug the ball from an
! apple tree back Of the pitcher, where it
| had lodged. Business was then resumed
again, although with faint semblance
Of uneasiness generally visible.
| The pitcher was very red in the face
and said 81 declare" several times. This
! time she took more careful aim, but
still neglected to look in some other di-
rection than toward the batter, and the
ball was presently poked out Of another
tree.
why, this is dreadful" said the bat
ter, whose nerves had been kept at a
| pretty stiff tension.
"Prfectly dreadfulw chimed in the
catcher, with a long sigh
81 think you had better get up in one
of the trees mildly suggested the fielder
to the batter
The observations somewhat nettled
the pitcher, and she declared she would
not try again, whereupon a change was
made with the fielder. She was GER
tainly more sensible. Just as soon as
she was ready to let drive, she shut her
eyes so tight as to loosen two Of her
puffs and pull out her back comb and
madly fired away. The ball flew di-
rectly at the batter, which so startled
that lady, who had the bat clinched in
both hands with desperate grip, that she
involuntarily cried, "Oh, myr' and let il
drop and ran. This movement uncov
cred the catcher, who had both hands
! extended about three feet apart in readi-
ness for the catch, but being intently
, absorbed in studying the coil on tn
4 back of the batter's head she was no
! able to recover in time and the bal
1 caught her in the bodice with suffiCien
t force to deprive her of all her breath
! which left her lips with ear piercin!
= shrillness. There was lull in the pro
ceedings for ten minutes to enable tn
other members Of the club to arrang
+ their hair,
q Liz DdlLCL d5otlll lOOh ID0lllOll3 WIG
n one of the party, discovering that sh
l. was holding the bat very much as
q woman carries a broom when she is afte
Q a cow in the garden, showed her tina
y the tip must rest on the ground and q
u her side, with her body a trihe incline
" in that direction. The suggester too
"a the bat and showed just how it VIZ
d done, and brought around the bat wit
n such vehemence as to almost carry hC
n from her feet, and to nearly brain IL
e catcher. That party shivered and move
II \ back some fifteen feet,
- The batter took her place and laid IL
ar tip Of the bat on the ground, and Il
pitcher shut her eyes again as tightly
q before, and let drive The fielder ht
to taken the precaution to get back Of
al tree, or otherwise she must have bet
IN dishgured for life. The ball was reco
X cred. The pitcher looked heated al
" vexed. She didn't throw it this tim
~ She just gave it pitching motion, b
rv not letting go Of it in time it went ov
in her head and caused her to sit doV
with considerable unexpectedness.
he Thereupon she declared she wou
te never throw another ball as long as S
~ lived, and changed off with the catcht
soa This young lady was somewhat dete
IS. % mined, which augured success. TIL
or she looked in an altogether differe
is direction from that of the batter
We And this did the business. The bait
to was ready. She had tight hold on t
In bat Just as soon as she saw the b
say start she made tremendous lunge wi
iti ~ the bat, let go Of it and turned around
ne l time to catch the ball in the small Of
back, while the bat, being on its oy
hook, and seeing a stone figure holding
he vase of flowers, neatly clipped off
ed arm at the elbow and let the flowers dl
be- to the ground.
en There was a chorus Of screams a
ira some confusion of skirts, and then
nB following dialOpue took place: