Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-09-13
pRaNKSOF THE NEW WOMAN
In London She Plays Foot Bali Be-
fore an Admitting Crowd.
GAME IS A GOOD DEAL OF A FARCE


LONDON. Aug. 3.--A few years ago
II would have seemed just AZ ridiculous
to nsk this question as TO say. should
women engage In prize nghts7" Men
would have scoutcd the idea Ms too cx-
travaEnnt for discussion. and women
would have considered that their sex
had been insulted by the bare sugges-
ton that they could deliberately trans
form themselves into such viragos as
to play football,
But time works wonders, and we
have lived to see the formation of the
British Ladies' Football Club. and to
witncss such an exhibition as was dis
played AT the iirst public match. which
took place reeently on the Crouch End
grounds al Hornsey. The two teams
represented the North and the South.
composed OF women, with the exccp-
tion OF one smaif boy, Who played for
the North. and contested a muteh in
which the South was beaten by seven
gonls TO one.
II Ii true, as n daily newspaper rec
ords, that 10 say football was played
would be stating more than the truth.
Several OF the ladies' showed great
lack OF knowledge OF the rulcs. and the
match was little more than bur-
lesquc. although the ladies' were terri
bly, IN earnest stu. MS they tried to
play the game, and us II is their I'M
doubted aim to plny II after the man
ner or mon. their want OF proficiency
II not 10 the point Doubtless In time
our sisters and daughters Will master
the intrlcacies. the spirit and the vio.
lencc OF the sport ana receive a sum,
cient number VI commissions and broken
limbs TO satisfy themselves and thu
spectators
Tho lady footballcrs do not appear
to have entirely succeeded yet In Grad
icntiug the love FOR effective costume
that " natural TO the feminine mind.
The ladies' OF the North took care to
appear becumlngly attlrcd In red shirts
win white trimmings and blue knlclt
orhockcrH, while those OF the South
wore pretty shirts or Hight and dark
blue, and blue knlckerbockers II IN to
be hoped that the ladies' who had the
misfortune TO fall did not coll those.
and that they were not injured In ono
OF the mimic scrlmmages. We can
Imagine Miss Amazon calling Mrs.
Nirngo "horrld, npiteful thing" for
unintentlonnlly tearing some few inches
Of those effective white trmminga,
There were some ii'oOO spectators
present, md II Is not unreasonable TO
suppose that not nifty OF these came
with the slightest expectation OF seeing
II really interesting game OF football
II was q decidedly novel spectacle. and
everybody had come either TO crafty
their curiosity, TO be scandnllzcd. or 10
enjoy hearty laugh. When tho two
tcRmB came out together, n tremendous
roar OF mingled shouts and laughter
went up. ana the chan (Which was not
always Of the choicest kind was con-
tlnued without abate during the after
noon.
Such In the first ntep In the latest
advance In the woman movement"
VIII this innovation prove acceptable
10 the community, or IL " only u tenn
porary cccentrlcity-a passing vulgnr-
ity2 In short, Is football u suitable
game for women
Physical exercise is. OF course, n-
necessary for women an for men. On
this point there II no longer any diner
onoa OF opinion. Many OF the troubles
that aililct women IN later life arc un-
questlonably due to impaired muscular
vlgor. and much auncrlng would be
avoided II IN youth proper attention
were paid 90 physical development by
course OF Systematic training. But
II 10 Of the greatest Importance That
the exercise should be suitable TO the
AeX, SO long M women have unlimited
opportunities Tor lawn tennis for walk
ing, for swimming, for rowing, for
cycling, and Tor proper gymnaHtic eN-
eroiaes, there iH no justification what
ever for reclleBaly rushing into violent
athlctIclsm that la dangerous TO life
and limb.
Every day In london there are hum
dreda OF babies lent out by greedy
mothers or carctakers to beggnrs, who
md thnm worth their weight In gold
In quilting the charitable passerby.
IN the streets OF Whltcchapcl babies
may be hired by beggars at the rate
OF 30 cents u day. and a city missionary
informs me that several people make
quite decent living out Of this div
graceful traffic. One woman In par
ilculnr. who Keeps u day nursery, ut
which the children OF factory hands
and women working In warehouses
may he kept. charges . cents day
for taking care OF ench baby and then,
probably. let's out the infant TO street
bcggnr for another Should she keep
dozen babies, and let out half tho
number, she makes nj least S2.b0 II day,
after deducting the cost OF the chill
dren's food, etc. an item which In
usually very acant indeed. As a matter
Of fact, many OF these men md women
who lend out babies make more IN n
day than the mothers OF the children
earn In week.
nm, Of Tho most constant customers