Evening star., 1897-04-03

VI uTlVfhS requires pO1Se and
Tree, forceful movement of the whole body.
Seer and Barker, hts arms swinging in a
circle, straight out and around from the
shoulders, his whole body turning as or a
pivot at the waist drove a ball with WON
derful force and exquisite precision in
demonstration of his point. 1T takes
muscle. plenty of it. to make telling drive,
ard women compare with Men in this ac-
cording to their general strength. But in
putting. where the skill required is more
delicate, womec are not seldom superior
70 men, There are two or three ladies in
this club who can drive as well as any
| man-Miss Wetmore. Miss Josephine
Bcardman and Miss Simpkins. The great
est trouble with the ladies is they don't
take golf seriously enough"
OF course, Barker saying this made it &C.
but 1t had seemed to me that they were
taking II quite, quite seriously. AS I stood
on the teeing ground at the start. couldn't
for some time understand why it was, my
ordinary tone of voice sounded as much
out OF place as laughter In he presence OF
corpse. Feeling sorry for .he downfall
of mans glory as evidenced there, l tried
to cheer up Mr.. Riggs ty speaking to him
as If he were really the equal of me or any
woman-made some kind remark about it
being pleasant day and hoped he would
enjoy his mile-and-a-half walk carrying
that score card. He looked scared out cf
mis- wits, and l wondered whether these
Washington men golfers so tyrannized
over by the women 1t frighters them to
have any one make any sort of assumption
of their social equality. Then 1 attempted
10 ask Miss Mckeever to initiate me in the
mysteries of the handicaps she had written
on piece of paper in her hand. at which
she looked ready to cry Barker and
taking me solemnly but with great dis
patch one side, she whispered: Ssh! 1t is
a rule Of golf not to speak while any one is
playing.
knew this-that is. I read it once. but
| had quite forgotten 1t. and the various
sensations l experienced learning how this
and other rules are now being enforced at
the club caused me to be surprised that
Barker should say the ladies do not take
golf seriously.
''TakinE 1t Seriously"
However. he afterward revealed to me
just what seriousness in golf means to
Barker. He took me up in the neat shop
where he makes clubs and balls. and, hang
ing on the wall, he showed me a picture
Of the members of the Ostego Club, where
he has been the past two summers.
'Ah. they are fine players" he said land
these two indicating a couple of men,
were as fine as any 1 ever saw anywhere
| IN England. They took the game seriously
seriously as 1t demands. They started to
| play in a match last summer and you
| know there is a rule in golf that anybody
| starting must play to the finish. Well, q
| terrible storm came up-simply awful; rain.
| wind, thunder and lightning; but those
men knew their duty, and they kept at It
until they We're both struck by lightning
| and killed"
Upon my soul. that was serious" an
| swered.
"Ah, yes," responded Barker with sigh;
'it was beautiful-such determination,
! such devotion; and 1 give you my word.
| there Is no other way to succeed In golf"
| Taking golf according to Barker, / dare
| say, then, the crimson jackets the ladies
| wear on the links may be interpreted. as
| the red badge Of courage" necessary to
| golf. Barker himself. while, complaining
| of the lack Of seriousness on the part Of
| the fair golfers of Washington admits that
| they are nevertheless looking up a bit
every day, and he has great hopes of their
future. To be sure they have yet to score
| a death from any cause on the links, but
| they play In all sorts Of weather-rain
| shine and snow. They tramp through mud
| without a qualm, and when 1t rains they
| never SO much as have a caddie hold an
| umbrella over them. Accordingly, they
dress for the game. They wear stout boots
| that, as they walk through the corridors
Of the club house. cause their steps to re-
sound with anything but the poetic rhythm
that in olden times marked the then FAIRY
footfalr' Of the lovely sex. Some above,
and some very much above, their ankles
are their short skirts. Underneath the
short skirts are a few petticoats and more
pear variously attired: some in flaming red
1 flannel shirts. some In sweaters some In
trim shirt waists, with very sportsmanlike
! white canvas stocks, and coats that fairly
scream God Save the Queen" so loud are
| they. SO very. very English, don't you
know, in vivid scarlet otherwise called
pink. These coats reproduce the club