Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-12-28

and the deacon became too occupied to
pay much attention to the effect Of his
speech.
"rhe first inning both teams failed to
score. In the first half of the second
Williamson succeeded in getting man
around the circuit of the bases, to the
evident disgust of the deacon. In the
second half, after two of the home
players had been retired, the third got
his base on balls. Then Bill Medford
lined the ball to deep left for three
bases, bringing in the man on first
The next minute Bill scored or, wild
pitch.
"'Woh, woh, woh!' yelled 'he worthy
deacon, forgetting the reason he had
come to the game. Good boy, Bill
Well show those Williamson gazaboos
how to play ball. It's a disgusting
spectacle, he added, suddenly recollect'
ing with whom he was sitting and,
turning to the minister and the Sunday
school superintendent, "a sight to make
a man ashamed of his fellow beings
But that certainly was peacherino OF
a hit he added, emphatically.
Hadn't we better assert our author
ity and have the game stopped? in
quired the superintendent.
"'Well, don't know that there is any
more sin in five innings than there is in
two,' replied the deacon, doubtfully
The game won't count If we stop il
now. Our boys are ahead. Let them
play out the five innings. Then we can
assert the sanctity of the Sabbath and
clinch the championship at the same
| time
"But when the fifth inning was fin.
ished Williamson was two runs to the
good. The deacon wouldn't listen to
any proposition to stop the game.
"a man needs to use gumption,' hi
growled, in reply to the arguments OF
the grieved minister and Sunday school
superintendent, even if he is filled
with the ambition to be reformer and
stop an interesting exhibition of the
national game. If you two are looking
to do truly righteous action you'll
shoot that blind robber who thinks he's
performing the duties of an umpire
If he had given us half show we would
have had those NUTS from Williamson
beaten clear out of sight by this time
'The minister and the Sunday school
superintendent were shocked at the
worldly expressions used by the dea.
con, but, as he was in charge, they
didn't like to take the responsibility oil
stopping the game contrary to his di.
rections.
"When the ninth inning came Will.
Hanson was three runs ahead. The
visitors came first to the bat and were
retired in one, two, three order. Fol
the home team, base hit, an error at
| third and four balls filled the bases
Then Bill Medford, the captain of the
home team, the pride of every rooter
and the best batter in the county, came
to bat. The Sunday school superin.
tendent, who didn't understand the
game, was shocked at the shout which
went up as Bill picked up his bat.
"'Oh, it's dreadful to have the calm
of the Sabbath interrupted by such
noises he urged the deacon. Wouldn't
this be good time to stop the game?
But the good deacon had been car.
ried away by his revived enthusiasm
over baseball, and instead OF affirming
this pious plan, was enraged at the su-
perintendent's suggestion.
"'Stop the game?' he shouted. stop
the game with Bill Medford at bat and
three men on bases? Well, of all dod.
dering idiots you certainly are the
prize specimen. When you get inside
the pearly gates and the Heavenly
hosts strike up their music l suppose
you will let out plaintive beat:
please, Lord, stop them. They are
making too much noise."'
"The minister and the superintend.
ent sighed over the deacon's fall from
grace and moved to other seats. But
the deacon didn't care.
"'Swat it, Bi,l!' he shouted, standing
up on his seat, waving his hat and
with his gray hair blowing in the wind
Line 1t out, Bill! Tear the leather off!
Drive hole through that fat center
fielde
"Bill waited until he found ball 10
his liking and then swung hard. AS he
hit he turned little too much and
the ball sailed in line over third base
far, far beyond the left fielder. All the
runners came in and Bill made the cir
cult of the bases. The crowd, thinking
the game won, began to pile on to the
field preparatory to carrying Bill Med.
ford off in triumph.
"But she umpire, who had been vain.
ly trying to make himself heard. came
running up to the home plate, holding
up his hand for silence.
Foul shouted the umpire. Foul!
Go back to your bases
"This was too much for the deacon.
"'Robber! Theft he shouted. run.
ming at the umpire. Kill him Throw
the umpire into the river!'
when the tangle was finally
Strengthened out the good deacon was
a sorrowful and badly bumped reform.
er. tried to console him, but he re.
| fused to be comforted.
"'The minister and the Sunday
school superintendent are trying to
have me expelled from the Moral Re.
form club for allowing the game to 20
on said the deacon, sorrowfully, 'and
the baseball fans blame me for not
stopping the unhoiy exhibition when
we were ahead. A foul! Why, that
ball was the fairest ever batted on an
American diamond "-Boston Globe.