The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-01-08

doing that little thing over quite q
Recently on a hike in the hills.
we were discussing the women folks
at the series I've asked him to
write down his remarks just as ne
spoke to me: THAT little wife of
yours played harder than you pitch
ed. She went through more Of a
strain than any player on the
field. There was a unique study
In the opposite dispositions of your
wife and mother. Your wife, fresh
and pretty, the target of thou
sand eyes, was self-conscious and a
bundle Of nerves. She was hope
full, fearful, joyful and sorrowful,
a thousand different times. The
poor little thing did get so blue.
e'But your dear old mother, why
she didn't know what IL was all
about As for runs and errors,
she wasn't concerned In the least.
She never showed the slightest
emOti0n-nof until the very last.
After that glorious climax, In the
twelfth inning Of the final game,
she stood up there and watched
the fanatical crowd. You were on
base when the game ended and
she glued her eyes on you, re-
marking proudly, "A wonderful
SON. A wonderful son.
Tor the life of me. I thought
ehe was starting to go out there in
the terrible mob and bring you in.
She feared for your safety, and
true to a n1o1hef's nature, was
Cd ~ 4 !
% all right, she kept repeating.
When had assured her of your
safety she relaxed and grew salts
fled. Then she sat down and the
first sign Of reaction showed in her
features. Baseball meant nothing
to her but for seven days, there
had been secret Juggling at her
heartstrings for her boy out there
sweating and toiling with all kinds
O. strenuous swings and motions.
Sne didn't understand the motions.
put she did understand that your
nfeis greatest ambition was wran-
pea up In all those mighty swings.
SO when 1t was finally over
she sank right down and cried I
give you my word, Walt, she just
naturally cried like q child. and
with her face buried In her hands
she sobbed: MY prayers are
answered" That was her only
comment. But that was sufficient.
thought maybe I was taking
my baseball a little too serious as
a couple OF Jumps came crowdfns
into my throat. But as I turned
TO the adjoining box a much bigger
fellow than myself was awkwardly
Wiping his eyes with his overcoat
sleeve. He had heard your moth.
er's little prayer of thanks. And
Judging from the handkerchiefs ali
around the grandstand, those who
failed to hear her prayer, under
stood her happiness"
/ was moro interested In how
they took my defeats, especially the
opening game and so friend Adams
continued: "WelI, there was such
. blur Of excitement during the
opening game right up to the
last out, that We had little Op-
pOrtunfty for conversation. But
your wife was putting al her
energy into applause and spOn-
taneous little Outcries~
81 felt that your wife, being q
baseball fan, would figure this was
Just another game but not your
mother. So during the innings l
volunteered: Mother johnson, you
mustn't be disappointed. It is
asking too much Of Walter or any
man, to win in such a setting and
when 50 much Is expected"
ITO which she replied, with old
fashioned wisdom: It'll be alright,
1 know. Everything is bound to
come out well at the finish.
understand my boys position today
its just like when / get up a
big special dinner and ask all our
best friends and m sure
TO burns the pies. Same way with
Walter today"
can. say this much, mother
isn't much on baseball, but she
makes the best pies In the State
OF Kansas. And from the way
things turned out, she had the
right dope on that first game.
guess expecting all these friends
to see me pitch did upset me