GIRLS AT PLAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2279, 26 August 1908, Page 3

GIRLS AT PLAY.

WAPITI V. GISBORNE

VICTORY FOR SHORT SKIRTS,

Eleven girls from Napier, some little, some big, at hockey yesterday, fought eleven gins from Gisborne, some big, some litllo. .ainl the Gisborne girls won because they were mostly armed —if the Irishism may be excused —with short skirls. Tlie Wapiti girls, wlio nearly all had their luur up, must therefore wear their skirts clown, blit the Gisborne girls, by virtue of having their hair down, were entitled to wear their frocks, high. Airs. Grumly permits a young girl to reveal the greater part of a stocking, but scarcely so much as an ankle, even when sheltered bv a pad, comes within the license given to the young lady with her hair up. As tho girl grows up the skirt grows down —which is sad for the grown-ups- when they try to lie.it their juniors at hockey. , The long skirt may help to stop a hot shot from tho stick of a juvenile Amazon, but the lengthy raiment is too much of a drag upon her Avho tries to sprint. Both sides wero adorned in white blouses, but the visitors wore chic pale blue caps. Some time after the “bully-off” thero was n collision, and a AVapiti wont to the ground—a large girl upset by ,a vigorous mito —but tlio Visitor went to the turf gracefully, and rose even more gracefully. A male footballer falls anyhow; there is generally nothin" artistic about his sudden descent to earth, but a gill never fails to remember Airs. Grundy, -and goes to ,tlie ground with a charming nicety. Mail, hockey-man, supposes that girls spend their strength in merely screaming on tho hockey field and simply toying with the ball. The cynics would have been surprised d they had seen yesterday’s game. There was a strict attention to business, which was to hit the ball intelligently and lustily, if necessary. Tho little white object flow sometimes dangerously near a bright eye, and thore was no “beg pardons,” no vain talk.

Occasionally thero wore objurgations from some of tho players. “Shoot quick, shoot”; “don’t be frightened, hit it”; and “rush her” were not uncommon, and ono fair maiden was oven hoard to exclaim, “Oil, darn the blooming ball.” But mostly only the clicking music of tho sticks, warmly plied, and the patter of light feet reached tlie spectator. How different from tho roar and rumble of a football match, with its loud appeals and raucous exhortations.

There was not much squealing, and the loudest one came from a Gisborne girl. It was a hot passage. The light infantry of Gisborne boro down upon the heavy -army of AVapiti. Girls were mingled in a fierce niyiec within tlio circle, and the crack of sticks, the swish of skirts, mado some of tho lady watchers dance (decorously) with excitement. At last there was just a little opening for tho ball, and a stick flashed, and missed — hence the squeal, ami the explanation of one demure damsel vigorously rubbing her stocking. The barracking was niikl, but once excitement grew apace as a Gisborne girl, steaming about- ton knots, cut through the opposition phalanx. Her fcareev was cut short, however, when a Wapiti Dreadnought, travelling full steam ahead, rammed her on the port bows, and tiled is,appointed sigh that escaped from'the Gisborne supporters was heard for miles around. One ot Gisborne’s light torpedo craft, foreseeing possible complications, made a brave attempt at ono period to retard the progress of the ball by sitting on it, but tlie velocity of the nimble sphreoid was misjudged, and tho sudden demise of a harmless catterpillar was the only result of the brilliant manoeuvre. On another occasion a AVapiti girl made a violent smite at tho rapidly-travelling hall, blit Old Sol, with whom the homo team evidently found favor, just then bethought himself to flash his rays into the striker’s eyes, and the hall was missed and some three feet of turf was propelled through the atmosphore. One of tho disappointments of tho afternoon was the failure of a certain blouse to come up to expectations. The wearer was a AVapiti girl, of very athletic figure, nicely moulded. One expected to see her as a sort of Boadicea mowing down the enemy, leaving her opponents gasping oil the green all around her, but tlio blouse was a delusion. The girl was a fair player, but not the phenomenon which her build suggested. No bad language was used, and nobody was put off the field for assaulting the referees (two men). For tlie benefit of more seriousminded persons, it may be -said that the game was interesting to watch, and that after .a hard tussle, in which Gisborno was mostly attacking, victory rested with the -local team by two goals to nil. The scorers were Alisses V. AValtors and Winter. The refereeing was capably done by Messrs J. J. Martin and Willis (Wanganui).