For The Benefit Of The Orphans

Next Sunday afternoon the best amateur base ball talent in St. Louis will engage in a grand tournament, at Grand Avenue Park, for the benefit of the orphans.  As the time approaches the excitement among the friends of the clubs increases.  The players themselves occupy every spare moment in practicing and each nine feels confident that it will come out ahead.  Marion Simpson, late pitcher of the Worcester Base Ball Club, Worcester, Mass., is now in the city, and it is rumored, will pitch for the Grand Avenue team.  The Athletics are in fine trim, and the Willows will play a strong nine.  The South St. Louis Grays are said to be working with a will.  The prizes are a beautiful pennant and bat.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 11, 1878

While this gives us a little information about what was going on in St. Louis in the first year of the Interregnum, I'm really posting this because I liked the phrase "for the benefit of the orphans."  I like the fact that it's just "the orphans" and not a specific orphanage or group of orphans.  We're doing it for the orphans-all of them.  Also "For the Benefit of the Orphans" sounds like it could be the title of a Brother Cadfael mystery.