Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-15
Lawn Tennis.

Lawn Tennis.
Kew York Hour
Games like dogs, have their day and the day
OF croquet, that favOr1te dissipation of mild
eyed curateS and sentimental young ladies',
seems to be well nigh over. Lawn tennis has
uSurped Its place, and paterfamiliaS strolltnp
about his grounds in the twilight TO enjoy the
post prandial cigar, will no longer fall prey to
the malignant hoop. There are many reasons
why lawn tennis should via greater degree OF
popularity than its predecessor. Permitting
equally that mingling OF the sexes which must
aud to the charms or any outdoor sport as an
exercise 1t Is al once more picturesque and
more lnvlgoratlng, while, as game, 1t involves
much greater degree OF skill and consequently
OF interest. As Its name implies it is an
adaptation OF the ancient game OF tennis-the
royal game, as it has been cailed-the jeu de
paume familiar to a.! readers OF the early
French chronicles. WITH the French kings. in
DEED, IL was always prime favorte and In the
tine OF Louis XIV that grand monarch had his
choice OF no less than lis tennis courts wherein
10 Try "a set with graceless ltIchelieu or gay
Lauzun. The last OF these courts was pulled
down TO make way for the Partisan Grand
opera house.
Tennis was played In a court much like q
racket court, such as we have here at the cor
ner or 26th street and 9Th avenue but it was a
much more scientific and difficult game than
rackets. 1t was well called a royal sport, for
only rich men could afford 1t. To build the
court alone cost from SIS 600 to $40 900. Orlgl-
nally played In the court yard of some old
chateau. all succeeding tennis courts have fol-
ANNSu luC pau vi tuc OIlkllldl WIN more IMAM
Chinese fidelity. AS in the first court, for ex-
ample. there CHANGED to be an angle In one of
the side Wallsso In all subsequent tennis courts
the same angle is carefully reproduced In what
Is known as the "tsmb0ur." So, too little
grated window which CHANGED to be In one OF
The end walls Is preserved and, under the name
OF grille, Is made to play an important part
Tennis supposed to have derived It's name
from the number of players, originally five on
each side,l Is played. like lawn tennis. with
balls, rackets and net; but In other respects
bears only superficial resemblance to its out
door representative. What with It's bewllder-
Ing CONFUSION of chases and galleries, chase one.
close the door, first gallery, last gallery, the
door hazard slice, and SO on; its complicated SyS.
TEN OF scoring; the difficulty impaired to it by
"tWistiDg" The bail against the sidewalks
much as ball is ''Engllshed, at billiards, ten,
mis- must have be- altogether too much like a
scltnllnc problem worked out with hard physi.
cal lator to be very attractive to fair players at
least. Indeed, 1t was not without its dangers
tot; the impact OF heavy tennis ball propelled
by strong and sktiliu! arm was by no mean,
to De sneez at, and 1t was long a tradition OF
The C, uft Which formerly stood i'll the London
Hay market tina, duke had been killed There
Q. stroke from ball. So the ladies, al least
have reason 10 bieSS the memory OF that duke
u Beaufort WHO one day mad Ihe happy inSui-
ratjOn to put up net In the pic ure-, ai.,.ry OF
ais house at Badminto3. and SO first PLAYED
Iae game called "Badmibton battledore'
From that TO lawn tennis the transition was
easy.
Long before that, however, the idea had been
anticipated by the earl of Hertford. who, when
ne entertained Queen Elizabeth, "had ten OF
MS servants. in square green court before Her
Majesty 8 window, hanging up lines suuarIng
out the form Of tennis court and making q
crosse line In the middle, where they played
five to five with hand-ball at 'bord and cord as
they tearme it, to the great liking of her high
ness" Strut even infers, from an entry In The
register OF Henry Wis expenditures, that the
open-air game was known as early as the reign
OF That monarch. However that may be, or to
WhomsoeVer we are Indebted for the happy
thought. our fair readers may be thankful Tor
an ADDITION to their list OF outdoor pasttmes
Which not only healhfu and graceful In an
eminent aegree. out a1oros fresh and admir-
able field for the display of those miracles q,
millinery and maryeIs OF hosiery without which
any pastime would be TO them but stale and
Improbable. -Ao GA"