Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1886-07-27
AN ENGLISH TENNIs-LAWN.
An Attractive Picture Drawn by an En-
thusiast.

The world contains no fairer sight,
says the London Standard, than a ten
nis-lawn. well placed. we'll kept, and
we'll surrounded. in beautiful English
garden the ground duly chalked out,
the net tightly stretched, good players
of both sexes arrayed for the struggle,
and sprinkling of spectators sitting
on bench and chair under the burgeon-
ing trees of spring. There is an ac-
compartment of sweet sights and dulcet
sounds which, without distracting tho
players from their business, adds
enormously to the enjoyment they reap
from their generous exercise. Near at
hand, and well within sight are beds of
tulips of every shade and dye, breadths
of blue forget-me-nots, sheets of pam
sizes, clusters OF oxslips and polyanthus-
primrose, patches of snowy candytuft,
clumps of layendar-colored aubretia,
and the delicious scent rs well rs the
delightful sight of both dark and yellow
wallfiower. The turf on which they are
playing is carpet of emerald, and TO
their right and to their left are further
stretches of lawn equally bright and
yelvety. In the borders not far away,
which their eyes descry, even as they
run forward to volley the ball, they
catch sight of the bushes of golden ber-
beris, the glorious flowers of the double
gorse, and the opening tufts of tho
white and purple lilac. Possibly an
orchard is hard by, and as they pause
for moment between the end of one
well-contested game and the beginning
of another, they can note the fast-fading
white blossom of the cherry and the
pink and white bloom of the apple trees.
The ouzel and the throstle-"high OH a
bare, conspicuous spray, that none may
doubt who chants the lay'-arc singing
against each other as though victory in
song were Il matter of life and DEATH
In the nearest copse, If there be one,
and it be sufficiently thick with hazel or
birch bushes, the nightingale proves
himself to be rs slcepless by light rs by
dark. The wagtails arc coquetting on
the lawn; the starlings are carrying
straws away TO the nearest building;
the tree-creepers are nimbly running up
the branches of the nearest tree, sufii-
ciently venerable to have plenty of mag
gots under its bark. The lambs, grown
a trifie more serious thanks to advanc-
ing age and the loss of their tails, are
withal possibly enjoying the luxury Of
an evening scamper, and in the nearest
meadows, over the hedge or paling, the
cows, swinging their long tails, are se-
dately walking home to be MIXED.
Theocritus would have rejoiced in the
scene; nor would it, perhaps, have
seemed less fair to him, because, under
some neighboring chestnut, furnished
with its extravagantly green leaves, an
English girl sits reading favorite poet.
an English matron bends over her en-
broidery or her knitting, and an En-
glish squire too far gone in the seven
ties to handle a racquet, is recounting
how badly tho timber is selling this
year and how many liberals have brok-
en- their chains and refuse to 'scome to
heel' at the crack of the caucus whip.
Ali Mt once the game Is suspended. It
is the end of set; coats and jackets are
put on; everyone says, Isn't il nice?
isn't it delightful" for tea has been
brought out and is distributed and
drank in a manner that would have re-
joiced the heart of Cowper and the gem
tie. well-bred eighteenth century ladies,
who made life SO smooth and possible
for the pious. philosophizing poet. II Is
early days for iced coffee or strawber-
rics anil cream; but even these can not
match the delight of the first o'clock
tea in the open air and on the grass,
after months and months Of winter,
mournful winter