The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-02-18
A TENNIS CLUB TALE.

w Hate!eT siiau we 10 ABOUT IL, SAM.
"Doi' said Sam, who was tilted back a
garden chair, with straw hat resting on his
nose and pipe interfering with the dis
tinctness of his enuncietion, do about what 4,
.This trouble between the professor and
Nellie"
The speaker, Mrs. Elliston was a pretty
dark-eyed brisk little woman whose five
years Of conjuga! felicity sat lightly upon
her Sam was her brother and rejoiced in
the dignity OF secretary of the Cavendish
Lawn Tennis club.
1t was ahoEainsble rnischance that had
come to disturb the serenity of their tennis
cuba c'1b tina. had heretofore been the
sanctuary of content and good fellowship,
wherein envy and nalevolence and unchari-
tG5leuess had no place, whose members had
always been as brothers and sisters-Inore so,
even There had been girls III IL; but they
had been content to speak evil of externals
sparinG esch other; there had been men, and
therefore, rivalry; but strife had resulted
nos thersfrom saving the strife that battles
over a net and volleys with Ayres' rather
1hin ArIn.trongs. And many passing, sum-
uler days, DAYS of mirth and of ,::o-kiug and
laughter, of friendly contest on the green
sward when the was high, and jestful
chatting as twilight came and the lengthening
shadows crept, line by line, over the courts,
mad drawn them closer together, men and
maids, till the years passed by seemed far
away, and the world, and bitter words and
evil thoughts were but a dream, here in the
golden present, where the works of Mrs
Grundy came not nigh unto thenl and
chaperons were not. 1t had been strange
now men had ripened, as it were, in those
days.
But none OF them had chanGei-not one,
ike the professor When it had been wins
pered first that professor was about To join
she club, real live professor, skilled in all
The o.ogies, and prepared to expound the
gam OF tennis scientifically, as based upon
SiyonometTical demonstrations of angles
feeling akin to CONSERVATION was aroused
And whom, having been duly elected, Profess
sor Saxagon whose very name was calculated
20 inspire awe, first came down to the club,
MS advent was witnessed by an expectant
circle, prepared to be deeply impressed.
They saw a little dark man, bearded and
wearing glasses, whose hannels hung loosely
on his spare figure, who seemed thoroughly,
hopelessly, ashamed of himself and his UNI
accustomed garniture.
When he made his first essay i'll tennis
three discoveries were made that the profess
sor was disgracefully ignorant as to the con-
ditions OF his ownership of limbs, and the
management thereof that he was humble to
an Incredible degree, and did not scorn TO
accept advice even from the intellectual
inferior; and lastly that conversancy with
prehistoric geological formations, and such
uAe was not incompatible with nature the
sranaest and Observation-Disclosures of its own
merits, appreciative of Others.
But when at last they understood him never
was professor so loved. They adopted him.
one and all, with a sort of proprietary pride
He was their professor, their own peculiar
POSSESSION in whom the outer world had no
part To outsiders he was u name, an alb
'traction, sxpounding from the summit of his
scientific pedestal to his audience, grave
teacher 30 be viewed with reverence from
afar OH. But to them, the Cavendish Lawn
Tennis club, it was different. He was then
friend, their comrade, unfolding to them
alone the kindly personality that lCrked be
meath the crust Of professorship On the
yreensward he was a teacher no longer but a
oupil-most diligent and grateful for tuition
They were his tc..chers-yoUng people to
whom the world had not yet grown serious
and many things he learned of them uncon-
sciously.
Not tennis-the ostensible lesson-no power
On earth could teach him proficiency in that.
But they taught him better things-youth
and Sayety and happiness, laughter, which he
nad well nigh forgotten, and the gladstone
aess of Jesting and kindly raillery They
tausht him how fair was the green earth, and
summer clouds and sky; how pleasant toll,
and the labor OF striving muscles and how
sweet restful idlencss
But OF all the things ne had learnt during
The month of summer days that had passed
since then, there was one most important. 1t
was lesson easily begun, and most pleasant
ii requirement.; science old time, Yet
5ver pregnant with new discoveries; most
simple, yet most complex of all studies there
DC. And his teacher in it was sweet Nellie
Brenton.
She taught him with no dull books foolish
folios of paper and printers ink but al alone
and unaidcd- Taught him with sweet blue
eyes, with waved brown hair, with dimpled
face, and a small mouth, saucily merry, or
sd with a wistful thoughtfulness With
si'iish soft hands that forced his own, clum-
Sly impotent. TO close on harmless racquet.
With laughter and childish words and limo
sent maiden wiles unconscious of themselves.
80 the Professors education had been finished
and his dornestication accomplished; and the
process, often happens, had cost him his
freedom Never was man more helplessly
sfISalved, and never slave in gentler bond
ag,.
The course of their true love was running
nnooth when this unlucky misunderstanding
arose as suddenly as summer shower. 1t
was al on the head of black bean. Nelie's
schoolgirl sister, bewitching little bit OF
seuciness, fair, IS, and fluffy haired, had
come home for her holidays, had been pro
posed as a member, and had received black
ban. A black bean metaphorical, for they
lii their balloting on paper, but nevertheless
black bean. There only one, the
young lady was triumphantly elected; but Nell
lie took the matter to heart and much
aggrievcd. For in this harmonious little cor
ncr of the aarth black-beaning had become
al obsolete observance, and even one was an
insult.
That was bad enough, but why she should
nave taken il into her foolish, pretty little
head that the professor the guilty party,
should have, on the instant, tried and con-
vic,ed him. and, without asking for defence
or explanation, even going through the
formula OF accusation, should have punished
him with ostracism from her favor, that was
puzzle and a mystery. However, Nellie I
was unreasonable, and cut him. Hence these