Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-29
The Effects of Tennis.

Prom the Boston Courier.
Perhaps not great many people have ever
taken the trouble to consider what a deal of
difference in one way and another has come
into American life with the popularizing of the
game Of lawn tennis, and largely in conse-
quence OF II. Or course the introduction of
such sport Is itself only part of the gen.
eral attention which outdoor exercise has at
traeted within the past dozen years. the gen.
eral movement toward a more healthful life
physically, which IL is the good fortune OF the
present generation to live in. as it NAV be the
misfortune OF the next TO live in the rebound:
but IN and of itself there are certain peculiari,
ties IN Lawn tennis that have had a marked in
fuence.
In the first place, in common with all sports
OF Its SORT 1t has brought life out of DOORS and
mas aided IN the production of robust physiques
These things in themselves are much, and
might distinguish the time from that of our
grandmOthers. 1t has done much to devotion
grace OF movement, and what is of even greater
importance, since grace of movement is in
Guided IN II as the less in the greater to de-
yelop Inconsistencies of movement There is
no room for posing in lawn tennis, unless one
Is willing to be laughed at as a BOBBY in play
penalty which rather neutralizes the admira-
non which vanity expects to win by attitude
nizlng. One has to think not of himself but of
his play, and the result is that posing has
practically gone out of fashion Ali the Young
people play tennis, and they give the wv to
society.
Another marked result, and one which could
have come in no other way. is the great altera-
tlon In the summer costume of the period The
hight garments of all sorts Of gay hues which
are so generally worn nowadays at all the sum-
mer resorts owe their origin largely to tennis
ana 10 which Is yet more distinctly due the fact
That so many people have learned to wear these
gay clothes without self-consciousness When
one has worn dress In the active and absorb
ing game he has become so thoroughly accus-
tomed 10 II that he ceases to think about il at all
ana that - the secret Of carrying off unusual
garo- A dozen years ago there was not one girl
IN score, not one youth IN fifty, who could
nave worn the dresses so common to-day with
out appearing i'll at ease and awkward. Nova.
days II Is the exception to find one who cannot
OfeOurse the fact that these dresses are the fash
Ion, and hence too common to excite remark
has much 10 do with this, but neither girls no,
swans are sure to wear clothes well simply be.
cause they are in fashion.
Of the results in the way Of producing a
Hanker comradeship between the sexes il is moi
SO easy 70 speak, because they are by no means
SO tangible, but they are not therefore unim-
Portant- That there has been a goodIy quantity
OF nlrung carried on upon the tennis grounds,
wiz De denied by nobody. There are few spots
on earth where flirting has not been carried on.
Aside from this amorous trifing however
there has been constant increase Of the frank
relations which exist between bows and girls a,
school, and not again. as a rule, until they are
well advanced IN years. Whether tins ia To be
classed as an unmixed blessing there ia =
Chance to question, since il diminishes the
chances for matrimony, while it perhaps in
creases the chances of such matches as are
made being happy ones