The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-21
HOW TO LOOK PRETTY AT TENNIS.
A Hint to Young Ladies' Who Play for
Admiration.
New York Tribune.


Admiration.
New York Tribune.
An elderly woman, well dressed and iollv
looking, sat on the big cool veranda of the
Brighton Beach hotel one day last week.
Watching four young women dressed in
snowy costumes play lawn tennis on the
well kept court that lies between the hotel
and the ocean, having its seaward edge
banked up with big bags of sand to keep
the wild winter surf from knocking the sod
into little pieces, and covering it with sand
and seaweed.
The court is surrounded on all sides by
great number of benches, and nearly all
the seats were filled. The girls were all
pretty, and they knew 1t, and their clothes
were stylish and expensive, but they could
not play tennis.
Look at them" said the old woman to
some younger companions who sat near
her. Poor little geese, perspiring away
there In the sun, seeking for admiration.
See how at every turn of their bodies they
look out OF the corners of their eyes to see
If any one is observing them. But, after
all. what makes me despise them is not so
much their thirst for admiration. for that
Is natural, as the awkward way they 90
about to attract it. None of them can
serve tennis bail properly. and none of
them can return difficult stroke to their
opponent. Yet they persist IN serving
swift balls to one another, which are in.
variably missed after awkward attempts to
hit them.
Look at those men over there. laughing
at the awkwardness of the players. They
evidently understand tennis, and do Won
think they are anything like as much i'm.
pressed with the girls as if the dear things
could play the game just little bit? Then
look at those people who do pot understand
the game and yet know what lawn tennis
Is. have heard of its charms and are glad of
a chance to see IL played. They watch with
interest as the girls begin. The first one to
serve taxes her position, raises her racket.
losses the ball up, catches some one gazing
at her. forgets the ball in wondering how
she looks, and lands the little sphere in the
net The failure annoys her. and she hits
the next one a sharp but ill-judged rap that
sends 1t far beyond the court of her adver-
sary and causes the latter to scowi in an al
together uniovely fashion as she walks
lazilv after it.
Now. why don't they have the sense, or
get It from some one who has," continued
the old lady, Ito do what tennis PLAYERS
call rally; that is merely toss the ball back
and forth across the net, placing the ball in
as easy position as possible every time for
your opponent to return it, instead of make
ing 1t as hard as possible for her to do so
Never mind about the lines of the courts.
or ABOUT counting points or anything of tn,
KIND, but bend all your energies to seeing
how many times you or your opponent
who - really partner in this case, on the
other side OF the net, can return the ball
without letting it roll away and stopping
the game. Ii does not matter how MANY
times the ball bounds before you return it,
so long as you do so at ALL
Just BABY tennis you say; what of
THAR IL will give you all the exercise YOU
want. instead of scowis and jealousy, and
efforts to make your companions miss the
bail and look clumsy, you do as you would
be done by, and good nature beams from
your face and echoes in your De ais of
laughter. The spectators who do not un-
derstand the fine points of the game are
delighted with the lively sport and think
you must be splendid players. Those who
do understand it see that you are out for
fun only, and admire your graceful poses
and agile movements all the more because
their criticism is not aroused by your poor
play.
This way of playing the game is espe-
cially good for mere beginners, who get
just as much experience in voiievlng,
smashing. back-hand strokes, drives. plac-
ing the ball, etc. when they try to make
their strokes IN such way as will be easv
to return as when they do it in the regular
way, and certainly it gives them ten times
the amount OF practice in the strokes. On
the whole, my dears." added the old lady.
as she gathered up her needlework and
sought her room in the hotel, when Won
60 on the tennis court fishing for admira-
ton let your watchword be Rally round
the net girls. '"