The record-union., 1891-09-19
CHOLLEY And |.
A "Backwoods Belle Plays Lawn
Tennis.
Is Not Noted for His Intellect,
but He Can Play Lawn Tennis-A
Challenge to All Comers-Points on
the Enticing Game.

Especial Correspondence of RECoRD-UNIoN.
/ had an Idea. One unbeliever sug-
gested "holding on to it," another skeptic,
passing it around" It was to play
tennis, and was carried into effect
Watching the game from veranda had
not won me in its favor. To disinter-
ested onlooker it seemed that there was
not enough life manifested. My resolu-
ton TO quit my shady retreat and book
met with approval from the players, who
pressed mo to take racket and be initi-
ated into its n1azes at once. But, no; |
would not dream of entering that field of
sport without being fully equipped.
would not treat the game so lightly as to
enter into it without rig apropos, for to
my eye it seemed verify that the esthetic
get-ups Of the players were half the bat
tie. Sooner would I dream of flying
without wings than trip across a tennis
court in my citizens dress. So, after a
few moons Of preparation, 1 advanced on
the scene of action in q raYiShing rig,
fashioned regardless of expense, to say
nothing Of taste. 1t consisted for the most
part Of perfectly killing monkey
jacket of dainty flannel, q skirt verging
on abbreviation at the bottom, jaunty
cap with States prison stripes adorning,
from under which my ringletS bObbed
merrlly with every coQuettlsh Wag OF my
head, and pair of loW-neckcd gum-boots
with spechled tops.
L looked too cute for anything.
One Of my companions was a pretty
Lad OF some three-and-twenty summers,
and my poor, feeble pen and WebSter'S
'On-a-bridge'' fail to amass adjectives and
lnterJections to do him justice. He was
SO pretty and childIike and innocent. He
had been some mothers dainty darling
| and had never outgrown it. lie was so joy
Gus and happy, ''Cholley'' was, and glad
he was living. You could no more be-
come impatient with him than with a
beautiful, bright-winged butterfly When
l sat IN the infant class at Sunday-schOol,
dangling my little feet from high bench,
and swapping paper dolls with my neigh
Dor surreptitiously, my good teacher bat
tered into my brain that "God made all
things; the good, the true and the beauti-
ful." L have never doubted it. But on
this day, while watching "Cholley, deah
boy" the serpent twined its Shiny folds
around my brain, and I wondered what
the idea had been in making
dare to offend him, for fear he
would take his rag doll and express
wagon and go home and not play any
more. quit wasting good, healthy con-
tempt on him, and finally got to spelling
his representative pronoun ''it,' indul-
gently with big Il" He was not
tagged, and while one of my optics feasted
on his smile the other looked around the
corner for the pound man. [ had a sus-
plcion that the game law was in. had
captured rare specimen of game, but
yielded up to the delight of the moment,
knowing it would more than recompense
me for the relentless grip the law would
the sllken sash he wore twas whispered
he had girdle Of hearts he had stolen
away from damsels who could not view
that noble head and call their hearts their
own.
Mine was not ''init.'
His ears We're only the regulation
length, and his voice like the cooling of a
woodland dove.
lis this your first game of tennis?n he
cooed with a aheaven-inspired smile.
Yes, oh yes" l cooed back, trying
vainly to reduce my grin to smile
equally heaven-lit.
81 think it is perfectly lovely"
(Smile).
"Oh, yes, indeed, I do, too"
Then I would smile at him and he
would return it with double compound
interest, until to a spectator it must have
looked like mutual admiration society.
His costume was even apropOs-er than
mine. Tue roundabout and pantaloons
were of Summery material the color Of
unbleached muslin, scarlet sash en-
circled him, and his chestnut sorrel curls
played lightly ON marble brow under
iaunty cap. The outfit might be de-
scribed as a cross between that of pirate,
waiter and an imbecile.
BUT he looked cute.
We were q cute pair
lie was thoroughly conyersant with the
I .rr ,TNf
feeble suspicion of doing many things in
compatible with the mandate of Hoyle,
stepped with Balmacedan nerve into the
arena. Through watching the game my
argus eye had detected many things that
were now useful. For instance, you
must not go into it with healthful step
like you were climbing the ladder of
fame, but just you gather up your racket
with a weary, bIGSe air like that of Cleo
patra welding the Scepter when Anthony
was absent, and daddIe into the ring
with an unconcerned, impy-
gait. Do not forget yourself so far as to
indulge in undue haste.
There Is nothing so ungraceful as haste
Tho game is simple enough when ex-
planned lucidly. Now, for instance
when that other fellow in this other court
knocks ball into that other court over
here and 1t don't hit on this other lire in
that there other court the other fellow
| anu you uOl b KNOCK Lne Dali Dack across
the other line to the other fellow in this
other court, then the other fellow in that
other court scores few against the other
| fellow In the other court. Whereas If
| that other fellow in this other court
knocks ball into the other court of the
other fellow and it don't light inside of
that other line in that other court of this
other fellow, then the other fellow in the
other court tallies few.
Again. il Won are SERVING in fnof O+bo1.
court and knock q ball on the other side
of that other line in the other court and
the other fellow in this other court don't
hit it and send it back on this other side
of that there other line in the other court
then this other fellow in the other court
well, his name is Mudd or words to that
| effect, as it were.
When the party of the first part goes to
| the bat the party of the second part
coaches for the party of the first part, and
! vice versa. 1t kept the piratical sash and
| baby blue eyes in state of perpetual mo-
ton chasing after the balls that sent too
far into the blue ether. But he did not
allow himself to grow angry. He smiled
| ut me sweetly and roamed around lacki-
| daisieally and imperceptibly against the
green sward. Sometimes, growing weary
waiting, played fielder myself, and we
came out neck and neck under the net.
! Those tennis balls have not recovered
! from their surprise. Used to gentle little
| pats, they could not understand the hand
that sent them flying skyward with a
| propulsion like that the boys throw into
| game of 'tante over" over the old red
| schoolhouse on the hill. and greatly to
/ the delight of the row of bare-footed sDec-
tators perched on the fence; for as an ex-
ceedingly misguided ball lit a half block
away one of this audience clapped his
hands in wild glee, saying: "a home run.
! b. gosh, boys; hers 10 dandy"
! Though | was criminally obtuse in the
matter of comprehending the subtle
/ nientiac of tho Crarnp tho Ia L;