The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-09

When 1t comes to outdoor sports, one Ia
tempted 10 speak OF the American girl
no "the best ever as though referring
Do q new brand Of cigars or a white motor
oar,
Last year she shifted little at tennis.
Il was out OF fashion, and besides she was
motoring In Europe, breaking records
and testing bitches. But this summer she
met her maid motoring one day and she
straightway felt the need Of fresh and
more difficult expression OF athletic feel
ing-it was tennis, of course.
And since picking up her racket In May
she has broken all feminine records, has
won the championship in ladies' singles
In Holland, distanoed princesses at HON.
burg, winning the ladies' singles, and
peeresses at Elgin, winning the English
championship for ladies' singles.
In fact, the New York girl puts up the
best tennis in the world, though she pre-
fers golf and loves her hunter better than
either. But she has the national love Of
trophies, especially transatlantic emblems
And you love the way she wins them, with
q lot of boyish enthusiasm and willingness
10 work hard, coupled with distinction
Of beauty and clothes as comfortable as they
are smart
1t was the New York girl who made short
bicycle skirts good form. who shortened
equestrian skirts to show the boot tip, who
made it the vogue to play golf in shirt waist
with sleeves rolled up and nary hat, who
first made pretty motor picture in float
ing wells, and who motored with brilliant
daring and consummate skill to do distances,
not to get to afternoon tea
IF it is to be done, then 'twere well if it
were done quickly is the motto the New
York girl has adopted with reference to
achieving triumphs in the athletic world
She combines q vivid brain with virile
muscle, and then wears a frook that shows
her pretty figure, yet is loose and short
And she has ever a smile for Fate and the
umpire.
The New York girls tennis used to depend
Q lot upon a general alert unexpectedness,
. bewildering way Of invariably preceding
q ball to its destination. She could even
anticipate bad drive and pry up ball
when it seemed to have sunk out of sight
In thepouTt, and she had way Of fiutter-
ing around vicious cut that won sneak
ing ball straight to her racket and softly
over the net to die
II Was a clever, pretty game that bewil-
dared the umpire and upset her antagonist,
but 1t was not great tennis Since those
days she has played basketball for few
years, and learned to finish a game with q
dislocated collar bone, and to fight for the
bah inch by inch, sprawling on the turf.
and she has improved in tennis and learned
TO drive and lob and return from the back
net with the swift fury Of her big brothers.
u 4 r@ a
holds It at the end and serves to cut the
clay at your feet, and you have been known
to jump in childish, hurniliating astonish-
ment the while Indeed abe can beat her
brother as often as you could beat her a
few years ago.
But In one respect she varies from men
players of her own class. Her game Is
unequal
She has more nerves and feelings than
you have and more whimsical moods, and
she has cried after losing a tournament,
but then 30 have Yale boys after football
defeat, and possibly even the Crusaders
Of old who found cold welcome and the
way back to their moated oranges lean and
long.
And 80 perchance her tears are not
wholly unmanly, but her moods are One
brilliant tennis school girl acknowledged
that she lost a game OF doubles because
abe just hated her partner and wanted her
to lose. It's certain no boy 80 nice as that
girl would do such thing.
Not only do girls moods vary, but their
physical strength is less to be relied upon
And, too, their success depends often upon
nervous excitement as well as muscle A
girl who has Just quarreled with her lover
Is quite likely to lose tennis tournament:
while the discharged lover will put up fine
game because he wants to prove that he's
worth something anyway.
But we digress. Tournaments seem to
have suggested unhappy lovers instead Of
the merry court game. And when she is
not hunting ard shooting this fall the New
York girl will go forth clad in simple clothes,
hatless and racket in hand, to park or club
or private court.
But suahly not tennis in the autumn?
Whv, that is really bad form, you know"
And the English visiting sportsman is
aghast that the New York girl should pre-
sumo to play his summer game out Of date.
as though she had suggested shooting par
tridges in closed season.
@Why, over theah you just play tennis
when everybody else plays, and then latah
tennis in the fall would be Joke, really
a joke, don't you know. must write them
about it
Il would" suggested the girl, "but don't
write until tomorrow, and then you can
tell them that / beat you because you
couldn't play in good form out Of season.
But it's about tine TO cry BALI and
get at the game, the real JOY and success of
which depends more upon the right sort OF
clothes than does any other outdoor sport,