第 27 节
作者:雨霖铃      更新:2021-05-03 16:33      字数:9321
  both of them in America。 The first was the appearance of the Davis Cup
  team   on   the   court   of   the   White   House;   Washington;   in   response   to       a
  personal invitation from President and Mrs。 Harding。 The President; who
  is a keen sportsman; placed official approval on tennis by this act。 On May
  8th and 9th; Captain Samuel Hardy; R。 N。 Williams; Watson Washburn and
  I;   together   with   Wallace   F。   Johnson;   who   understudied   for   William   M。
  Johnston;      met   in  a   series   of  matches     before    a  brilliant   assembly     of
  Diplomatic; Military and Political personages。 C。 S。 Garland was unable to
  accompany the team owing to illness。 Julian S。 Myrick; President of the U。
  S。 L。 T。 A。; and A。 Y。 Leech completed the party。
  Rain;   that   hoodoo   of   tennis;   attempted   to   ruin   the   event   for   it   fell
  steadily for   the   five days   previous to   the match。 The   court was   a sea of
  mud   on   the   morning   scheduled;   but   the   President   desired   play   and   the
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  word     went    on   〃to  play。〃   Mr。   Leech    and   Mr。   Myrick;     ever   ready   for
  emergencies        in  tennis;   called    for  gasolene;     which     was    forthcoming
  speedily; and; while the Chief Executive of the United States interviewed
  men on the destiny of nations; the people of Washington watched nearly
  200 barrels of gasolene flare up over the surface of the court。 The desired
  result   was   attained   and   at   2   o'clock   President   Harding   personally   called
  play。    Singles    between     Williams      and   me    opened     the   matches。    Then
  Williams   and   Washburn   decisively   defeated   Johnson   and   me;   following
  which     Williams     and   I  nosed    out  Washburn      and   Johnson     to  close   the
  program。
  The   second   outstanding   feature   was   the   tour   for   the   benefit   of   the
  American Committee for Devastated France。 The appearance in America
  of Mlle。 Suzanne Lenglen was due primarily to the efforts of Miss Anne
  Morgan; who secured the services of the famous French champion for a
  tour    of  the   States;   the   proceeds     to  go   to  Devastated      France。    Mlle。
  Lenglen's regrettable collapse and forced departure left the Committee in a
  serious     position。    The    American      Tennis    Association;      which    had    co…
  operated with Miss Morgan in the Lenglen tour; found its clubs eager for a
  chance to stage matches for France but no matches available。 Finally; in
  October;     in  response     to  the  voluntary     offer  of   several   of  the   leading
  players;   a   team   was   organized   that   toured   the   East   for   the   benefit   of
  Devastated       France。    It  included     Mrs。    Franklin    I。  Mallory;     American
  champion; Miss Eleanor Goss; Miss Leslie Bancroft; Mrs。 B。 F。 Cole; Mrs。
  F。   H。   Godfrey;  Vincent   Richards;  Watson   Washburn;   N。  W。   Niles;   R。   N。
  Williams;   W。   F。   Johnson   and   myself。   Matches   were   staged   at   Orange;
  Short Hills; Morristown and Elizabeth; New Jersey; Green Meadow Club;
  Jackson   Heights   Club;   Ardsley…on…the…Hudson;   New   Rochelle;   Yonkers;
  New      York;    New    Haven;     and   Hartford;     Connecticut。      They    proved    a
  tremendous   success   financially;   and   France   netted   a   sum   in   excess   of
  10;000。
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  PART IV: SOME SIDELIGHTS
  ON FAMOUS PLAYERS
  INTRODUCTORY
  P。 T。 BARNUM immortalised Lincoln's language by often quoting him
  with:   〃You   can   fool   some   of   the   people   all   of   the   time;   and   all   of   the
  people   some   of   the   time;   but   you   can't   fool   all   of   the   people   all   of   the
  time。〃 P。 T。 was an able judge of the public; and it is just this inability to
  fool    all  of  the  people    all  of  the   time   that  accounts     for  the  sudden
  disappearance from the public eye of some one who only fooled all of the
  people for a little while。 That person was a sham; a bluff; a gamester。 He;
  or she; as the case may be; had no personality。
  Personality needs no disguise with which to fool the people。 It is not
  hidden   in   a   long…hair   eccentric   being。   That   type   is   merely   one   of   those
  who are 〃born every minute;〃 as the saying goes。 Personality is a dynamic;
  compelling force。 It is a positive thing that will not be obliterated。
  Personality  is   a   sexless   thing。   It   transcends   sex。 Theodore   Roosevelt
  was a compelling personality; and his force and ability were recognized by
  his   friends   and   enemies   alike   while   the   public;   the   masses;   adored   him
  without knowing why。 Sarah Bernhardt; Eleanor Duse; and Mary Garden
  carry  with   them  a   force   far   more   potent   in   its   appeal   to   the  public   than
  their mere feminine charm。 They hold their public by personality。 It is not
  trickery; but art; plus this intangible force。
  The great figures in the tennis world that have held their public in their
  hands;   all   have   been   men    of   marked    personality。   Not   all  great   tennis
  players have personality。 Few of the many stars of the game can lay claim
  to it justly。 The most powerful personality in the tennis world during my
  time    is  Norman     E。  Brookes;     with   his  peculiar   sphinx…like     repression;
  mysterious; quiet; and ominous calm。 Brookes repels many by his peculiar
  personality。     He   never    was   the   popular    hero   that  other   men;    notably
  M'Loughlin   and   Wilding;   have   been。 Yet   Brookes   always   held   a   gallery
  enthralled; not only by the sheer wizardry of his play; but by the power of
  his magnetic force。
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  Maurice       E。   M'Loughlin       is   the   most     remarkable      example      of   a
  wonderful   dynamic         personality;     literally   carrying   a   public   off   its  feet。
  America and England fell before the dazzling smile and vibrant force of
  the red…haired   Californian。  His   whole   game glittered   in   its   radiance。  His
  was a triumph of a popular hero。
  Anthony F。 Wilding; quiet; charming; and magnetic; carried his public
  away with him by his dynamic game。 It was not the whirlwind flash of the
  Comet M'Loughlin that swept crowds off their feet; it was more the power
  of repression that compelled。
  I know no other tennis players that sweep their public away with them
  to   quite   the   same   degree   as   these   three   men   I   have   mentioned。   R。   L。
  Murray has much of M'Loughlin's fire; but not the spontaneity that won
  the hearts of the crowd。 Tennis needs big personalities to give the public
  that glow of personal interest that   helps to   keep the game   alive。 A great
  personality is the property of the public。 It is the price he must pay for his
  gift。
  It   is  the  personal     equation;     the  star;  who     appeals    to  the   public's
  imagination。
  I do not think it is the star who keeps the game alive。 It is that great
  class   of   players   who   play   at   clubs   the   world   over;   who   can   never   rise
  above   the   dead   level   of   mediocrity;   the   mass   of   tennis   enthusiasts   who
  play   with   dead   racquets   and   old   balls;   and   who   attend   all   big   events   to
  witness   the   giants of   the   court; in   short;  〃The   Dubs〃   (with   a   capital   D);
  who make tennis what it is; and to whom tennis owes its life; since they
  are its support and out from them have come our champions。
  Champions   are   not   born。   They  are   made。 They   emerge   from  a   long;
  hard   school   of   defeat;   dis…   encouragement;   and   mediocrity;   not   because
  they are born tennis players; but because they are endowed with a force
  that transcends discouragement and cries 〃I will succeed。〃
  There must be something that carries them up from the mass。 It is that
  something which appeals in some form to the public。 The public may like
  it;   or   they   may   dislike   it;   but   they   recognize   it。   It   may   be   personality;
  dogged determination; or sheer genius of tennis; for all three succeed; but
  be it what it may; it brings out a famous player。 The quality that turns out a
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  great