Judge, 1921-02-26 · page 6 of 32
Judge — February 26, 1921 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Peggy Sets the Pace" This page combines a humorous memoir essay with an unrelated illustration titled "China." **The Main Article** recounts the author's youth when twelve-year-old Peggy excelled at golf, a sport then associated with masculine prowess. The narrator, initially skeptical that a girl could master the game, became her devoted student. The piece humorously describes Peggy's social triumph—she became "the rage" at her country club, outplaying male golfers like Billy Thompson. The satire targets early-twentieth-century gender expectations: a woman's athletic competence was apparently shocking enough to warrant this lengthy, self-congratulatory narrative about recognizing female capability. The accompanying "China" illustration appears unrelated to the text, depicting a figure in Chinese dress—typical of the era's orientalist imagery in American magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Draven by Ross Westov ie Peggy Sets the Pace By F. Geecory Harrswick H at the age of twelve, became an enthusi- astic devotee of ping-pong. there seemed nothing to do but take up the game and play it for all I was worth, for Peggy looks with scorn on a man whom she can defeat at any sport. So I became an ardent student of the science of hitting a celluloid ball with a society butter-paddle. I was fourteen at the and correspondingly awkward. efforts brought the family to the verge of hysterics, and caused great quantities of broken glass and china to be swept out of our house daily, But I mastered the game, and basked in Peggy's smiles till, alas! she was whisked off to school, and I saw no more of her for some years. er return [ hurried to her house ly proposed getting out the ping-pong set. Pe at that time, an adorable flapper of sixteen, turned up a scornful nose and said that she had a date with Billy Thompson to play di abolo. She played with him, too, while I watched, miserable, from the front steps. When I went home L stopped at a store where they sold the things and procured a set. The family took one look and banished me to the rear of the premises, where [ stayed, with intervals for meals, most of the sum mer. But I mastered the game and The Leg of Nations, returned to Peggy’s house, triumphant. Furry Years Aco Peggy was out. She had taken up golf, and was at the country club with Billy ‘Thompson see the pair come to the cighteenth green. I went to the country club, arriving in time to Billy hit his ball with a funny-looking stick, and it skittered over the grass and No. 2 Cina Joun Het, Jr., axp Grorce Mircnete f the East, 1 the least oe eldom shown, dropped in a sort of cup-thing, where it disappeared from view. I took the opportunity to jeer at him for losing his ball. Peggy—but her remarks had per- haps best remain unpublished. Sutlice it that L was utterly squelched for not recognizing a ‘thirty-foot putt,”? what- ever that might be, when L saw one. I went away and got some clubs and took lessons from the professional all winter. In Spring I saw Peggy hicing to the country club—with that ubiqui- tous Billy Thompson, of course—to play tennis, a game I have always despised. Golf, she announced, was for old men andinfants. I got a racket and played with her—once. She took three straight sets away from me—6-2, 6-0, 6-1. Billy Thompson came out during the last set and sat on a bench and applauded. I departed to practice alone. About the time that I could handle the Ameri can twist service, and was reasonably sure of my foreh in love with swimming. I put away my racket with a great joy at my heart. Here, I thought, I can show that odious Billy Thompson up! I had gone swim ming ever since my extreme youth, in the swimming-hole over back of our barn, and T could take care of myself