New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-18
THE RURAL LEE OF ENGLAND
MI.
-.u. snc,rry IN SIMMER.

- - - ,lcr,en heads of families give some
-, 90 business affairs as affecting their cs-
-. ,vhite their wives and grown-up daughters
aegote a portion Of their time to works OF cn".S
and mercy | think may say that largo niiho'',S
AZ them do this; especially in districts where ooA
,ns after the poor in a sort OF patronxing way 10
.h,,g Of rivalry and fashion. Still WIN
the majority pleasure takes preceue"
AZ everything else and from years Gnu
49,. end n is with them rouha u
.unse,rcnts. which vary with tho seasons i"oot
ACCIDENTAL 10 summer do not commence uh'n "Do"
az. ,,i6ds NJ the wear as. during the sprihs "iiN
81 srrner ronths the leaders OF county ooeioS
-, .o.,D where 10 is itself supposed W vo'
r. thep ia the London season y asiia'no"' -
s,.sson theatres operas, picture eNnipi'io" ar,
-. co,r, receptions and drawing-rooms' WIN
III m other frivoties are in full swing 10 ''N0
mari in or be present at, these Is esteeineu '"o
,ce, thing; and not doing or being so "e'o W 10
nm, of tho fashion They terminate AZ ho eA"o
date as the London season is, moro OF less, o"us'
bx aud coexistent with the sitting OF al -,
which by q perverse anachronisni' reVa'"s ."e -.
.,,s,ocraoy ia town at the time country lie oss
.,io,shla ia generally over by the latter emu Oh
IL vben rural life IA resumed, with the sports
and psstimes appertaining to It,
vormer,v croouet was the great summer gains
.a eroouet parties all the fashion; WIN resui'i
,,uhs for playing it established In every heig"oUi
hocd where there were resident gentry ana ioi 'n0
nleasure felt in a display Of skill combined WIN On
,r,ise Of the intellect, this was beyoho oo"U"
,,,n IA the best outdoor game ever lnVen'eu,
Comfy Society has quite dropped IT, anu ,''N0H
l.,xn tennis in instead. No doubt thelr aoai'oii
AZ croouet was greatly due to the lihpehou'9 uso
IN nlaving il; these, through misconcep''on, anu
An. influence of the leading newspaper au'hoiiS VIZ
l.. flo
t.b,e "a that of billiards played with brooms'oNs
e.. oros and cannon-shot for balls. But croque'
h.1 also cot into the hands of the common peopo'
a. boons might be seen on the grasSplot Oh every
hnrhon villa and so it was no longer pasuulo
-, the fashiouabes How long lawn tennis VIII
,0ntipue 10 be SO il is difficult 10 say. Likely IL
iii have n more extended lease of excluslVenesS'
from its very inslpdty the people hol oa'i"S i''
this elaborate form of battledore and shut'lecocA
INT The pastime most exclusive aud recherche
NOW in vogue with County Society Is 'ha' VI
archery OF late years this has been all the rage
nearly every family of the gentry class OWING
boys arrows and targets one or more meinpcr' "
zach belonging to an archery club" For al'houE"
there Is practice at home the show shooting IS uoe
nj club meetings, where hundred or NOR" ol ui''o
amateur archers assemble, ladies ana gentlemen III
.lout eonal Numbers. Every county has its archery
periodical usually once fortnight. while the line
weather lasts. A costume is worn, each cluD nav
inc its own according to adoption though the
earinO If Is only de yguear for thosewho take part
An the shooting; spectators being excused Inc
ground j. sometimes in a private park belonging W
one of the clubs members but as often III large
pasture field chartered for the purpose and situated
centrally, 80 as TO be most convenient ior
all On the day of contest the targets are SET
ND and large marquee erected 10 eat
luncheon In or retreat to in case of rain some
times the members bring their own materials OF
lunch with them; and sometimes caterer provinces
the spread for all, charging so much head' ~ Pio
yionsly arranged. A band of music is also engaged
which gives additional zest to the days enjoyment.
The targets are placed in two rows, at about wv
v.,ls apart facing one another. Each row VIII
bav. five or SIX of them. so that several archcrs
NAV be shooting together. thus saving ume liiho
~ economical by having the two sets OF Se's
which are shot at alternately, the shooVeIS "i''i
spcnding the allotted number OF arrows passing
from one 20 the other, while the scattered shalts
ARE being collected. l need not enter INTO 'he
details of this pastime, which in Itself IL one oI
the poorest, and, except for the accompaniment
and surroundings. would be dull indeed.
In these however there is certain presumabie re-
lief especally if the archery ground be in some pic
turosone spot as that OF the club to which myself
hcIoug-the Royal Forest of Dean ArChers" Its
Mace of meeting is in the heart of the forest where
there is an open glade of green pasture large enough
for the practice and with the costumed archers OF
both scxes each armed with a long, slender DOW
and culver of arrows the white tent with ITS orna
mental flags a circle of well-dressed spectators
and the band discoursing sweet musc-all form an
imposing sylvan scene; its grandeur further height
ened by au array of carriages IN the background
with servants in gay and varied liveres loiterhg
beside them II the day be fine. the luncheon is set
out on long table al frescO, and the archers with
their friends seated around it, their livered ser
wants IN waiting behind offer another tableau OF an
origiual kind And there is yet another 10 succeed,
when the shooting has recommended. Then esaid
servants take the chars lately occupied by their
masters TO make finish OF the debris OF cold man,
fowl and pigeon pie with such heel-taps as may DO
found in the wine bottles.
II might be supposed that an archery meeting.
with such displays. would attract many spectators
of the common people But, however attractive 10
them they will not be there, save some half dozen
or 40 of the daring unabashed kind For although
the place be unenclOsed and free to the public
there is tacit understanding that the assemDlage
As a private one confined TO the archers and their
friends and all unlimited people would be looked
n,on ~ intruders Indeed the invitations given
by members OF the club themselves, are limited to
very few-the number fixed. and in some cases ex-
tended only to guests staying at their houses
Nearly all of County Society belongs to archery
clabs: some ambitious ApollOs and Dianas holding
membership in two or more of them The attend
ant ex penses not great; usually an Abundance
fee of a guinea, with an annual subscription OF hall
a guinea. The fund thus raised goes to providing
the tent targets and music the luncheon, of course
being "A separate affair." as the costume dress, which
last as already said is optional, save to those who
shoot But slight Is the expenditure, archery
clubs are not easy Of entrance the black ball jeal-
..olud;,o avervho1v who has not also tho