Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-02-17

dogs. Fahrenheit. The English people use
the freezing point 81 as the indicator. They
speak of 3 OF degs. of frost meaning SO
many degrees below 80. They never have
weather which approaches zero. The winters
being comparatively mild the grass remains
green throughout the year, and but little
snow falls. The morning after Christmas
went over with party of friends to a meet of
the hounds Lord Fitzhardinge is the master
of the hounds for that district 1t was the
first English meet Lad ever seen, and as the
day was absolutely perfect the picture was a
most delightful one to my unsportsmanlike
vision.
The morning was crisp and clear. There
was light boar frost on the ground which
soon gavc way, so that the ground became
moderately soft under the rays of the sun.
There was not bit of wind The course to
be run was over succession Of green, grassy
downs skirting hedgerows and thick clumps
of woodland. These downs ran to a line of
cliffs overlooking an arm of the sea, beyond
which was long line of blue hills-the
Welsh mountains A meet in England is one
of tie most democratic of gatherings. 1t
was a new thing for me to learn that any
body in the neighborhood can come to a meet
w
carry him The butcher, the baker, the
candlestick maker can come and ride along
side of the gentry and keep up with them if
they have as good horses and are as Skillful
riders.
AT THE MEET.
The meet took place on the broad lawn of
handsome country place of private gentle
man who has large coal interests at the Cape
o,,I Of q
thousand people who came through his gates
and up his walks without any invitation,
driving in all sorts of carriages and carts and
upon all sorts of horses. Several hundred
came on foot Another strange feature of
this promiscuous gathering was the fact that
every one who came was made welcome to
the private hospitality Of the house. The son
of the host actively assisted the servants in
passing out sandwiches and mulled claret to
whoever rode up to the door, There was a
constant procession of lunching horsemen in
front of the door for at least two hours before
the hounds arrived with Lord Fitzhardinge
and the whippers in.
There were all sorts of riding costumes.
The master of the hounds and the whippers
in wore the traditional pink coats, as did a
few of the other riders. The majority of the
the riders, however, even among the regular
members of the hunt, wore dark coats. Two
army officers from the neighboring barracks
came up ON very smart horses, wearing hunt
! ing dresses which looked as neat as full
dress uniforms. They wore high silk hats
with small steel chains attached to the brinl
in the rear and passing around their necks.
Their coats were four button getaways with
long skirts and broad tapped pockets. These
coats were buttoned up tight to the throat
above which appeared a high white collar
and white cravat, Their knee breeches
were white corduroy. Their boots were
high patent leather, with steel spurs upon
the lower part of the heel. They were hand
some, trim looking men, and sat their horses
with perfect ease. One of the most striking
OF the lady riders was relative of the mas
ter of the hounds. She was not over IA years
of age Her slim figure was set off by dark
blue close fitting riding suit. Her hair, a
dazzling golden silver, hoated in the wind
uncontined from underneath black derby
| hat. She was mounted on a thin skinned
| high bred, iron gray horse, which seemed te
| be under the perfect control of his beautiful
| young mistress. But the good riders and the
| correct hunting dresses were the exception.
! This was owing in part to the fact that it was
| holiday. and upon such occasions the regu.
| Lar members of the hunt are inclined to stay
away The trades people of Bristol came
| out in great numbers, They were very Ell.
| thusiastic sportsmen, but they made up q
motley gathering, coming as they did upon
| all sorts Of horses and in all sorts of riding
| dresses.
THE HOUNDS.
| The main interest eliminated when the
| bounds arrived. They were such a smart, in
! telligent looking lot of animals They all car
| ried their heads and tails straight up They
| appear ID to be eager and anxious to be away
| but were easily restrained by the whips Of
I the servants in charge. They were moved
| about with the precision and rapidity O.
| well drilled soldiers. When the hounds came
| into the Enclosure about the house where thu
meet took place they smelled the food of thu
| morning lunch and were at once going K
| press to the front, but a wave of the whip
| pers-in stick sent them back in a compac
| mass to corner of the inclosure, where they
remained The amount Of lunching ant
drinking done by the people who arrived
| and who must have just come from theil
| breakfast, simply illustrated the ability of TIN
| English people to eat at any and all times q
| preliminary to anything in the way O
work or fun.
There was no great excitement about th
start The hunters went away at an cas-,
| pace and followed the road for several miles
| Gates were opened for them all through th
| first part of the morning, 1t was only wheI
fox was started and the hounds were il
full cry that anything like hard cross countr.
| riding was attempted. Few of the Bristo
people ventured on jumping any Of til
hedges, so within a very few moments ate
| the start the good riders had everything t
| themselves. Pedestrians, horsemen and PEG
| pie in wagons went about the country all tn
morning seeking to cross the trail of tn
hunters was told that the cost of keeping
up pack of fox hounds for ordinary hunt
ing purposes is $4,000 year. After one
seeing an English meet it is easy to under
stand the interest in it, The fox is merel
an excuse for sharp and brilliant ridin
across lovely country in brilliant, spark
ling weather. The meet is generally mad
up of congenial spirits, and, therefore, ha
the additional element and zest Of sociability
II. C. Crawford in New York World.