Wichita eagle., 1888-03-21

Ladies That Walk with the Gins-Prop-
erly Equipped for Tramping - Real
isherwomen-Landing salmon-cther
Outdoor Sports-PhysicaI Results.
The woman who shoots is at present a rare
bird, and we only know, writes Lady Fairlie
Cuninghame, few who attempt it. The
Comtesse de Paris is a crack shot, and her
bag has been cllronicled pretty regularly
every week lately. On a three days visit to
Lord and Lady Coventry, at Croome court,
She shot no less than 22S rabbits to her own
gun. Very likely this sport, like all others,
will soon have its following of fair enthusiasts.
The best makers have now some very light,
small bore guns, whose killing powers, if
only held straight, quite come up to the
heavy twelve bore of twenty years ago; SO
there is no reason why the example set by
few should not soon be generally followed.
Even now there are some ladies who shoot
grouse in the Highlands, just as there are
very few who have brought down their
stag in deer forest.
Many ladies walk with the guns part Of
the day, and the going is often sufficiently
rough to tax the powers Of an ordinary wo-
man, whether it be tramping knee deep over
-
that shakes at every step, and whose deep
bitches, full of peaty brown water, with a
doubtful taking of, present difficulties only
to be overcome by the young and active.
Even the tanner sport of partridge shooting
in England requires good walking powers;
the sticky clays are very heavy going and
stumbling over turnips when a bit tired is
not over pleasant,
Covert shooting is, no doubt, the kind
ladies Joy most, and to stand beside good
shot for an hour or two in the afternoon at a
warm corner and see him bowl over hare
or rabbit as they cross the ride, and rocketer
after rocketeT as they swing over the high
trees, is very exciting. One quite enters into
the spirit Of tho sport, ard feels as much ar
noyed If fair shot is missed, and as much
delighted if difficult one comes of, as if one
held the gun ones self. Whether ladies actu-
ally shoot, or merely walk after the guns, or
help to beat covert, they must be properly
! equipped. The boots must be of the strong
est; the petticoat if not Of leather, ought to
be of strong homespun: and the whole COS
tune che that can stand q wetting.
The same advice may be given about fish
ing. if this sport is TO be taken up seriously,
and not merely IS an excuse for idling along
a river bank with a rod, whose butt is as
ofteu IN the water as the flies and line are
hung up III bush or tree Fishing, as prac-
ticed by the Duchess of RoIburgh on the sill
ver Tweed, or the Ladies Gordon-Lennox on
the LAUNDERING" Spey. is very different
business. These ladies are real fisherwomen,
and as q Highland giilie said of one OF the
latter, at was just pairfect wonder to see
her fush. y 1t must be remembered that with
a heavy salmon rod, TO make cast of some
forty or fifty yards OF line so that the fly
shall aligbt gently within few inches of the
desired spot, is by no means ehilds play. 1t
requires not only great skill but a certain
amount of strength. To play and land a
salmon GA a Highland river means to be able
10 dash up ana down rocky banks, jumping
from hOwlder to bowlder, now in the water
and now out, to have ones wrists and all the,
faculties Of mind and body at tension pitch
for sometimes half an hour together, and. in
fact, To have every nerve and muscle in full
play.
There are ladies who call themselves fish
erwomen who hand the rod to the attendant
glliie to do ali the work; but to take the bit
ter with the sweet, the ladies we have
named and many others do requires energy
and perseverance, strength and some skill
The same may, in degree, be said of most
other outdoor amUSeEaents-indeed they
hardly existed in any form; but now all is
changed with vengeance The real fact is
that women have been gradually emancipat-
ing themselves in all countries from the con-
venticnal trGmmels that used to fetter their
lives. Especially is this the case within the
last ten or fifteen years, and as in other
countries (America in particularly womep
have takento battle with the other sex in
professional life, so in sporting England do
they vie with man in many athletic pursuits
Nowadays there are few girls who cannot
either ride over fence in good style and
follow a lead across country, or play tennis,
cricket, fish and even shoot, aye and very
well, too; and who can tramp over noors
and turnip fields and in every way are not
left far behind in these very pursuits which,
a few short years ago, were looked upon as
entirely the privilege of man. ...
Kingsley says it is the hard east wind that
makes hard Englishnan, and we in our turn
may add it is the lovo of outdoor life and
sports spiced with danger that help to make
so many English women fearless and reso-
lute, and with "a heart for any fate Home
Journal.