The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-12
English Dianas.
New York Home Journal.

New York Home Journal.
The woman who shoots IL at present
rare bird, and we only know, writes
Lady Fairlie Cuninghame, few who
attempt IL. The Comtesse de Paris is IA
crack shot, and her bag has been chroni-
cled pretty regularly every week lately.
On a three days visit 10 Lord and Lady
Coventry, at Crosme Court, she shot no
less than two hundred and twenty eight
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;
80 there is no reason why the example
set by few should not soon he followed.
Even now there are some ladies' who
shoot grouse in the Highlands. just as
there are a 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 suffi-
ciently rough TO tax the powers OF an
ordinary woman, whether IL be tramp
ing knee-deep over Highland heather, or
crossing an Irish bog that shakes at
every step. and whose deep bitches, full
of peaty. brown water, with doubtful
taking off, present difficulties only TO be
overcome by the young and active.
Even the tanner sport of partridge shoot
ing in England requires good walking
powers; the sticky clays are very heavy
going, and stumbling over turnips when
bit tired is not over pleasant.
Covert shooting is, no doubt. the kind
ladies enjoy most. and To stand beside "A
good shot for an hour or two i'm the af-
ternoon at warm corner" and see
him bowl over hare or rabbit as they
cross the ride, and rockcter after rock
eter as they swing over the high trees,
is very exciting. One quite enters into
the spirit Of the sport, and feels as much
annoyed il fair shot is missed, and as
delighted IL a difficult one comes of, as
IL one held She gun ones self. Whether
ladies actually shoot, or merely walk af-
ter the guns, OF help 10 beat "A covert,
they must be properly equipped. The
boots must he Of the strongest; the pet
ticoat, il not Of leather, ought to 10 Of
strong homespun; and the whole cos
tune one that can stand wetting.
-. The same advice may be given about
fishing, IL this sport IL TO be taken up Sc
riously, and not merely as an excuse for
idling along "a river bank with rod
whose butt is as often In the water
as the flies and line are hung up In
bush or tree. Fishing, AS practised by
the Duchess OF Roxburgh ON the
silver Tweed. or the Ladies' Gordon
! Lennox ON the "thundering" Spey, rs a
very different business. These ladies
| are real fisherwomen, and a Highland
gillie sand OF one Of The latter, 1T was
| Just a pairfect wonder 10 see her fush."
1t must be remembered that with a
heavy salmon rod, 10 make cast Of
some forty or fifty yards Of line 30 that
the fly shall alight gently within few
inches Of the desired spot, is bv no
means childs play. IL requires not only
great skill, but "A certain amount of
strength. To play and land salmon
on a Highland river means to be able 10
dash up and down rocky banks, jump
ing from boulder 10 blouder, now in the
water and now out, 10 have ones wrists
and all the faculties Of mind and body
at tension pitch for sometimes half AN
hour together, and, in fact, 10 have
every nerve and muscle In full play.
There are ladies' who call Themselves
fishcrwomen who hand ths rod 10 the
attendant giiIie to do all the work; but
TO take the bitter with the sweet, as the
ladies we have named and many Others
do, requires energy, and perseverance,,
strength and some skill.
| The same may, in a degree, be said Of
most other outdoor amusemcnts-indeed
they hardly existed in any form but now
| all is changed with vengeance. The
| real fact is, that women have been
gradually emancipating Themselves in
all countries from the cony entional
trammels that used 10 fetter their lives
Especially is this the case within the
last ten or fifteen years, and an In other
countries (Amcrica in particularly women
| have taken to battle with the other sex
| in professional life, so in sporting Eng
land do they vie with man in many
athletic pursuits. Nowadays there are
few girls who cannot either ride over a
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 moors and
turnip fields, and in every way are not
left behind In those very pursuits which.
| . few short years ago, were looked upon
~ entirely the privilege Of man.
Kingsley says IL is the hard east wind
4 that makes hard Englishmen, and we In
our turn may add It is the love Of out
door life and sports spiced with danger
that help to make 30 many English
women fearless aud resolute, and with