Morning journal and courier., 1890-11-19

cured the best of the ladies' prizes this
year.
Golf has become so general this year
among women that ii is certain to be
played through the winter in London
There is too much publicity about the
Links either at Blackheath or Wimbledon
Common for ladies to care to take part in
the game there, but at the Ranelagh Golf
club at Barn Elms, Putney, there is every
facility for lady members to enjoy the
game in the pleassntest possible way.
Most of the provincial golf clubs have set
apart special greens for ladies' play, and
the London ones viii be compelled TO fol-
low their example.
For what is now fashionahly termed
Physical Education," il must be con-
fessed that the working classes are more
fully catered for than the higher circles.
Gymnastic teaching has its place in the
Board school system, and every little girl
is certain of receiving more or less of cal
isthenic training. II is difficult to imag-
inc better training for movement and mus
cles than that which is given to the girls
forming the gymnastic class at the Peo-
pies Palace, where they also enjoy oppor-
tunities of learning swimming that many
q wealthier lady in London would pur-
chase If she possibly could. It would be
hard indeed to find an evening club for
working girls which did not place a more
or less efficient course of musical drill
within easy reach Of its members, but in
the ordinary middle-class girls school this
most important point has either been woe
fully ignored or perfunctorily carried out.
Some notable exceptions there are, such as
at Alexandra House, the boarding house
attached to the Royal College of Music and
the Kensington School of Art, the North
London Collegiate School for Girls, and
several of the high schools, where the op-
portunities for gymnAstic culture are all
that could be desired, while some of the
schools Of gymnastics devote special days
or mornings to girl students. Fencing is
becoming a very fayorite form of exercise
among the sex, and among its most accom-
plished adopts are the young Princesses of
Wales, as well as Mrs. Langtry and several
| of our best known snd most graceful &C.
| tresses. Some instruction in the art is a
marvellous assistance not only to the fig
| ure, but to ease and nghtness of move
ments. There are, however, but few
/ places in London at which a lady can be
taught and obtain the necessary practice.
Decidedly one of the best is the Fencing
saloon" in Warwick street, kept by NJ.
Bertrand, who himself taught the Princess
of Wales, as well as Miss Marguerite Mac
Intyre, the operate singer. The earlier
lessons prove decidedly firing, but when
once the elements have been acquired it is
among the pleasantest of pastimes. The
4 little outfit necessary includes dainty tu-
mic to the knees, fencing jacket of soft
| leather with tight sleeves, gauntlet gloves,
q mask, and pair of foils, and costs in
all about three guineas.
| Perhaps the most notable point about
| women's amusements In London is that
| they are so completely unorganized in the
| form of clubs or societies For instance,
there are numbers of ladies who can play
really good game of whist, but there is
not q feminine whist club, nor are there
| tricycling touring societies, after the fash
| len of men. The latter, however, will
certainly be formed before long, and, well
managed, might be great success. The
Rambling club of the Peoples Palace al
lows female members to join it, but to
what extent this privilege is appreciated
by the sex We cannot say. Walking is not
usually favorite pastime among the wo-
men of the lower middle classes. The
"strong minded" perhaps, will not admit
\ the fact, but the inference to be drawn
from this disassociation with women alone
for sport and pleasure, is, that more rest
relaxation and amusement can be obtained
by participating informally with men II
their sports. Mems clubs for tennis, ol
whatever game it may be, imply devo
| ton of skill. For women's clubs to sue
ceed the same love and aim would be ne
cessary. The domestic claims made upoI
their time preclude this, and so they pre-
fer, as a rule, to remain unfettered b,
n club laws and regulations.