The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-09


best of the male riders, or, for she often
seems to have a sort of instinct which
way the fox is going to run, she chooses
her own direction There is only one
man in tho field in whom she feels any
genuine interest, and this is the rich
Colonel who is said to be likely to take
the hounds when they are given up by
the present master. It's not the money,
one must own, that attracts her. but
after the unhappy beast is ''bcsted" and
she has received the brush, the thought
will come as tho Colonel puts his big
roam at her side that she would be quite
in her place rs the wife of Master of
FoXhounds.
Diana become "horscy" is degraded
type, to use the Darwinian vernacular.
This bad edition of Lady Gay Span,.cr"
may be OF any sort, ago or condition.
Sometimes she is thirty. handsome and
fashionable. Sometimes she is forty
five, speaks broad dialect and has no
standing among the county families"
In any case she would be recognized in
Yokohama rs British to the back bone
If she is fine lady she rides magniii-
Gently and mixes her Stable slang with
an argot not widely dissimilar from that
of BilliDgsgatc or Whitcchapel If she
is roliicl;ing, tox-hunting Midlands
dame her speech is cleaner, for she
talks horse pure and simple, but she is
not nice to look at, for she crops her
hair, is solid of flcsh and "blowsyboll
OF complexion and bumps up and down
whom she rides In either event, she
is glib of ages, Weights, records and
pedi9rccs, cnlargcs Oh mares quar-
tiers, legs and the way in which she is
ribbed up, and speaks of 'ncgotiating IL
fence" or Of chappics getting awful
troopers, you know" in way
to confuse and confound tho
uninitiatcd listener. The female mem
Der Of the elite is the most mas
culine-loolinT OF the several varieties
OF horscy women, though there is little
difference i'll this particular Tho heavy
dame whose avoirdupois would breal,
down, ono would think. the strongest
ucight-carricr, has often the most 20 in
her. and cares not how atrociCus the
weather or how far from home they
kill" Tho fashionable horscy woman
has one decided advantage, in that she
is chums with the cilcminatc-looking
but st'aight-ridinS swclls of her own
''swagEcr' London set, while the othor
is rather dcsyiscd by the country gem
tlomcn.
Ali the dorsey women have one point
in common; their riding habits may bc
immaculate or slouchy-the elite stable
woman has tho smactest in all England
and the bouncing, jouncing heavy
weight the most s!ovcnly-but the
skirts arc invariably short enough to
make the riding boots conspicuously
visible. All the horsey women use
crops instead OF Whips, and all the
fashionableH carry TASKS with bayonct
tops bucklcd TO the saddle bow
IL is the grief OF her life to Il woman
who has ridden if the time comes when
she is obliged to take to lumber
barouchc, a coachman and footnian and
pair OF ponderous animals Yet, still,
she docs not absent herself from tho
gathering Of the clans. 1t made spirit
ed scepc rs saw it last Tuesday, tho
second meet Of November of the York
shire foxhounds 4 few miles out OF this
old cathedral city. There was white
frost on the grass and the brown leaves
rolled under foot in pillows The
hawthorn hedges were bare but there
was co.or i'll the roddening holly bcr-
RES. Tho whole country side seemed
out to enjoy the antumnal sunshine.
Hundreds and hundreds a-foot, on horse
back, IN pony traps, and village carts
crowded the lanes. Now and again a
relocated huntsman glllopcd by The
gentry whether country or titled,
made brave showing on iine-bred
horses. There were perky girls in pony
carts who whistlcd for their betters to
pull up and whipped their horses un-
mercifully. There was Mrs Major
Somebody, the vito of the master of
hounds who sat high on her
dog cart. whose coachman wore
cockadc and whose footman hung on.
seemingly by his cyclids OH the narrow
ledge seat behind. There were quiet.
rigid looking women on quiet hacks
who hunted as they prayed because 4
decent respect for the opinions of So
ciety demanded it, and jolly girls, just
out OF tho school-room, on their first
ponies, and a Di Vernon on big black
horse who seemed to be getting a deal
OF amusement out OF couple of dude
hunters-spicll, span and dainty younr
mon.
The "Start" was not n sensational
thing to witness; the huntsman, who is
the paid servant Of the hunt and is re-
sponsiblc for the real work done, LED
tho hounds keeping them together
by calling their names and sounding
the horn, while the master of hounds
lcisurely maintained his dignity. This
huntsman was 4 grizzlcd old follow, who
until hc warmed up to his task looked
serious, not to say melancholy. Lifo
was heavy proposition to him
and in tho midst of the merry
making throng he wore an air