The morning call., 1892-07-24

Hall score OF feminine voices shrleked
out as many replies.
You'll die of the heat"
You'll catch your death cold"
It's not safe: you may meet tramp"
"Think of the fatigue"
You'll have to wear-oh, dear, will you
wear tTousers?"
You'll get caught in thunder shower"
tFrOm newcomer out of the East)
Then a climaxic wall from one fair
creature, who figures at full-dress balls
every winter and disports gayly on the
beach every summer. Her grieved dsmay
is pathetic as she cries: "Riding astrde!
How VIII she ever face q man ?" When
the chorus subsidies you begin your explana-
tons, which are that in Gods count try,
which means California, there is always
some time during the day when one can
ride comfortably any distance one may care
to coz pass during Cne day OF a pleasure
trip; that it is comparatively easy matter
to strap wrap on the saddle for use as a
protection against cold; that a good stout
heavy-handled Tiding-whip and ordi-
nary courage and common sense are
all the protection an able bodied
woman needs against tile average tramp;
that you are not contemplating any arduous
trip for the sake of the exploit, but Just
such vacation ride as any man or woman
OF ordinary strength and haTdhoOd could
expect TO encounter fatigue. upon exertion,
Just as You expect to be hungry when meal
times draw near but you presume there are
beds elsewhere than in the city and you
VIII rest when weary, as well as eat when
you are hungry. You explain to the East
erner how the thunder shower that usually
puts In its appearance during every pleasnT-
Ing east OF the great divide need never be
taken into consideration in vacation land.
You Ignore the question OF the last
speaker. ou have seen men riding upon
slde-saddleS aud have not been conscious of
your nerves receiving any other sensation
than one of pity for the awkward position
that dish" cOmpels them to assume, and
you are to,erably certain that any man of
sense will be able to bear up equally well
uDOn seeing you in eross-saddle Any
other view of the matter is your business,
not theirs, but of course your fair ques-
toner would never comprehend that. AS
to the trousers that question calls fer q
lengthy answer. 1t has been matter of
considerable study to yourself. Like most
other women In this progressive age you
have tried the divided skirt, only to find 1t
a delusion and a snare. The Objectionable
characteristics of single pettcoat are only
multiplied in double one, and added to
those inhering in the duplex arrangement
itself After many painful and some
what costly experiments, you have final
ly hit upon what is for you, at least,
the ideal riding habit, possessing
the great advantage OF being as we'll adapted
to the side as TO the cross saddle. This
habit consists of the regulation riding
trousers worn by all women who indulge in
this form of exercise, long cloth leggins.
coming we'll up above the knee, very full
skirt falling 10 the feet, and becoming
coat 10 match. You have tested this costume
thoroughly aud find IL admirable. The
best saddle you have found, after trying
many, is small, fiat, English racing saddle.
Seated upon this, with your skirt drawn
smoothly under you, its extra fulness a.
lowing IL TO fall quite to the stirrup, on
either side, you are as fully covered as you
would be by the divided skirt, with the
additional advantage Of not having several
hUrdenSome yards OF supeTfuous dry goods
Swaddled about each leg.
Ii the skirt flies back or draws up wi tn
the motion Of the horse il merely shows a
weIl-shod foot anfaf few inches of neat leggin.
YOu have studied the effect carefully. The
skirt falls with a graceful swing, uniting
horse and rider with a lovely curved line.
The costume is free enough for the utmost
comfort and proper enough to satisfy even
Mrs. Grundy, unless. as you more than half
suspect, Mrs. GruDdy's objection is not 10
the full skirt, the leggins, cross-saddle, or
even the trousers, but 10 the explosion of
the long cherished (by Mrs. Grundy) super
stitiOn that anybody believed women had
no legs. Poor old ostrich, she has so long
relegated these useful members TO be swRd-
died in the adopted drapeTieS, that she has
really cause TO suppose everybody fancIes
women are constructed like DinepiDs, as
their dress would indicate. Well, If il
really is legs that Mrs. Grundy objects to,
she must settle that difficulty with Dame
Nature; you are off for your vacation trip
and cannot stop to argue the question.
1t is lovely morning when you start out,
in the early gray hours, before the sun is
high enough to be unpleasantly warm. You
have medium-siZed. strongly bnilt, gentle,
willing Spanish mare, whom year or two
of vaqaerO work has rendered familiar with
all sorts of rough travel. Your riding whip
is secured by stout cord to your wrist,
your broad -brlmmed straw hat has an
elastic fastened to one buttOnhOle Of your
habit, so that If a chance breeze should
blow II of you can recover II without dis
mounting. In email linen bag, strapped
to the cantei Of your saddle, are the con-
venlenceS you will be apt TO require during
your trip. They wont be many, but on this
trip you omit one item that you.will remem-
Der when you 90 again, namely, q thin
blouse waist as a change from your habit
coat when you get into the interior and
away from the cool bay breeZes. Another
thing you also learn. when you reach your
first halting place for the night and find
your baggage wet through with perspira-
ton from the horse, and you resolve to
carry leather bag next time. But that is
a minor difficulty. and you phiosophically
dry your traps and make the best of IL.
How you do delight in the prospect as you
canter lightly out of town. Easy easy.
pony; there are 80 miles before you this
bright morning, so moderate your pace or
the last one will seem weary enough ere
you have made IT, She feels pretty fresh.
having rested all the day before,
aud you pull her down to a gen.
tie jog when you are fairly out
on the county road, and settle
10 solid enjoyment Of the situation. Was
the sky ever so blue before? You had no
idea ie
made from across the bay and your road
winding over a gentle eminence, you turn
back on reaching the summit to look across
at the great city on her many hills and re-
loice that you are not going that way. How
beautiful the city looks when you are get
ting away for a season from its noise and
scramble. You forget that you ever felt so
tired that you fairly envied the sleeping
maiden her rest upon the mountain tor.
You only remember that. independent Of
timetables, trains, cars or stages, you are
free for the next 10 days to come and go
at your own sweet will. under the blue sky
and over the brown hills, aud blessing your
lucky stars you ride on.
Steadily Jogging on, the little mare puts
the miles behind her until you are well ont
in the country. following the line of the
electric road TO Haywards. You pass big
wagon drawn by a stout team driven by a
pleasant-faced young man, who smiles
eheerfully as You ride by. A mile OF two
further and he passes you as you are giving
your pony drink by the wayside, ana )
you again overtake bin when pony is
satisfied he calls out pleasant Good morn
ing" and asks IL you are riding far. You
explain your trip. quite forgetting the un-
usualness of your mode of riding until he
asks you IL you do not find 1t much more
cOmfOrta bic than the side-saddle 81 think
all ladies ought TO ride that way" he saws.
frankly, and eongratulates you upon your
independence. After little further chat
you ride on and see no more of your
pleasant-faced driver; but you reflect, with
some exnliation, that you have faced
man" quite early IN the day and that
neither you nor he seemed 10 have received
any IN ortal thrust during the encounter.
On such q trip as this you allow the little
mare to drink whenever she shows an in