The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-16

n
anglers and gudgeons is here asked. not
without some salt OF feminine tu qtioqie:
To TIE EDITOR or TIE sUs-Sir: The majority Of
men ever ready to talk OF the cruelty Of women
wearing birds on their hats but II Ia the minority
who do not enjoy fishing. Can you tell me why so
much IL said against the killing OF birds. and 80
little IL any thing. against the catching Of nah for
sport' RUTH ALLEs.
IS. Iwould very much like answer to this,
most women agree with me. and few men care to
argue the question:
NEw YoRK. Nov. 49,
The majority OF men have regrettable
readiness to talk about subjects In regard to
which they are not called to speak and OF
which they know less than nothing. In the
matter Of feminine ornamentation most OF
them are peculiarly untitled to possess an
intelligent opinion and all Of them should
be discreet in uttering one. II 1t be true
that the majority Of them are ever ready to
talk about the cruelty" OF women who wear
birds on their hats. we cannot wonder that
many women seek to vote and are weary OF
being ruled by breed 80 fatuous. The
man who talks about the cruelty OF bird
wearing women will chop of chickens
head most tyrannically or denounce the un-
feeling sex while his face Is greasy with
canvasback. 1t Is so comfortable to eat
bird and SO wicked to put II to other use!
For ourselves, we must admit at the risk
OF being called inhumane. that we believe
in the survival OF the fittest and the beauty
OF the most beautiful. Sentimental scru-
pies don't prevail among the birds, who
are far from kind to their interiors and
competitors. In view OF the precarlousness
OF bird life. II seems rather an euthanasia
for any bird to be slain for his fine feathers.
butchered to be the ornament OF a woman's
hat How much more fortunate are these
| servants Of the beauty-sense than the great
| tribes OF game birds and OF tame villatic
| fowl, killed to make mems wristbands sit
tighter.
Our correspondent should remember that
men are hard put to it to find anything to
say against women. Hence this gable
about Cruelty" Besides. as population
increases, there are two guns for every bird.
! Men foresee the almost total destruction OF
the fowls OF the air. The time may come
when the mightiest hunter will be glad to
get license to shoot q sparrow on Boston
Common. SO they grudge any birds to the
| poor women.
As to fishing 1t has its dignity as
reminder OF the days when everybody had
to get his own living out of the water. and
| the woods. Probably the reason little Is
said against fishing Ia that its object Is
practical The fish are usually eaten. such
OF them as are eatabc Their own habits
are piratical. Nothing in human greedi-
ness, depravity and universal cussedness
can equal the bluctish. for instance. A
captured fish may be regarded IN a
sort OF "come.on," victim OF his own
passion for robbery. The phiivsal Nica
theory OF the relations OF men and fishes
has been expressed in couplet, the idea, IL
not the exact language OF which, Is this:
| III We go down. on US they sup.
| And we eat them vheno er we have them mp"
This theory is liable To occur to passengers
on fcrryboats or ocean steamers when tho
foghorn is eSaltng itself and the real serious
business Of fishing Ii carried on by profess
SIGNALS. or the millions OF occasional fish
ermen for sport how many thousands ever
get decent string? Indeed, the best and
ideal angler seldom or never catches fish.
content to loaf, to bask, to watch the sky
and the water, 20 breathe real air and to
get an appetite like hired mans In hay
time. II he could get planked shad piping
hot, out OF tho water, he would be too lazy
TO pull in The early. eager angler comes
home with his hands full OF hooks and
lacerated by bullheads.