IN THE BIDING-SCHOOL. 191 



whose muscles are hard, may choose whichso- 

 ever one of these pleases them, but fat women, 

 and women whose flesh is not too solid, must 

 wear thick trousers, and would better have 

 them lined with buckskin, unless they would be 

 transformed into what Sairey would call "a 

 mask of bruiges," and would frequent remark to 

 Mrs. Harris that such was what she expected. 

 Trousers with gaiter fastenings below the knee 

 are preferred by some women who put not their 

 faith in straps alone, and knee-breeches are 

 liked by some, but to wear knee-breeches means 

 to pay fifteen dollars for long riding-boots, in- 

 stead of the modest seven or eight dollars 

 which suffice to buy ordinary Balmoral boots. 

 Gaiters must button on the left side of each 

 leg, and trouser straps may be sewed on one 

 side and buttoned on the other, instead of being 

 buttoned on both sides as men's are. Tailors 

 sometimes insist on two buttons, but as a woman 

 does not wear her trousers except with the strap, 

 it is difficult to see why she needs to be able to 

 remove it. The best material for the strap is 

 thick soft kid, or thin leather lined with cloth. 

 The thick, rubber strap used by some tailors is 



