90 RIDING DRESS. 



like a blanket, and shrink after exposure to much rain ; 

 but Melton, which is of a hard and unyielding texture, 

 and has a smooth surface, is almost impervious to wet. 

 The virtues of this material are much appreciated by 

 experienced hunting women for hard wear. There is 

 "a something" about the hang of a perfectly-fitting 

 Melton habit which no other material seems to possess ; 

 and whatever the elements may be doing, it never 

 appears out of place. On the other hand, if it is 

 badly cut, it exposes the shortcomings of its maker in 

 the most ungenerous manner, and is so obstinate that 

 all the altering in the world will not make it forgive 

 the insult to its cloth. A Melton habit, therefore, 

 requires to be cut by one who is an artist at his 

 trade. Another advantage possessed by this cloth 

 is that it is far easier to clean than any rough-faced 

 material. An experienced saddler has drawn my atten- 

 tion to the fact that the dye from skirts made of 

 cheap shoddy material, is apt to come off and seriously 

 injure the leather of the saddle. 



The colour of a habit is a matter of taste on which I 

 can offer no advice, except that a lady who requires to 

 wear her habit until it exhibits signs of old age, would 

 do well to select an inconspicuous tint. I have always 

 found dark blue the most serviceable shade, because 

 it does not fade, even in tropical climates, nor does it, 

 like black, turn green and rusty-looking before it is 

 worn out. Besides, it admits of a new skirt or new 

 coat, as the case may be, without emphasising the 

 disparity in age of its companion so much as is the 



