48 FIELD MASTERS AND HUNTSMEN, 



The women are the worst offenders, as the female 

 voice is the more piercing." 



This plaint is echoed by others, and by some is 

 put in stronger terms. But no M.F.H. need imagine 

 that anything but ignorance or thoughtlessness causes 

 the conduct complained of, and he may feel assured 

 that no one dreams of setting the authority of the 

 M.F.H. on one side, or fails to " play up " to him, 

 as well as he or she knows how to do it. 



But what is to be done? It certainly is a little 

 rough on the Field Master, where such a functionary 

 exists, to expect him to go and deliver a lecture on 

 their atrocious behaviour to a bevy of happy and 

 excited ladies who are uncommonly well pleased with 

 themselves, their horses, and the world in general, 

 at a critical period of the chase. I often think a 

 neat Christmas or New Year's card, exhibiting a set 

 of rules and the reasons for such rules, might be 

 advantageously distributed at this time of year. 



Then there is the question of seeds, new grass, &c. 

 And here I must remark that there are numbers 

 of hunting ladies who, although they reside chiefly 

 in the country, seem to take no sort of interest in 

 the agricultural matters that surround them, even 

 though botany and floriculture form favourite pur- 

 suits of their own. 



When an amateur huntsman carries the horn there 

 is no doubt that in these days of increased expenses, 

 when every one seeks to get "a bit out of the 

 Hunt " for damage to fields, fences, or fowls, a Field 

 Master has become almost a necessity, though I 

 certainly do not envy any man the job. Just think 



