A LA CAVALIERE. 79 



places of the earth, whither our Enghsh girls venture, from 

 necessity, for adventure, or some more potent attraction. Of 

 the two I prefer No. i, which is the smarter. It is nothing 

 more or less than a short habit made in the shape of a 

 frock-coat, and is buttoned the whole way down to the 

 knees. The long boots, which, by the way, show off a 

 pretty well-turned ankle and foot to perfection, are certainly 

 a trifle more in evidence than is the case when the lady 

 wears the regular habit and is desirous of showing as little 

 "leg" as possible — a desire, when the foot is threes or 

 narrow fours, and the instep well sprung, not too often 

 indulged. No 2 has a divided skirt. 



I do not ask ladies of mature age, or even those whose 

 seat is formed, to don one or other of these costumes, though, 

 after the experience of Miss Bird and others, they might, 

 under similar circumstances, adopt both the costume, and 

 the cross-saddle with advantage. In the backwoods and 

 jungles a wide latitude in dress may be permitted without 

 assailing the strictest modesty. 



The fashion of riding in the cross-saddle, if it is to be 

 introduced, as it ought to be, must emanate from the 

 rising generation. The luxury of having both feet in the 

 stirrups, of being able to vary the length of the leather, 

 of having a leg down either side of the horse, and a 

 distribution of the bearing equally on each foot, is surely 

 worthy of consideration when many hours have to be spent 

 in the saddle and long weary distances travelled. If 

 agreeable to the rider, how much more so to the horse ? 

 We men know what a relief it is on a long journey to vary 

 the monotonous walk or the wearying trot with an occa- 

 sioned hard gallop "up in the stirrups," or how it eases one 

 to draw the feet out of the stirrups and let the legs hang 

 free. I have already hazarded the opinion that a lady's seat 



