ECONOMY IN RIDING DRESS. 193 



side together after a hard season's continual wear and tear, 

 and see whether the Lincoln and Bennet or Madame White 

 will not be bravely holding its own, when the other is only 

 fit for the dustman's cart. In like manner, you may pur- 

 chase a riding habit for five guineas, — I have seen them 

 made to order scores of times at that price — but I have 

 never yet seen one of such articles able to hold up its head 

 after immersion in a muddy stream, while very many of 

 them could not even stand a heavy shower of rain without 

 showing spots or " cockles," or both. Then, again, you 

 can get a Newmarket covert coat for £^ — not at all a 

 bad-looking one either — quite a jaunty article, in fact ; a 

 neat plaid if you like it, and gorgeous big buttons if your 

 fancy happens to turn that way, — but just think of the 

 seams that are all machine-stitched, ready to act shabbily 

 by you at the most inconvenient moments, and of the 

 uncertain nature of the material, which is dreadfully wont 

 to wear " tender " in highly important places : under the 

 arms, for instance, and where the collar fastens in front ; 

 and of the awful moments which you will have to endure, 

 tugging hard at it, or getting somebody else to do so, in 

 order to work it off; and think of the still more painful 

 and embarrassing ordeal that awaits you in endeavouring 

 to draw it over your habit-bodice, to which it seems to 

 cling as provokingly as though birdlime had been scattered 

 over both, — all because it has not any nice, smooth, 

 slippery satin liil^ng to make it slide easily over the gar- 

 ment that it is meant to coven Even if perchance your 

 persuasions have induced the maker of the wonderful 



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