LADY FOXHUNTERS 295 



ridden. But in the case of this English road-rider, 

 though no spur is used, unfair advantage is taken of 

 the horse's impetuous freedom of nature ; his sinews 

 are strained, his joints permanently stiffened ; he is 

 deprived, at once and for ever, of his elasticity and 

 action, and brought prematurely a cripple to the 

 grave." Let the ladies remember that ; it is not age 

 that makes most horses useless, but work. It has 

 been well said that a free-actioned, high-couraged 

 horse will wear out two sets of legs, and we believe 

 it. Let us then endeavour to make the one set that 

 nature allows last as long as possible. Riding on 

 soft ground will be found to be a great conducer to 

 that end. Now to other matters. 



If any pretty young lady were to propound to us 

 the following — 



" Do you think it would assist me in catching young 

 Mr. Redrag if I were to take to foxhunting ? " 



We should say : — 



Be cautious ; we have our doubts. It may catch 

 him, or it may scare him. Some men think mounting 

 themselves as much as they can manage, and would 

 rather have a wife staying at home looking after the 

 house than tearing about the country after the hounds. 

 Besides, it is possible you might beat him, and men 

 don't like being beat by their wives in the field, any 

 more than wives like being beat by their husbands 

 in the house. Again, we say, be cautious. But here 

 comes a case in point : our fair friend, Henrietta 

 Cottonwool. Henrietta has been after that weary 

 Sir Rasper Smashgate, the whole of this blessed 

 season, and now, as spring is about to set in, with 

 its usual severity, she feels herself constrained to 

 take some decided step. " To be, or not to be," is 

 the point — Lady Smashgate or Henrietta Cottonwool. 

 Henrietta is a fine, large, full-grown, healthy-looking 

 girl, who, of course, says she thinks "all girls fools 

 who marry," and yet at the same time would do 



