Red Room and Other Chat 25 



Cheapness at Hamilton reigned supreme ; but no 

 one grumbled at the loss of accustomed luxuries, as 

 there was plenty of fun. Sport of the workmanlike 

 sort caused even the blase to burst out into flames of 

 enthusiasm. 



To men in the habit of rising late, the early morn- 

 ing hunts were a new sensation. The first " pink- 

 coat " coffee at five o'clock, A. M., was far from 

 hilarious after only a short rest. In these days ladies 

 are conspicuous by their absence from early morning 

 meets ; and it is hard to realize the feeling of those 

 present at the first appearance of the Dianas in the 

 black of that raw, dismal autumn morning. It seems 

 as if when ladies " touch our country their shackles 

 fall." It was to many the emancipation of the Bos- 

 ton girl from the slavery of conventionalism to the 

 freedom of the " new woman." Jogging to cover, 

 there was an efibrt to be social, though awkwardness 

 on both sides was apparent. The bows were hardly 

 up to the Papanti standard ; the talk was of the 

 glum, monosyllabic order. But as the sun arose 

 from behind the hill all was changed, and we warmed 

 to the occasion and recovered our true selves. 



The first Club polo game, which was also the 

 first game of polo in the vicinity of Boston, was 

 played at Gibney Farm. The so-called Polo Ground, 

 a rough pasture rolled for a week or two, was not 

 worthy of the name. If the ground was bad, the 



