CHAPTER XXXIII 



HUNTING LADIES 



At one time, and not so many years ago either, 

 the lady who rode to hounds was generally looked 

 upon with mingled feelings of awe and horror by 

 those of her own sex. It was woman's province, 

 according to the satirists who attacked her, to stay 

 at home and look pretty, and to attend to her 

 domestic duties. Even so good a sportsman as 

 the author of one of those Warwickshire hunt 

 songs, for which the country presided over by 

 Lord Willoughby de Broke is famous, writes in 

 a deprecatory manner of ladies hunting. Says 

 he, addressing the ladies : — 



Be yours the lyre, the dance, the song, 

 Whilst we the chase retain. 



Now with these sentiments I by no means agree, 

 nor do I believe in ladies being obliged to come 

 out in " the pretty young lady " fashion of a by- 

 gone day, under the charge of a stout old coach- 

 man, and with strict instructions not to jump a 

 fence. I like to see ladies going to hounds fear- 

 lessly and well ; the presence of ladies in the 

 hunting field can only tend to the benefit of 

 the sport, and that more ladies are taking to 

 hunting every day, and taking pains to under- 



