THE HARROW COUNTRY 157 



I hear that the doyen of the hunt, Mr. Bowen May, ordered 

 a new red coat this very season, and it is the large and ever-in- 

 creasing local field who are responsible for the relaxation in the 

 morals of hunting dress. Far be it from me to speak lightly 

 of these high things, but it may be pointed out that the large 

 majority of those who hunt with the Queen's are not hunting 

 in a large way: probably, if the staghounds were abolished, 

 they would give it up altogether, and get their exercise from 

 golf or cycling. I dare say a great many of them are not 

 very rich, and are not in a position to undertake the serious 

 responsibilities of leathers and top-boots, which in many 

 ways mean a considerable tax upon the resources of a small 

 establishment. De rigueur hunting dress must be very 

 well done or not done at all. Some excellent servants never 

 learn to do leathers properly. It is at once an art and a 

 craft. Tops, too, want an eye for colour. 



I am a stickler for the tall hat. It looks the best, and 

 in every way is the best for riding of all kinds, which 

 includes falling. A tall hat gives a little finish to horse- 

 manship w^hich the wideawake can never hope to achieve. 

 But given the tall hat, properly put on box-cloth breeches 

 and well-cleaned butcher boots look a great deal better than 

 the buckskins and tops of the single-handed or the parlour 

 maid. My old friend, Mr. John Tubb, whose instinct in all 

 these matters was unerring, always admitted a strong prepos- 

 session in favour of what he styled ' a man dressed serious.' 



