than men, and the field is not often thrown into the horror which would
arise were a lady known to be in a ditch with a horse lying on her.

I own that I like to see three or four ladies out in a field, and I like
it the better if I am happy enough to count one or more of them among
my own acquaintances. Their presence tends to take off from hunting that
character of horseyness, of both fast horseyness and slow horseyness,
which has become, not unnaturally, attached to it, and to bring it
within the category of gentle sports. There used to prevail an idea that
the hunting man was of necessity loud and rough, given to strong drinks,
ill adapted for the poetries of life, and perhaps a little prone to make
money out of his softer friend. It may now be said that this idea is
going out of vogue, and that hunting men are supposed to have that same
feeling with regard to their horses, the same and no more, which ladies
have for their carriage or soldiers for their swords. Horses are valued
simply for the services that they can render, and are only valued highly
when they are known to be good servants. That a man may hunt without
drinking or swearing, and may possess a nag or two without any
propensity to sell it or them for double their value, is now beginning
to be understood. The oftener that women are to be seen "out," the more
will such improved feelings prevail as to hunting, and the pleasanter
will be the field to men who are not horsey, but who may nevertheless be
good horsemen.

There are two classes of women who ride to hounds, or, rather, among
many possible classifications, there are two to which I will now call
attention. There is the lady who rides, and demands assistance; and
there is the lady who rides, and demands none. Each always, I may
say always, receives all the assistance that she may require; but the
difference between the two, to the men who ride with them, is very
great. It will, of course, be understood that, as to both these samples
of female Nimrods, I speak of ladies who really ride, not of those who
grace the coverts with, and disappear under the auspices of, their papas
or their grooms when the work begins.

The lady who rides and demands assistance in truth becomes a nuisance
before the run is over, let her beauty be ever so transcendent, her
horsemanship ever-so-perfect, and her battery of general feminine
artillery ever so powerful. She is like the American woman, who is
always wanting you