; but it possesses, in their eyes, the very grave fault of
longevity, for a good Melton habit lasts for several years. Rough-faced
cloths, such as cheviot, frieze, and serge, retain moisture like a
blanket, and shrink after exposure to much rain; but Melton, which is of
a hard and unyielding texture, and has a smooth surface, is almost
impervious to wet. The virtues of this material are much appreciated by
experienced hunting women for hard wear. There is "a something" about
the hang of a perfectly-fitting Melton habit which no other material
seems to possess; and whatever the elements may be doing, it never
appears out of place. On the other hand, if it is badly cut, it exposes
the shortcomings of its maker in the most ungenerous manner, and is so
obstinate that all the altering in the world will not make it forgive
the insult to its cloth. A Melton habit, therefore, requires to be cut
by one who is an artist at his trade. Another advantage possessed by
this cloth is that it is far easier to clean than any rough-faced
material. An experienced saddler has drawn my attention to the fact that
the dye from skirts made of cheap shoddy material, is apt to come off
and seriously injure the leather of the saddle.

The colour of a habit is a matter of taste on which I can offer no
advice, except that a lady who requires to wear her habit until it
exhibits signs of old age, would do well to select an inconspicuous
tint. I have always found dark blue the most serviceable shade, because
it does not fade, even in tropical climates, nor does it, like black,
turn green and rusty-looking before it is worn out. Besides, it admits
of a new skirt or new coat, as the case may be, without emphasising the
disparity in age of its companion so much as is the case with lighter
shades, such as grey for instance. Some years ago, various shades of
green, brown, and claret colour were worn, but they seem to have been
superseded by dark grey and dark blue, at least in the Shires, though
since the death of our lamented Queen Victoria, black has been greatly
used.

[Illustration: Fig. 52.--The Hayes' Safety Skirt open for mounting.]

In selecting a Melton habit, a heavy make called treble Melton should
be chosen for the skirt, and a lighter one of the same material, which
all good habit makers keep in stock, for the coat; because, in order to
hang well, a skirt must be of heavy cloth, which would, of course, be
too hard and unyielding for a riding