The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-11-30
A Life in three Pictures,
tFrom Household WorIs.l
PICTURE THE FlRsr.

hNs mum ~lifs 'l 'lc Nitlt, lOI MANY miles be-
tween Coblonz aud Cologne were frozen hard G.
noush TO bear a horse aud cart and oven the cen.
trc save and except a thin stream where the cur.
rent persisted ~ display is urgent vitality was
covered over with thin ice or a broken film that
was constantly eudGayoIing 10 unite and consuIi-
date IT. qul~rlng Il .kes and particles We were
staying IA Bonn az ibis time. Al the Eugli,hmen
~ the town, no were skaters, issued forth. IN p-
inl-cuats or drcaduought pca-lackets and red wur-
sted comiortcrs with their skates dangling over
their shoulders. Holding their aching noses in
Their left hands they ran and hobbed through
the slippery streets, and made their way out at
the town-gntes near the University They were
on the way 10 Popple-dorf--a little village about
n mile distant from Bonn We were among them;
red comforter Tound neck-skates over shoulder
The one great object IN this little village Is IA
somewhat cupaciuus and not unpcturesquc edlfice
called the Schoss, or Castle Of Popplcsdorf The
: outer works Of lis Qualifications are "A long avenue
OF trees, some pretty fir groves and woodedhills,
numerous lneyards, aud a trim series If botanic
gardens The cmbrasurcs Of its walls are armed
Win batteries Of learned TONES us soldiers are
ofudlle professors and doctors who have cham
ters there, students discourse on philosophy and
art, and swords and beer, and smoke forever on
It's peaceful drawbrdge. and, on the wide moat
which surrounds it, Englishmen in red comforters
/ at the time whereof we now speak--are ylgor-
ousIy skating with their accustomed gravity. I's
scene was repeated daIl for several weeks, in the
winter Of 1874
One morning, issuing forth on the same serious
business OF life, we perceived that the peasHnry
Of Poppesdorf, who had occasion to come to Bonn
every market-day, had contriycd to enliyen the
way and facilitate the Journey by the gradual
construction Of a series Of capital long slides. We
stood and contemplated these lengthy curves.
and sweeps and strange twisting stripes of silycf
all cleaning IN the ,nonns sun, and soon arrived
at the conviction that If was no doubt the pleas.
ATTEST market pathway We had ever seen, No
one was coming or going at thi, moment: for
Peoples j. but little dorf and the traffic is far
from numerous, even at the busiest hours Now
/ there was 4 peculiar charm in the clear shining
solitude of tie scene. which gave Us. at onre. an
impression Of loneliness combined with the b,gl.
{ test paths Of life and activity
! And yet we gradually began to feel We should
( like to see s1lnrbody-studrnt or ppasapt-conc
/ sliding lis way to Poppesdurf Ii was cviden,l,
/ the best aud indeed lc correct mode for our own
course tothc frozen moat of the castle. But be-.
I fore We had rtaohed the beginning Of the frs
slide, tlor they were no, allowed 10 be made quite
up to the towHgates,) we deserted figure in the
, distance, Which, from the course it was taking.
had mauliestly issued from the walls uf lie castle
| It was not a ncasant--It was not one of u,,r
countrymen; be it whom it might. he at least
took the slides in tr,trate style As he advauc.
ed, we diseerned the figure Of tall man, dressed
IN dark, long-skirtcd coat, buttuned up to the
throat with Il low crowned Lat, from beneath The
broad erm Of which a great mass Of thick black
hair fell heavily upon hi, shoulders. Under one
/ arm he held great book and tw" smaller ones
closely pressed To hi, side, While the other hand