The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-03-27
From the Friend Of Youth.
MY LAST SLIDE.
BY MARY IRVING.

Winter is almost I" over and gone" chill
dren! ! trust you have all enjoyed it as much
as the rosy checked boys | have watched al
most every day from my window. There is a
pond away below; it has spanked up to my
eyes every morning of the season, and almost
every moonllt night has seen the merry skaters
shooting, curving and careering over its crack
ling surface. Then, too, there is a slope all
the way down TO the shore a gentle, green
slope In summer ume-a "royal slide" in
winter, as the boys, who very well appreciate
the pleasures of the "big HILL" are often as
surlng me- 1t is freshly iced over since the
January thaw," (Which came after January
this year, and never was in better condition
OF and away the gay sleds dart, like so many
ducks down the rapids of a riverl Bravo!
Charlie has gained the goal, and his loud
laugh comes ringing up over the "glare ice :"
IN cheerful trlumph Now, up again all-no
easy matter that, what with slips and tum-
bles-'tls always an easier passage dorm hill
than up in this world, boys! remember that
II does remind me most forcibly of ma 4" last
slide )" for loved to slide as well as any of YOU
once, though it was on hill far away from
this one. The snow was deeper. and il seemed
to me whittier than on these gentle slopes 1t
buried up even the fences and it was covered
with " crust" firm, hard, and crispy to nv
shoes. My mother was not one of those who
cherish their little girls within doors like hot
house buds, while they give the naturally more
hardy boys all the advantage of sun and show
err SO, well EARNED and eouippedO in
blankets and mittenS." | used To tug nv
light sled to the hilltop, and hold my breath
in delight as we shot, like the flying horse and
rtIa bo
When was year old, was sent away
from my home and my favorite hill. 10 the
care and teachings of kind lady, whose low
ing words and tones will live always in my
heart. Lizzie Lee, her only daughter. was
two years older than myself; and she became
at once my classmate, roommate, playmate
IN short, IN the schoolgirls expressive Ian
guage, my "crony." We Were both without
sisters near our own age-bul sisters certainly
could not have loved and trusted one another
more aiiectlonatey than we did In the short,
happy schoolhours, we studied from the same
arithmetic or geography and when the lessons
Were all said, and the daily /" stint " of sewing
done to the very last stitch, we Were as free as
| kittens, and as merry, too, in our rompings
| down the lane and over the hlocks. | cannot
tell you now of our summer ramblngs and
DprrNlnnS, nave pTOHllStu 10 give YOU the
story of +" my last slide"
Winter came bowling on as fercely as
usual and Jack Frost, his prime minister, was
as busy as ever in pinching our ears and fin
gers; but we laughed at the cold hearted old
fellow, and were by no means To be driven
from our play ground by any Of his pranks.
The fayorite sleds OF the boys-the Vic
tory" the Giraffe" and know not how
many others, in all the glory Of green, red, and
yelow-were often at our service; and as their
owners, with boysh gallantry, Were always
ready to save us from the uphill part of the
business, we felt ourselves quite as important
and as happy as queens
One unlucky recess, merrler shout than
usual from the play-hill called our good gov
erness, Mrs. Lee, to the door. Her sober Lizzie
who lowered by half head above all the rest
of us, met her eyes in the unfortunate attitude
of rolling down hill with her brother, in a mos
comcal hurry, while the sled on which they
had commenced their voyage stood brough,
upn against q snag halfway down. The
tinkle of the bell called us in Immediately; and
as Lizzie and passed her, with glowing
cheeks, after having shaken the snow from oul
irocks, she gently remarked
Lizzie and Mary, dear, don't slide with the
boys again. Better leave seds to the chill
dren--you should BIZ quite young ladies by thi,
time"
Lizzie bowed her haxen head demurely ant
passed on while fell to puzzling myself
about my claims to young-adyhood, which
had never entered my head before. A wish Of
Lizze's +" dear mamma" had always been tc
us the same as a command, as the wishes o.
all mothers should be; and We quietly submit