Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1852-02-24

The reader. hope. win have no objection
to quit bis comfortable Preside, put on his
furs, and accompany me to sledge, or ice
hill party.
Al. army Of about ten or fifteen sledges
start from house where all the party as
semble, the gentlemen driving themselves,
and each family taking some provisions With
them After about an hour and three quar-
tiers, the whole caravan arrives at the house
of starosto (President) Of the work people
employed by the foreign commercial houses
in Russia The starosfo is usually veal
thy man, and mostly looked up to by his
neighbors. as lie has BY extraordinary means
acquired some few townish manners, which
suit their country appearance as much as
glazed Doors. and a Polka tic would suit the
true English country farmer.
After having warmed themselves before a
good hot Russian stove the party begin OPP
erations BY getting the sledges ready. and
ascending the lee hills. The hills are made
Of wooden scaffold. covered with bits OF ice.
all of an equal size, placed side BY side so as
to fit closely together. BY being constant
ly watered they gradually become one solid
mass as smooth as mirror. The bill, which
is usually Of considerable height and rather
sloping, ends in long narrow plain Of ice
called the run, which is just broad enough
for three narrow sledges to pass each other,
and long enough to carry you to the foot Of
the second bill.
The s,edges are usually Of iron. and GOV
cred with cushions, often embroidered by the
fair hand of a lady They are low and can
hold one or two persons as the case may be.
Both the run and the hill are bordercd BY
fir trees on each SIDE. and on such evening
parties are illuminated with Chinese lamps
placed between the branches of the trees
Fancy yourself upon the top of the bill look
ing down the illuminated avenue of frs
which is reflected in the mirror Of the ice, as
if determined to outshinc the lights on the
clear sky, and the gay laughing crowd NOV.
ing up and down the hills, and you have be.
fore you the finest and most perfect picture
of sorrowless enjoyment as striking con.
trast to the liieless nature surrounding it
The briskness Of the movement and the ma
ny incidents happening to the clumsy mem
bers Of the party. keep up the excitement
whilst the contests Of the young men to OBJ
tain this or the other lady for their partner
in the down hill journey. (not in life,) never
allows the conversation or the laugh to flag
for one moment. | remember once getting
into what schoolboys would call an awful
scrape with one Of the ice hill heroes. We
both started together from the second bill on
race and l, having the faster sledge, over
took him by the length of my conveyance,
and arrived at the top of the bill before him
Seeing the belle of the evening was disenga-
ged, approached her with all the formality
with which the newly admitted youth re-
quests the belle Of a ball room for the pleas
ure and honor to dance polka With her, and
asked her to 60 down Forgetting preyi-
GUS appointment with my former antagonist,
she accepted my offer and the latter just ar
rived in time to see us start from the hill -
In his rage lc determined to do me some
mischief by upsctticg my slcdgc, as soon as
be had an opportunity Of doing so without
any damage to another party. He had soon
an occasion, but unfortunately had another
sledgc with lady before me passing me,
be bit me, and |, biting against the siedge
before me, without being able to avoid it, at
the same time getting bold Of his legs. upset
all three Luckily no injury was done, as
the whole lot was upset in the snow; to the
great enjoyment of all spectators.
Gradually the time to retire approaches.
The lamps begin to 60 out and the hill, d.
vested of their beauty, appeared like the ru
ins of a magnificent city OF olden times.