The hydraulic press., 1859-03-19
Yankee Girls Skating.

W Nudt dH eAteut tut lduiSo Va tAS SoosSAA
States have this winter pursued the ex-
hilirating and healthful sport of skating;
but the following lively picture, which
we have been permitted to take from the
letter of friend and former citizen of
this town, will prove very amusing. 1t
represents scenes on the ice-ponds Of
Cambridge, Mass. Our ex-Californian'
says:
81 was interested in reading in one
of the nu nbers of the Press about the
desperate attempts of the men of San
Juan to skate upon the old reservoir;
but no mention was made of any trials
by the fair sex. With us the women
skate as much or more than the men;
and every pleasant afternoon when the
ice is good, there can be seen on Jamai-
or or Fresh pond sight which fancy
would set the California miners perfect
ly crazy: from two to five hundred per-
sons darting about in every direction on
the ice, and the shores lined with spec
tators in carriages and oh foot. The
costumes of the ladies add much to the
picturesqueness of the scene. They
wear what are termed the Balmoral pet
ticoats, or skirts, made of wooden with
stripes of bright scarlet, or blue, or drab,
alternating with gray. Of course, such
skirts were made to be shown; and their
dresses, which they wear short lest they
should get entangled in the skates, are
carefully looped up in front or all around,
displaying their pretty little feet and
giving glimpses of charming ankles
if one will permit his eyes to wander in
that direction. Moreover, the dear
creatures like to have their brothers.,
cousins or beaux put on the skates for
them-which of course the young men
are delighted to do-and in their first
essays need protecting hand or arm to
sustain them, and assist them when they
fall-for they ,oiH fall sometimes, which
affords excellent opportunities for dis
plays of gallantry. Of course, with
such indictments, skating has become
highly popular. The young ladies' de-
clare it is charming aud the voungs
men swear it is aaas aaly' Some d
the young ladies' don't stand in absssdte
need Of protects11g hand or arm, but
can skate extremely well, cut circles
backward, and perform all kinds of fan
cy eyolutions. | saw a bevy of them
the other day amusing themselves by
jumysdg over their muffs on skates; one
s4uf was laid down on tue ice, and 9TH
ers were placed on top of it. Quite a
number Jumped over two and three, and
two cle2sed four nicely. One of my
classmates says he saw one of the same
young ladies jump over seven last wint-
er. 9aea ~
Those Buckeyes, Hoosiers, Wolver-
ines, Pike county men, ,etid on,ne genus,
who think Eastern women are pale, del
icate girls who sit in the parlor thrum-
ming the piano, or reading sentimental
novels all day long, might perhaps see
reasons for modifying their opinions, if
they could only look upon one of these
ponds some fine afternoon when it is
covered with people, full one-half of
them women with elastic frames, spark
ling eyes and cheeks rivalling in color
the crimson of their petticoats--there's
a new comparison for swiftly dart.
ing hither and thither, or sailing grace
fully and coquettishly along.
Skating has come to be an indispensa-
BILE part of a young lady's education
here, and | heard it mentioned the other
day, as the capstone of beautiful girls
accomplishments, that she was the best
skater on Fresh Pond