The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-01-28
PLEASURES OF SKATING.

IlS tu6 poSI pen anu lin PoiIolt Va 0AoI
ing that we have seen:
Right beneath one of our windows, from
morn till midnight, we see youngsters and
oldsters twisting their legs into all con-
ceivable shapes. We cannot pick up pa
per but an article on skating meets our
eye. Everybody says it's fun, and that's
Everybody" knows about it, for we have
tried it. Last night, about gas-light time,
after reading a glowing description of life
on skates, we prepared for our first attempt,
and sailed forth to join the merry crowd.
We had on a pair of stoga boots, trowsers
legs tucked inside, Robert-tailed coat,
and white hat We went down on the
ice, and gave boy two shillingS in good
coin of the realm for the use of his imple-
ments. We have confidence, even as great
as Peters faith. We, with the assistance
of friend, fixed on the skates, and stood
erect like BARRIERS pole.
Encouraged by the sight of some ladies
on the bridge looking at the skaters, we
struck out. A slant to the right with the
right foot-a slant to the left with the left
foot-and just then we saw something on
the ice, and stopped over to pick it up On
our feet again-two slants to the right and
one to the left, accompanied with loss of
confidence Another stride with the right
foot, and we sat down with fearful rapidi-
ty, with very little, if any, elegance What
set-down it was, for we made dent in
the ice not unlike Connecticut butter
bowl just then one of the ladies re-
marked, "Oh look, Mary, that feller with
the white hat amt got his skeets on the
right place !" Ditto thought we. Just
then ragged little devil sang out as he
passed us, "Hello, old timber-legs p and
we arose suddenly and put after him.
Three slides to the right, two to the left,
aud away went our legs-one to the east
and the other west, causing an immense
fissure in our pants, and another picture of
butter-tray in the cold-ot! ! hOa0 cold :
ice. Then the lady-we know she was
one by the remarks she made-again spoke
and said, "Oh look, Mary-that chap
with the white hat has sat down on his
handkerchief to keep from taking cold p
We rose about as graceful as a saw-horse,
when Mary said, "Guess 'taint a handker-
chief, Jane p And Mary was right-it
wasn't handkerchief a bit of it
Just then friend came along, and prof
fered us his coat-tail as ''steadier" We
accepted the continuation of his garment,
and up the river we went about ten rods,
when a shy to the right by the leader
caused US, the wheel horse, to scoot off on
tangent, heels up. But the ice is very
cold this season
We tried it again. A glide one way, a
glide and half the other, when "whack p
came our bump of philoprogenitiveness on
the ice, and we saw million of stars
dancing around our eyes, like ballet girls
at the Bowery theatre. How that shock
went through our system, and up and down
our spinal column Lightning couldn't
have cork screwed it down CREASED sap
ling with greater speed and more exhiler-
ating effect. Boarding house butter nor a
warranty deed could not have struck strong
er than we did--and dozen ladies look
ing at us, and our fssured pants
"Hello, old cock !" sang out that ragged
imp again-and we there helpless Soon
we got up and made another trial, with
better success. Perhaps we had skated, in
our peculiar style, fifteen feet, when a
laundering chap came up behind us, and
we sat down with our tired head pillowed
in his lap-and he swearing at us, when
it was all his own fault. How cold the
ice was there, tool Every spot where we
made our debut on the ice-oh how cold
it was Our bear-sk1n drawers were no
protection at all We tried again, for the
papers all say it's fun, and down came our
Roman-Grecian nose on the cold julep ma
terial, and the little drops of crimson ran
down our shirt bosom, and on to the cold
ice. Once more we tried skating-made
for the shore--sat down and counted dam
ages.
Two shillings in cash thrown away
seven lateral and one frontal bumps on
ice; one immense fissure in as handsome a
pair of ten-dollar cassimeres as a man ever
put his legs in; one rupture in the knee,
extending to the bone; four buttons from
our vest, a "fragmented' watch crystal big
enough to divide among the children of
Israel. If you catch us on the smooth,
glossy, chilly, freezing, treacherous, deceit
full, slippery, and slip upery ice again,
you'll know it. If any one ever hears of
our skating again, they will please draw
on us at sight for the bivalves and accom-
panying documents. We have got through
skating. It's vexation-ofspirit business
"a bruiser of flesh and tearer of trowsers.
It's a head-bumping, back-aching, leg-wear-
ing, dangerous institution, and we warn
people against skating. We tried it, and
shan't be able to walk for month
VNo,,.,,i, D,crpr Tba fo1lou;no Il