Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-03-30
lloutb's Department.
sLIDING DOW HILL.

SLIDING DOWN HILL.
by HENRY WARD BEEcHER.
There is nothing in the tropics that can con-
sole man, doomed to dwell there, for the
loss of Northern Winters Monkies and hum
ming birds, gorgeous flowers and gigantic
vegetation, insects, reptiles and luscious fruits,
which you cannot eat without a cholera, swelt-
ering nights and roasting days Deliver us
from the intolerable delights Of tropical luxu-
ry!
But Northern Winter is full Of bracing
Joys In doors all is ruddy and social, and
out of doors all is energy and manly joy A
man who has blood and vital spirits glories in
the cold of Winter. But Of all its sports,
what one can claim a superiority over coasting ;
or. as in our boyhood days it was called, slid
ing down hill!
Long before we attained the age Of a sled,
two barrolstaves, fastened together by know
ing workmen, served an excellent purpose,
and required no mean skill in sitting and steer
ing. slight mistake in balancing, aud the
boy and staves changed places the boy under
and the sliding machine a-top-and then grad
ually rolling into promiscuous heap, out Of
which comes some ripping remarks, not made
by the sled
Next came the glory of full and real sled
sbip-a sled with runners, and iron or steel
shod a sled painted and lettered With that
we defed the thermometer, and set our faces
against the North wind And how the long
hill, a full half mile, is sought, not all of a
gentle slope, nor yet too steep, but properly
made up, as all hills should be, with fine
gradual beginning, then pitch quite steep
than another long middle slope, and jouncC
here, rullock there, sweep yonder around d
point, and fetching up place right over the
river. On such hilltop, with a sled, well
muflled and mittened, the boy seats himself on
his stced, prouder than ever sat king upon his
throne Away he goes. with nimbc feet
reaching out before him, for sled carries it'
ruddcr at tho bow and whose heels with skill
ful touch steer the flying machine. See hin
make a leap over the rnllock, lifted clear int
the air, and coming down with jounce tha
made everything crack-but the boy. Boy
have springs inside Of them under, every
muscle, on all sides of each bone, and comes
down with springy bound that cars anC
carriages may envy, but cannot hope to at
tain
None Of your belly-Aounders This lying
down on a sled like bnckweat cake on
griddle; OF that side sitting, on the hind enc
Of it., with one leg cork screwed out behind
for steering, are not the thing. They are no
orthodox. They SAVIOR Of compliance witt
weakness and timidity. A real boy shoulC
/ sit upon his sled fair and square, and ready
/ to meet all difficulties with his breast to them
( Nor let any one decry the long tramp M
hill that follows this fierce flight downward
What If it is long, the sled hanging behind
a q. l.
avalanches Of other boys that come roaring
and whirling down; The going up is still al
indis spensible part Of the Epic. 1t is the darI
| that gives power to the high light. The ~
| makes by contrast the very glory Of the DOM,
Besides, as it is appointed TO every hen, whel
she laid an egg, to enter at large into tn,
merits of the performance, and to tell th,
barnyard, and ncighborhood, her opinion o
that last egg, and, doubtless, if we but IN
| derstood the true interior meaning Of cackie
to say Here's an egg for omelottes, ON
I ellcttes, omelettes good raw, good also 70
cakes, cakes, cakes; the very soul of custard
custard. custard; good raw, good boiled, gooC
| fried. Good soft or hard good eggs, gooC
+ eggs, very good eggs, $50, (let me see
| that intolorablo hen, has confused this sen
tencc that we don't just see how to tie i
togethcr-ah, here it is. )--as this hen, hav
ing done all the above, discourses of it las pc
above translation 50, the boy, occupied tn,
long ascent in declaring the skill speed anC
wonderful daring of his descent, and is vehe
ment in setting forth what liked to have hap
pened, and the thing he almost did
We nevor see the snow on the ground, ole
as we are, that we do not feel the spirit of tn,
sled again And now, an old man, we wouiC
if We could, mount and plunge down the hill
again. Though a man hair is as white a
the snow under his feet, he need not b.
ashamed of a voyage on a sled.