Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-02
DAILY COMMERCIAL.
BALTIMORE, MD.
Learning to Skate.
DO you skate ?''
- m 7 not ,,l,,ol.

| - oNil lDu NOll I skate.
Perhaps / could learn. | couId lilo nm,
thing that you iked-but, there's ou I'N trr my
now!' and away the couple went, after q
m0mentary pause, in the German.
The speakers were Miss Oylwen, of Fifth
avenue, and Bob rockingham, a favorite in
society, OF no particular place Scene: Mrs
Smythe's mansion, on the avenue above men.
toned, four o'clock in the afternoon, gaslipbt,
long, crowded room, music, thirty couple
swayng and whirling about in the German.
AS soon as they came to another pause,
| Miss Oylwell, flirting her fan, and looking
| very warm, continued, enthusiastically:
'You must learn, Mr.. Frothingham Why,
| ! never dreamed that a man who dances as
y0u dance, didn't know how to skate
| 1T wasn't so fashionable when | was in
my YOUTH her partner was about to confess,
but he checked himself He passed for a
good-looking man of from thirty-three to
tmrty-hve, and if he were any older he sue
| ceeded IN keeping it a secret He was quite
Ihe pest dancer IN the room; in fact, he had
been chosen by Mrs. Smythe to lead the
German, and she had kindly given him the
| richest girl on the list for his partner, Here
was chance it would be madness to neglect,
| From two to three hours with the richest girl
In the room, young and pretty besides. and the
| prospect of leading herdown to the fve-o' clock
| hot supper!-Mr rockingham had considered
himself ''in clover untilthat unlucky reference
| TO skating.
Have you heard that old Doubleday has
| lett his wlte?' he asked, quite forgetting the
| unsuitable nature of the subject, in his anxiety
to change the drift of Miss OyIwelr thoughts.
She opened her blue eyes widely, but
| answered him quite unembarrassed:
La, yes, a week ago I'm going to Central
Park tomorrow. Didn't you think when YOU
came IN, that the skating would be good by
That time? 1t was so spleudidly cold. ~
1T 2ras cold,'' asserted her partner.
'Oh, freezingl The ice will be beautiful
tomorrow know it will. It's so funny YOU
don't skate! That's the reason I've never
met you at oar Pond, suppose. | and Carrie
| have season-tickets to the Pond But, we're
| going to the Park tomorrow, for a little extra
| fun. do IRISH you were going, Mr.. Frothing,
ham. DO go. You can learn in a little while.
I on dance so beautifully, I'm sure you II skate
to perfection Do you know, | believe I
| could skate ont this whole German on the ice,
without single false step, VIII Herring SAYS
| never look so well as when I'm on the ice.
You ought to see me IN my skating costume"
Il should like to, very much; though I'm
sure II would be utterly impossible for you to
| look better than you do this minute In nv
eyes, woman always looks prettiest in bali
costume-and yours, Miss Oylwell, is ex,
quisite.
.lhank you, Mr.. rockingham. expect
1t IS prGtty--it cost enough
The cost would be nothing, if there was
not handsome girl to wear it, The gentle
man got out this tremendous falsehood with
the case of long practice. 1t might have been
worn by an angel yet had it not been cut in
the latest mode and been. of the richest
material, it would not have awakened his sense
Of beauty. Miss Oylwell, for her part, having
only sported expensive things for a year or
two, also still estimated them very much, as
she had Hajceiy confessed, at their cost
''La, you needn't think to hatter me-I'm
used to it, and it don have the least effect"
she cried, merrily. "WilI Herring said he
should be at the Park at two O. clock tomorrow.
I'd like awfully to make him jealous. l do
wish you d call, and go with me- Mr.. Frothing.
ham. Wen go IN the carriage, and then
! send it back
This was an invitation not to be neglected.
| To be actually asked to the Oylwell House.
| to be promised a drive in their carriage, and
| the privilege Of escorting and taking care of
| Miss Oylwell, at Central Park, where MANY
| would see his good-fOrtune, lifted him up to
| the seventh heaven of hope But he kent
| sinking, as fast as he rose. Who was this
! "Will' whom she had twice mentioned, and
| whom she wanted to make jealous?-and, oh,
| gracious. II she should insist upon his tryiAg
| to skate!
| However, before the German and the supper
! were over, he was in for it. He had promised
| Miss Oylwell that he would go with her to the
| Lake and that he would bring a pair of skates
What was left of that night, after Mrs. Smythe's
! German was over, was spent by Mr.. Frothing-
| ham in a state of agitation which precluded
! any thing like real repose. He had struggled
| for twenty years to make his fortune by marry
| ing one to his hand, and had never been nearer
4 IL ~ 1 -. l. Il
| him. She had blushcd at some of his com
| pliments, which was high testimony in favor
| Of the effect they had produced, for she,
| although but eighteen, was quite Injured to
| tattery. She had actually urged him to escort
! her to the Park. All! if it had only been
| summertime what happy man he would
| have been! Then, with soft airs, and soft
| perfumes, and soft music, he might press her
| soft hand softly, and be as soft upon her as he
| chose. All things would have smiled upon
| him. But in winter!-ugh! he shivered under
| the bed clothes, as he thought of it. The wind
| was so rough, and his nose always got purple,
| and he was afraid that The ice would bring on
| his rheumatism. He should have to rise by
| eleven O clock to make his toilet; and, be he
! ever so careful about it, he was afraid of the
| consequences of a bad nights rest, of broad
| sunlight and glazing snow. He should look
at least ten years older than he did the previous
| evening, where the shaded gasights of Mrs.
| Smythe' rooms told no tales of vinegar-rouge
| and hair-dye, Of incipient wrinkles and artistic
| enamelins.
\ 1t would not do to lie awake thinking of it,
| for the less he slept the older he should look;
| so he fairly forced himself into a slumber from
which he was awakened about ten A. NJ, by
| dreaming that he was dancing the German
| with Miss Oylwell on a glass floor, made of
ice, and that he slipped, fell and broke his
| false nose, and that Miss Oylwell laughed
outrageously
Now his nose was not false although some
other of his features were, and he sprung up
| in bed, rubbing it, and glad that it was only
| dream. He got up and drew aside the window.
| curtain. Every thing was glttering and spark
| ling. 1t was cOld-seady, cracking cold.
| His wild hope that there might be thaw
CONCEALED at once. Two or three times, while
| dressing, he felt tempted to break the engage
| ment, and thus lose the chance to make a
| more important one. But he had not labored
| twenty years to give up now. He would GO
! hewould make himself agreeable-if necessary,
| he would skate.
Bracing himself with three cups of strong
| coffee and dozen fried oysters, he sailed out,
| q well-made-up and elegant looking gentleman,
| gloved, cloaked and furred in the latest style.
| Ills first duty was to buy pair Of skates; a
/ shop stood ready, not far from the restaurant
| where ne haQ DreakIaSteu. Inc Wiling Clerk
| showed him dozen different styles; avowing
his ignorance of such things and that he wanted
'.the BEST" he paid, with an inward groan,
for the pair of patent self-adiusting, selt-regu,
latng selfbalancing, Lightning skates which
we're selected for him, slung them over his
| arm with an air Of one familiar with the Slip
perry affairs, and picked his way to the house
| of the rch-the immeasurably, unaccountably
rich, heiress.
The carriage was already at the door, and
| in the recepton-room, Mr.. rockingham was
introduced to Carrie, younger sister who had
not yet ''come out" and Mr. Herring, no
| doubt the 'Will'' of whom he had heard.
They were all ready, and eager to start.
You've kept US waiting ten minutes
cried Miss Oylwell.
REALLY, have now? That objectionable;
but that awkward clerk was so long fitting my
| skates."
"a new pair?" asked Mr. Herring, politely
"He doesn't skate-but m going to learn
him how, said Miss OyIwell; "let's be off, or
| ne ice will be too crowded"
They took their seats in the carriage; the
horses dashed of, glad to be moving, in such
weather; it seemed to rockingham that thew
,-,ro >, Over three Ininutes rOipo +bo 81,