The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1866-02-17

the mouth at the idea of trying my skill
afore all them people, but | was too plucky
to back ont.
| sot down on the ground, and strapped
on my skates and, grabbing my pole firmly
in both hands, got onto the ice. The min
nit got on, sot rite down fiat. in spite of
all could do. and it was as much as five
minnits afore | could git up agin. And
when did, my left foot begun for to run
rite round t'othcr one and run rite round
was mp, and my head was down, and |
thought it was night and all the stars III the
Urinary was having Il shooting match.
Sam jelIison he seed me fall, and come
and picked me mp. Sam is dreadful atten-
tive tc Inc, because he's trying to shine my
daughter Betsey. | can see through it all.
He wanted to heir me stddy myself: but
would mt let him, and started off upon the
dog trot. could run Il good deal better
than could slide. thought I'd go over on
t'other side of the pond, where Miss Pike
and some other friends Of mine was and,
sticking nv long pole into the airholes,
made ont to get under way. And after
once got started. the difficulty was to stop
myself | went rite ahead like a steam in.
.jine, down grade found it WASH no use
to fife against fate; and concluding that
pole. and let it stick ont each side of me.
and sailed on. had the wind in my back,
and it filled my yeIler pettcoat so that it
tloatcd out aiJre me like the star spanglcd
banner on the Fourth of July.
was a coming to where the skaters were
at it pretty thick but didn't think to take
my pole in, and the first thing knowed
was ii moving Of en- down with it, right
and left, as a two.hoss moving machine
takes down the grass on a madder.
The ice was lined with the ruins Mutfs.
and hoods, and gloves, and false teeth and
waterfalls. and rats. and mice, and curled
all mixed mp together. You couldn't tell
t other fro n which
Old Jim Pratt he went down among the
rest and as he went the toe of his skate
kctched into that beautiful braid on my val
, l"r pctticoat, and in less n a minnit tore it
clean of and wound it all up among the un-
der,tandings of all the Scrahbliug people.
was madden halter. rz NV pole
to let EN- have some but before ! could
, strike. the strain on that iligant trimming
, upset my equalibrius, and down | went.
| striking the back Of my cranvrum so bard.
, that for a minnit thought n, skull bone
. was broke clean acrost. 1t seemed DIS if
could hear the rough edges grae together.
| Just as was rising to getup. along
t come a teller al Il 2:4O rate, wihot any ewes
G into his head, expect, for he didn see me.
; bat undertook to skate rite over ne. and
/. away he come, head fast. onto the Ia. with
Il grant that sounded like pig S whe he's
r ju, @winn to sleep after eating who. pail
r OF snill
grabbed hold of his attail to his,nv
e self mp by. and, law sake the cloth pael
like a cohwch. and left him with a s.r.
@ jacket on. and letting me back onto the
). harder than afore
? Sam 'cIiSon he arrived Jest at this mimi
e and didn't say nothing agin bis helping {
II me. felt as if was nigh about played GU
:, He esquartel me to the shore. with all tina
as blue braid u trailing after me. And whe
Sc I'd rot breath. he went up home with NJ
" and | Heard him kiss Be- behind the i,an,l