Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1871-02-10
ron THE YOUNG FOLKS.
From the Bright Side.l
A SILVER MUG AND A Null
BERRY SUIT.
BY AMANDA T. JONES.

/ Johnny Emerson had a new pair o
| skates. Santa Claus was to blame fol
/ that, but in this case Santa Claus ha6
another name, think for 1 am veg
sure that when / was in the store a
Hunters Corners on Christmas Eve.
saw the little, old gentleman buying
them, and heard Mr.. Hunter call hin
| Grandfather Emerson. Still further
I had seen a ten dollar greenback takeT
out of his pocket slowly and handed ovel
/ the counter, and there was not a cent
given back in change.
Dear me T. thought; Santa Claus
is either very rich or very. generous. -
| Why only paid TWO dollars for those
had bought to give poor widow Green s
| boy whom had caught crying in the
corner of the fence because he had nc
skates. q got called Santa Claus my
| self for my pains; just as if | was little
I old man with an icicle on my nose, 4
pack on my back, and streaks of SCOT
down my cheeks
Ten dollars $50 Johnny Emerson
had a new pair of skates and if he
wasn't in a hurry to try them New
Years Morning, then I am Just little
mistaken. He was the swiftest and
prettiest skater at Hunters Corners
while Sammy Green, whose mother had
been too poor to buy him skates, and
who never dared ask the boys to lend
him theirs, had never skated a stroke in
all his life
"Now Johnny, said his mother, as the
boy buckled on his skates by the fire,
instead of waiting until he reached the
lake, ''you must surely be back by one
O'Clock, or the turkey will be cold, and
all the plum pudding eaten up"
Gold turkey is good enough" an
swered Johnny, s'and I'd rather have
mince pie than plum pudding any day;
but I'll try and be back by one. l don't
need to skate more than four hours at a
time, and off he went to join the other
boys at the skating place.
Now all the village children, nearly,
were on the lake by nine o'clock, chat
tering. screaming and laughing. with
happy hearts. bright eyes, and cheeks
the color of juniper berries and oh,
how grandly they skated sweeping of
like the wind, gliding slowly back, whiz-
zing away again, in squares, and circles
and parallelograms, and triangles-it
fairly takes my breath to think about
them.
Sammy Watched them awhile, with
wondering eyes. and then sat down and
put on his skates. How his heart beat
as he walked out step or two, on the
ice / think he was trembling a good
deal, for after a minute or two, down he
fell, and nearly broke his arm striking
against Joe Hunters new scarlet sled,
'sWildfre -
1t was bad enough to fall and be hurt,
but it was certainly worse to have a doz-
g,F N-11 aF
raise great shout, as if getting hurt
was the funniest thing in the world
Sammy wanted to cry, but like a sensi-
Bile boy, got up instead and tried again.
This time he made out to slide a little,
but threw out his arms so awlxardly,
and made such drol faces, that the
laugh was louder and longer than be-
fore.
Whats all this ?" said Johnny En-
erson as he whirled in among them.
| "Oh, it's only Sammy Green trying to
skate, said Alice Parker; land he does
| look so queer in his patched trowsers
and bob-tailed coat, that used to belong
to Santa Claus. guess Only see
| how awkward he is =
Just then three men rode up to the
edge of the lake and shouted to the
children that they had something to
say which was important they should
hear. So they all focked together like
so many redwinged famingoes, eager
| to hear what was coming.
| Mr. Hunter stood up in the sleigh and
held out beautiful silver cup. Il will
give this cup he said "to that boy OF
girl who shall make the quickest time,
skaIing from this bend to Skinner
Point and back again. Who'll try for
it ?"
II! =" answered a hundred shrill
voices and such clapping of hands,
and hurrahing, and asking such ques-
tons, that the gentleman could hardly
finish what he had to say.
''All right he said, as soon as he could
make himself heard. "Now you may
60, ten at time. starting off at a given
signal and when the first ten have tried
it, another may follow. l will mark
time for you, and these two gentlemen
will stand by and see that you all start
fairly. First ten will start in five min
utes fall into line J"
Then what a hubbub there was
among the girls and boys. But Johnny
Emerson stood still thinking, and this is
what he thought;
at would be a good time to teach
Sammy to skate, while the rest are Sc
interested watching the races, that they
won't trouble US. l believe III do it
| It's pity if he can't have a little fun
on New Years day, as well as the rest
of us fellows. need not go with the
first ten, but if I'm not too tired / viii
race with the last. It's hard work teach
ing boy to skate, though. Nobody
| knows when he'll tumble down and
have to be hoisted up again and fol
| the matter of that, half the time be
drags you down after him, and bruise:
YOU rather more than IS pleasant. Blu
I'll stand it, for l want Sammy to have
little fun. .
j Johnny Johnny Emerson = called
halfa-dozen voices. "We're getting
ready to start come on!"
mot now," cried Johnny, go ahead
Now, Sammy Green he said in Low
voice, I'm going to teach you to skate
while the rest are racing. Get up anC
balance yourself again. Therel Nov
take hold of my arm, and when | strik,
out with this foot do you strike out witt
that one, and WI rush along bravely. "
Sammy clutched his friend, and Sc
his feet in order. Zone, two, three, anC
off T. cried Johnny. "Off indeed i
was, for Sammy was so anxious to 90 fas
that he jerked Johnny to one side, anC
losing his balance, slipped off his fee
and brought his friend down with a grea
thump beside him. 1t was the back o
Johnny's head that felt it, and he "sav
stars for "a minute. But he got III
pleasantly enough. ooh never mind I
he said, as Sammy began to apologize